“Didier behaves like a woman” - Ex-Chelsea star opens up on playing alongside Drogba at Stamford Bridge
Former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel has recalled how it felt to play alongside Didier Drogba at Stamford Bridge.
Talking about the striker's need to feel special, Mikel felt that it made Drogba comparable to a woman. He said in the Obi One Podcast (via GistMania):
“He loves a little bit of attention; Didier behaves like a woman. You pamper him, give him a lot of attention, and he produces. But he was always there for us in the big games."
Mikel and Drogba were both Chelsea signings during the early years of the Roman Abramovich era. Both players won several titles at the club, with Mikel remembering how Drogba loved to play in the big games.
He said:
“Drogba loves the big games; he was a guy who enjoyed it. When it was the little games, like when you’re playing the FA Cup or playing against small clubs like Stoke or other small clubs, Drogba never wanted to play those games."
Mikel added:
"For him, it was the big games. The big games were what he lived for- the Champions League nights, Manchester United and Liverpool, that’s where you see a Didier Drogba."
Talking about a change in Drogba's attitude ahead of the big games, Mikel said:
“From that week, on a Monday leading up to the weekend on Saturday, you can see his mood, you can feel that he’s engaged. He wants those games; he wants the challenge because he knows that the manager will turn on him because the manager will say that he will win the game for us."
Drogba scored nine goals in 10 cup finals for Chelsea.
Didier Drogba found it tough to recognize Chelsea after change in ownership
Having played the entirety of his Chelsea career under the ownership of Roman Abramovich, Drogba expressed his views on the state of the club after Todd Boehly took over at Stamford Bridge as the new owner.
Chelsea struggled in the league in the new owner's first season (2022-23), with the club finishing 12th in the Premier League. Speaking back in April 2023, Drogba told French television station Canal+ (via Football London):
"I knew this club with a certain class during the [Roman] Abramovich era, but today I find it lacking. It's very hard for me to see how they got rid of certain people. They should go back to the principles and values they had. I no longer recognise my club."
Presumably, he was referencing to the change in personnel in the boardroom as well, which took place on a large scale after the change in ownership. Chelsea are struggling in the league once again this season, with the club currently ninth in the PL table.