Didier Drogba would become a Chelsea legend after his move from Marseille in 2004, but Jose Mourinho has revealed how he had to bravely convince Roman Abramovich to sign him
Former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho once boldly told ex-club owner Roman Abramovich to simply “pay and don’t speak” for Blues legend Didier Drogba. Chelsea signed the Ivorian from Marseille for £24million in July 2004, and ended up with a Stamford Bridge hero.
With Abramovich’s financial revolution at Chelsea gathering pace at the time, Mourinho instructed his employer that he must have the powerful striker in his ranks. And he did not have time for the Russian’s questions, risking his standing with the billionaire.
“[Roman] Abramovich was asking me, ‘Who do you want for the striker?’ All the big names in Europe at that time, I told ‘Drogba,'” Mourinho relayed. “(Abramovich asked) ‘Who is he? Where does he play? Where is he playing?’ (I replied) ‘Mr Abramovich, pay. Pay and don’t speak’. And Didier was an iconic player for Chelsea, for the Premier League.”
True to Mourinho’s insistence, Drogba illustrated his extraordinary talent right off the bat by netting 16 goals despite battling injuries in his inaugural season. He went on to win the Premier League on three occasions, four FA Cups and the Champions League in his first stint at the club.
The Ivorian icon eventually moved to Shanghai Shenhua after eight seasons, but he didn’t last long in the Chinese Super League. He quickly made his way to European football with Galatasaray, reports Football London.
“I played [against] him [Drogba] when I was in Madrid and he was with [Wesley] Sneijder in Galatasaray – they almost killed me, but they didn’t and he was fantastic also for Galatasaray,” Mourinho added.
“Then he came back to Chelsea and I told him, ‘You are not number one anymore, but I need you here to help me with the team, with the more experienced players, with the [Eden] Hazards, with the Willians, with the young guys’. He was phenomenal again. There are players with their character and personality, and they are important from day one in their career.”
In an interview with BBC Football Focus in 2018, Drogba revealed that Mourinho’s admiration was reciprocated. “He changed my life, he changed the story of my family,” said Drogba.
“He told me if you want to be the best, you have to come and play with one of the best teams in the world and one of the best managers in the world… no, the best manager in the world. Everyone was saying £24m was a lot of money. People doubted. When I left, I think the way everyone reacted, I think I covered the investment.”
In two spells with Chelsea, Drogba, now 47, scored an incredible 164 goals in 381 games. His legend is cemented with the Ivory Coast star also winning the Premier League Golden Boot in 2006/07 and 2009/10.
After his second spell in West London, he wrapped up his career with MLS sides Montreal Impact and then with Phoenix Rising in 2018.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Watch the Club World Cup free on DAZN
The FIFA Club World Cup will see 32 of the world’s best club teams including Man City, Chelsea, Real Madrid, PSG and Bayern Munich play across 63 games from June 14-July 13.
Fans can watch every match live and for free by signing up to DAZN.
