- Chelsea out of UCL
- In 11th place in Premier League
- Drogba fumes at situation
WHAT HAPPENED? The iconic former striker believes Chelsea have fundamentally changed for the worse under Boehly, and he claimed that the American has focused too much on young players while building a bloated squad.
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WHAT THEY SAID: “I don’t recognise my club," Drogba told Canal+. "It’s no longer the same club. There is a new owner and a new vision. Of course, we try to compare it with what happened during the [Roman] Abramovich era where a lot of players were brought in, but the decisions were very intelligent.
"Bringing in players like Petr Cech, Andriy Shevchenko, Herman Crespo, Michael Essien, Didier Drogba, Florent Malouda, and I go on. It was done to win titles. They are players with a certain experience. The strategy is now different; we bet on young players. But a dressing room of over 30 players is difficult [to manage] for a manager.”
AND WHAT'S MORE: Drogba added that the Blues "lack charismatic leaders" who can handle difficult stretches and guide team-mates in the right direction.
"You need players that take on the game, that assume their responsibilities," he explained. "You need a player that brings a bit of madness to the stadium.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: There has been much discussion about Boehly's role in a horrific 2022-23 season, though there is debate over why he's struggled to make a good impression.
IN A PHOTO:
Remember the good times?
Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT? Now out of the Champions League after being destroyed by Real Madrid in the quarter-final, there is little left for Chelsea to play for this season besides pride.