AS DIDIER Drogba steps onto the Stamford Bridge pitch tonight (Mar 18) he will know the stadium is full of his own admirers and none more so than the manager sat in the opposition dugout – Jose Mourinho.
It will be a surreal feeling for many Chelsea fans to see the player they love line up against the Blues for Galatasaray in the last 16 of the Champions League, and strange to know it is not Mourinho barking orders at the Ivorian but instead devising measures to stop the 36-year-old powerhouse.
The tie is delicately balanced from the 1-1 draw in the first leg, and the Portuguese manager must realise that if the west London club is to progress then stopping Drogba must be a paramount concern, especially when he rates him as still one of the world’s best hitmen.
Mourinho said: “Is he [Drogba] the same player at 36 years old as he was at 26? Nobody is, but he is certainly still one of the best strikers in the world.
“He is undoubtedly one of the most important players in the history of the club. All Chelsea supporters, we agree with that.”
Drogba’s statistics at Chelsea certainly back that up – he scored 157 goals in 342 appearances, but what is most memorable is his final kick for the club – the winning penalty that sealed the Blues’ famous Champions League win over Bayern Munich.
Mourinho believes that the forward could at some point return to Stamford Bridge, and added: “I think it has to happen one day.
“When, I don’t know. As a player, as a coach, as an ambassador, next year, in four, five years, in 10 years, I don’t know.
“But when a person represents so much to a club and when a club represents so much to a person, and that’s the case, I think he has to be back one day.”
It is expected that Drogba will receive a rapturous welcome when he takes to the field and he said he may not celebrate if he scores tonight, out of respect to the fans he gave so much.
The ex-Blues striker said: “With all the respect that I have for this club, for the fans and for the players, I might not celebrate, but if we win I’ll be happy.
“I have nothing to prove to this club. Everything I had to prove I think I did it with Chelsea. I come here with another team.” – Voice
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