Didier Drogba

Former Liverpool midfielder-turned-pundit Jamie Redknapp believes that Jose Mourinho will seek to groom Romelu Lukaku into the mould of ex-Chelsea legend Didier Drogba.

The Belgium international begun his Premier League career at Stamford Bridge before he spent four seasons with Merseyside club Everton.

Lukaku’s time with the Toffees was always shrouded with doubts over his future with the former Anderlecht graduate admitting his ambition of playing in the Champions League. Both Chelsea and United were interested in his services earlier this summer, but the 24-year-old opted to move to Old Trafford where he would be reunited with Jose Mourinho.

Speaking to The Mail, Redknapp admits that United will play with a direct approach this summer given the height among the players in the squad. He added that the Special One will look to make Lukaku his new Didier Drogba, although he struggles to make an impression with the elite clubs, he said:

“With this battering ram up front, United will be very direct this year. Jose Mourinho will be looking to Lukaku to be his Didier Drogba. There are times when the Belgian plays like a raging bull — but has appeared timid and disinterested at times. Now he must ditch his reputation as a flat-track bully and terrorise every centre back in the League. Lukaku is good friends with Paul Pogba and if they replicate that relationship on the pitch, they can be magnificent.”

However, Lukaku took a different view to the comparison earlier last month where he insisted that he likes to play more with the ball at his feet rather than Drogba’s role of being the target man. Lukaku opened his goalscoring account in the 2-1 European Super Cup loss to Real Madrid, but he should have guided his side to extra time at least after he missed an open chance from six yards out.

Former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba believes that Chelsea will have to sign new players if they want to retain their title.

He said that it would be a massive disappointment for the club to have missed out on the signing of a player such as Lukaku, but they will need to find new opportunities.

Didier Drogba believes that the next season will be a tough one and that the different title contenders will be strengthening massively. This is why it is important that the club signs some new players to add depth to their squad especially that this season they will have to participate in the Champions League as well.

The former Chelsea striker said that he does not know what is happening at the club as usually their transfer business is already done at the time of the year.

He believes that the team will need another striker to replace Diego Costa if ever the latter wants to leave the club and that they will need some quality replacement at the back. He said that the club will be losing a leader in John Terry and that they will need another player that can feel the void.

Didier Drogba said that Terry was not only a good player on the pitch but also a great leader off the pitch. He believes that they will need to find another player of this quality if they are to challenge for the title next season and also perform well in the Champions League.

Didier Drogba believes that Conte has the necessary experience to manage this team and that there is no doubt that he will sign quality players before the start of the new season.

Drogba believes that this is an exciting period at Chelsea and that fans should get ready for the new season.

Premier League leaders Chelsea may have won the title this year with their victory over Everton.

Their resolve to get back in shape has been amazing this year. And this is what makes champions.

Leicester showed this last year despite Spurs and Arsenal chasing them. They kept taking it game after game until it was over for the rest. Chelsea have done the same this year and it seems the victory over the Toffeeshas sealed it.

The strong resolve to make things happen can have a big effect. That is why dressing rooms play so much importance in the game of modern football. When Jose Mourinho arrived at Chelsea the first time, he worked with his players in the background so much that it translated to success in the open. John Terry, Frank Lampard, PetrCech, Didier Drogba and others – there were all motivators of one another.

This time Coach Antonio Conte seems to have reached that point with his team – The point where a strong resolve wins the league far before it ends.

Despite a few stumbles here and there, that resolve helps them return back to the path of greatness. After Chelsea slipped against Crystal Palace at home, many looked up for some drama but Chelsea gave Footy Site a strong response.

Many would have expected Ronald Koeman and his boys to do some magic, afterall they have been decent this season. After Pedro’s long range effort, the team found back that resolve to finish it off. They defeated them commandingly, winning 3-0 and shaming their detractors. With Middlesbrough, West Brom, Watford and Sunderland left, who can stop Chelsea?

Former Chelsea player Didier Drogba believes that Chelsea can dominate English football for the years to come.

He said that this would start this season itself as he thinks that they will be the one to lift the trophy.

The former Ivory Coast international stated that Chelsea has a substantial lead at this stage of this season and he does not think that there is any team that can catch them at the moment. He believes that Antonio Conte has inspired the players and that they are responding well on the pitch.

Didier Drogba said that this is only a start and he feels that this can be the beginning of something big for Chelsea. The former Chelsea striker said that the squad is quite a strong one and this was evident in the manner they beat Manchester United in the FA Cup.

Drogba thinks that Antonio Conte will strengthen the team further during the transfer window and that they will become a formidable side in Europe. He said that Chelsea would have to test themselves against the best in Europe to find out how much they have progressed under Conte.

The former Ivory Coast international stated that the Chelsea players have adapted well to the change of formation and that they are performing well in this new system. So far there is not one team in the Premier League that has managed to beat this system, and he believes that Chelsea will end up as Champions at the end of the season.

He said that this would be a deserved trophy for them as they have been magnificent and consistent throughout the season. He believes that there is much more to come from this current squad and he thinks that they will be a tough competition in next year’s Champions League.

Former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has announced that he will be leaving Montreal Impact soon but could still carry on playing even at the age of 38.

The Chelsea Legend is still undecided as to whether to continue his playing career or hang up his boots and move straight into coaching, having been linked with a return to Stamford Bridge as a coaching staff. The Ivorian was lethal for Chelsea during his time at the club, notching up 104 Premier League goals across two spells at the club. The player also helped Chelsea to the UEFA Champions League trophy in 2012 and will forever be loved by Chelsea fans because of his achievements.

Drogba, one of the all-time greats in the Premier League, has so far enjoyed a wonderful time in the MLS having scored 22 goals in the 36 games that he has played for the American-based club – Montreal. This statistics put him well above the likes of Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard – both of whom also spent some time in the MLS. Didier Drogba is unlikely to be short of offers to carry with his playing career.

Drogba helped Montreal Impact to a 3-2 win over Toronto FC in the first leg of the Eastern Conference finals in front of a sell-out 61000 crowd. The second leg of the game will be played on November 30 with the winner progressing to the MLS Cup Final in Seattle on 10 December.
Drogba said:

“There’s still one or maybe two games to go. Next week’s game is more important than if it’s finished or not.
“Everyone knows it was my last game here. Now let’s focus on the semi-final.”

Chelsea actually tried to bring Drogba on board to join their coaching staff last season but the player decided that he wanted to continue his playing career. Drogba has always been known as a leader and a winner.

Former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has refused to play for Montreal Impact after he was demoted to the bench.

Montreal Impact coach Mauro Biello has revealed that the player did not appreciate the fact that he was named only among the substitute and did not form part of the first team.

The coach said that Drogba was not interested to form part of the team if he was going only to sit on the bench. As a result, the Ivory Coast player asked to be removed from the 18 players that were going to play the game.

The Montreal Impact staff stated on Sunday that the player was injured, but the coach has now confirmed that the player missed the game because he refused to be named among the substitute. He said that the player indeed suffered from a back problem, but he was capable of playing.

Mauro Biello stated that he does understand why Didier Drogba behaved that way. He stated that he is a team player just as anyone else and that he needs to accept the decision of the coach. He stated that all the Montreal Impact players train hard and that it is important that Didier Drogba understands that only the best players will have a chance in the team.

His teammates have refused to comment on the issue and said that Drogba had been a great member in the locker room. They stated that this is a matter between the coach and Drogba and that they will have to settle it sooner or later.

The coach said that they will find a solution to this problem internally and that the club should continue to move forward. He stated that the club is improving and it is important that they remain united.

Didier Drogba has dismissed rumours that he was considering the possibility of joining Aston Villa.

The Championship club are managed by Roberto di Matteo, who was the manager of Chelsea when they won the Champions League in 2012. The Italian is widely credited for getting the best out of Drogba even when he was an ageing warhorse.

The pair seem to have a relationship even now and this led to rumours of a move to Villa Park. Following their relegation to the Championship, Villa are undergoing a lot of issues on and off the field.

While Di Matteo has to take care of the issues with regard to the squad, fans are extremely uncertain about the future of the club under the new ownership by a Chinese consortium. American Randy Lerner finally decided to sell the club at any asking price following their relegation last season. It was too little too late since Villa had no permanent manager by then.Di Matteo arrived at the club in the summer and he has been unable to make a significant change to the playing squad in terms of quality. At this point in time, bringing a player like Drogba would have been a major boost, but the Montreal Impact striker has ruled out any such move.

“Just come out of training at @impactmontreal & a million messages & trending on Twitter saying I was in Birmingham today,” said Drogba on his Twitter account. It seems that the Aston Villa owner also saw the funny side. “Come on. It’s not the China Villa club (maybe future will.),” tweeted owner Tony Xia on the speculation linking the striker with a move to Villa. Drogba played for a short period in the Chinese football with Shanghai Shenhua. Villa are struggling in the Championship with only one win so far.

Many footballers in their prime become inspiration for the younger players.

One such instance can be seen in Didier Drogba. Being 38 years of age, he has been known for the football skills he exhibited as center forward. Being part of the Montreal Impact since 2015, he is known to have inspired many to become a star footballer like himself. One current instance can be cited as Michy Batshuayi who is a striker from New Chelsea.

He is keen to follow the footsteps of the player at Stamford Bridge. Michy signed up with Chelsea this summer and he wishes to emulate the success that Didier Drogba has achieved. Batshuayi moved from Marseille in France to Stamford Bridge this Sunday. He has signed a deal with Chelsea for a period of five years. Being a Belgium international player, he states that he would like to follow in the footsteps of Drogba, who made a similar move in 2004 when he comes to Chelsea from Marseille. Drogba made history for the club with the numerous goals that he scored for them, including the penalty kick that secured his team’s win in 2012 Champions League.

Drogba’s playing style might be different from what the Belgium international player follows, but he hopes to achieve success for the club the same way Drogba did in his time. Drogba currently plays for Montreal Impact. Didier achieved a lot for Chelsea and Batshuayi says that he respects his achievements and skills and hopes that he will be his inspiration to achieve similar success for Chelsea. Being 22 years of age, he definitely has a long way to go in his football playing career. He also admits to being fan of Ronaldo and wishes to be a player like his star some day.

Didier Drogba being a forwarder of the Montreal Impact team was part of the game that the Montreal Impact played against Toronto FC.

The game resulted in a win with a score of 4-2. Didier was a key figure in this game where he tried to grab the ball from Ashtone Morgan, who played the role of defender in Toronto FC. Jonathan Osorio was part of the Toronto club who was instrumental in helping his club secure a win against the Montreal Impact team.

However, as the game was on Montreal Impact had their hopes on Didier Drogba. The Impact forwarder led the team in scoring the two goals that the team could achieve late in the game. The shot that the forwarder got was at the 86th minute. He also helped to line up another shot which was scored as a header goal by Michael Salazar. Drogba used the opportunity of a hand ball which he converted into a free kick and this he used during the stoppage time. Impact however, was not able to score a win as the opponent team was able to score two more goals additionally. The second leg of the match was scheduled to be held soon. The team is yet to taste success this season. There have been other matches of the team at the BMO stadium, which have resulted in defeat for them. They are now part of MLS that the team joined in 2012. Since then the team has experienced three losses and three draws. However, Didier has definitely helped the team and the two goals that he helped his team to achieve in the last match have definitely helped them to increase their chances in the upcoming series matches. Fans will definitely be looking forward to seeing more of his participation in the upcoming months.

Didier Drogba has been limited to only a few appearances in this season.

The Ivorian attacker was not at his best physically and considering that he is 38 years old, he just isn’t capable of performing consistently in every single game and running in the pitch as a few years ago.

Nonetheless, even at this older age Didier Drogba is still proving his worth as he scored a superb free-kick when playing against Colorado Rapids on April 30 of the ongoing year.

The playing career of Drogba has extended for over 25 years and throughout this period of time, the veteran player has gained recognition and credibility for everything that he has accomplished not only as a performer but also as one of the more influential figures in the world of football.

Drogba is also recognized as a figurehead for his country, Ivory Coast. The experienced player has played roles for the United Nations as a Goodwill Ambassador as well as being a representative of peace for Ivory Coast.

The former star of Chelsea has also created charities and made donations with the purpose of helping deprived children in his homeland Ivory Coast and Africa. The Didier Drogba Foundation was created back in 2007 and its primary function is to provide healthcare and education in Africa but a few weeks ago, the British daily newspaper made allegations that most of the money that is being raised by his charity is not being used for the appropriate causes.

According to the Daily Mail, less than 1% of £1.7m that has been raised by the charity is actually being used to help children in Africa. The British daily newspaper stated that the majority of the donations from the Didier Drogba Foundation are being spent in high profile events for celebrities and this of this nature.

The player of Montreal Impact responded by saying: “Despite sending legal letters and 67 pages worth of documents advising the newspaper that their information was factually incorrect and libelous, they have decided to ignore the facts so I am issuing legal proceedings against them today. There is no fraud, no corruption, no mismanagement, no lies, and no impropriety.”

Didier Drogba said that he is going to take legal action concerning this issue that has risen in relation to the allegations issued by the Daily Mail.