Chelsea icon Didier Drogba has openly admitted that he felt “disgusted” when signing for the Premier League club. Despite enjoying immense success at Stamford Bridge, where he led Chelsea to four Premier League titles, four FA Cups, the Champions League, and three League Cups, Drogba initially harbored reservations about joining the club.
In a famous decision, manager Jose Mourinho chose Drogba over Ronaldinho, successfully persuading Roman Abramovich to secure the Ivorian striker’s transfer from Marseille in 2005. Drogba, content at Ligue 1 side Marseille, was reluctant to leave. However, with a £24 million offer on the table, he underwent a medical examination and found himself on his way to West London.
Expressing his initial sentiments, Drogba shared, “I was disgusted. I realized that signing for Chelsea was disgusting. It’s hard to explain. It’s hard to understand because, most of all, people see the financial side or even the sporting side. But I simply wasn’t happy. I said to myself, ‘I couldn’t give a damn’ (that Marseille accepted a bid). Maybe that’s going to shock Chelsea supporters, but I didn’t want to leave.”
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Drogba even recounted taking extreme measures during the medical process, stating, “I even did some things that were almost absurd to avoid going to Chelsea, such as during the medical. Going to the hospital in Paris, I was praying they would find a problem with my knee or a problem with anything so the move would collapse.” This revelation was part of a 2007 documentary titled ‘The Incredible Destiny of Didier Drogba.’