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| According to sources in the French media, Didier Drogba has told France Football that he wants to leave "broken" Chelsea behind... Tomorrow's edition of France Football will hold more interest than usual for the average Chelsea fan, for within its pages is an interview with Didier Drogba. And according to sources in the French media, the striker has sensationally revealed that he feels the time is right to move on from Stamford Bridge. He told the publication, "I'm not at a point where I don't feel I have anything else to prove at Chelsea. "I need to look elsewhere. I love this club, but now I think it's time to move on." Drogba was upset by the recent dismissal of coach Jose Mourinho, the Portuguese boss being replaced with Avram Grant. Didier's domestic form has been mixed so far this season, a red card against Fulham in the pair's 0-0 draw proving perhaps a humilation too far, although the Ivorian hitman did manage a goal against Valencia in the Champions League. The prolific hitman has hit 43 league goals since his arrival from Marseille and, with the powerful hitman set to leave London, some of Europe's biggest clubs are monitoring the situation closely. Chelsea, meanwhile, may soon have to come to terms with the loss of their top forward. After all, Drogba seems to think that there's no way back now. "My decision has been made," he insisted. "Nothing can change my mind. I know that Ronaldinho and Kaka have been linked with moves here, but that won't alter anything for me. "At some point, the club hierarchy and I will sit around the table and sort everything out. "They know of my intention to leave. But I won't dwell on that. Perhaps because there is something broken at Chelsea." Drogba's sensational remarks come just days before Chelsea travel to face Middlesbrough in the Premiership. |
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| In an explosive and widely-trailed interview with France Football magazine, Didier Drogba claims that Jose Mourinho was betrayed by Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, that the club is in crisis following Mourinho's shock exit, and that he himself is determined to follow his mentor out of Stamford Bridge at the earliest opportunity. Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has claimed that the club's billionaire Russian owner, Roman Abramovich, forced Jose Mourinho out. And he revealed: “I’ve taken the decision to leave. Sacking Mourinho has done a lot of harm to the squad — we now know what happened and those who forced Mourinho out.” Drogba added that there is no way he will reverse his own decision to leave Chelsea. He said: “They know my will to leave, something has irrevocably broken between me and Chelsea. “At the moment there is not much laughter in training and I didn’t think we could feel this low. "I have been so angry and so disappointed with what happened to Mourinho.” Remarkably, the 29-year-old Ivorian admitted that he has even considered refusing to play in order to expedite his exit from Stamford Bridge. “I thought very hard about not playing against Valencia in Europe so I could avoid making myself ineligible for another side this season. “When you are as disappointed as I have been then you sometimes take impulsive decisions.” Drogba has revealed details of how the reign of Mourinho - the "Special One" - was brought to an end. He said: “I learned that the manager was going when he told me personally — before the club made it official. “It was a shock because I literally did not believe it could happen to a guy like him. “When Mourinho went to say goodbye for the last time in the dressing room it only lasted five minutes but it was an immensely strong moment and very moving. “To watch him empty his locker so quickly and with such little fuss was terrible. “Some around me were crying. It’s a shame if you are sensitive. He kissed us, one by one — except a few! “Then he said ‘I wish you good luck to you and to your families and I thank you all. Even those who betrayed me’. “Mourinho didn’t stay a second longer after that because I think he would have burst into tears. “Then it was like fireworks in the dressing room. “I really feared that everything was going to explode. “Finally a sense of resignation sunk over us and my initial feeling, just like a lot of players I think, was to feel alone. “It was almost like being an orphan after the departure of a father. “Over the following days I struggled to look at some people without getting angry. “Things went too far. In training, during those days, you could see some players were making basic errors, forgetting the basics of football. “Thankfully that effect didn’t last too long. “My opinion is that results were only an excuse for getting rid of him. Perhaps his honesty and his way of saying what he thinks were not appreciated by everyone at the club. “Mourinho explained to me what had happened in the few weeks prior to his departure and I understood why he went. “I prefer not to share that, I just want to say that I have been really badly surprised by some people. “I understand now what Mourinho meant when he told me ‘Know that I am happy to leave this place’. Drogba added: “Sacking Mourinho has done a lot of harm to the squad. “I still don’t know why we changed manager after just a month of competition. There was nothing alarming. “If the will to sack him existed, then why not do it pre-season? “If you trust a guy to start the season, then apart from a total catastrophe he has to get until December at least. “But apparently Abramovich changed his philosophy. “We players are only employees and it was out of our hands. "I took the whole thing badly and perhaps I put too much sentiment in my relationship with the coach.” Drogba's career blossomed under Mourinho, and he he does not feel he can reproduce his best form for new manager Avram Grant. He said: "The fire in me has gone. I need to play for a club where I am willing to break a leg in search of victory and I need to play for a club which makes me dream. "Winning the Champions League makes me dream and I thought that staying at Chelsea for what I knew would be Mourinho’s last season was my best chance of achieving this. “When the manager left he quickly said that he would like to work with me again but in such deals nothing is simple. He knows that I dream of the Spanish and the Italian league. “I must win either La Liga or Serie A and there are, perhaps, only five clubs in the world that make me dream. “They are Barcelona, Real Madrid, Inter, AC Milan and Marseille. There are not 50 clubs which can inspire my passion and my hunger to win but these ones do. “I’ve been so angry and so disappointed with what happened to Mourinho that I truly thought of leaving in this winter market. "As for leaving it’s a decision I won’t change, even if people tell me that Ronaldinho and Kaka are on their way in the summer. “So I’ve decided I’ll stay until next summer. “I will do everything to defend my shirt loyally until the end of the season. “I’ve had a strange relationship with Chelsea since my first day. Almost since that day I’ve wanted to leave. “But despite this I’ve stayed and they are the most beautiful years of my career. “I’ve wondered if this club was right for me and it took me a long time to love Chelsea. “In the past I have never been so clear in my wish to leave. But today I really know firmly and clearly what I want. “Experience shows that it’s no good for a club to try to keep a player against his will. “I hope I’ll be able to part company with the club in a correct way. “I acknowledge that this is a club where I was greatly helped to grow up. “I hope people won’t be too angry with me because, in the end, I’m thinking of myself.” Chelsea issued a brief statement yesterday reiterating that Drogba was contracted to the club an that they expected him to honour that contract. It remains to be seen how the club will respond to what Drogba has said in print - whether they feel the stiker has breached any internal disciplinary protocol with comments that Chelsea presumably did not vet or authorise. |