Chelsea legend Didier Drogba has admitted he was “disgusted” to sign for the Premier League club.
During his trophy-laden time at Stamford Bridge, Drogba led the Blues to four Premier League titles, four FA Cups, the Champions League and three League Cups.
But the Ivorian has said he was not initially thrilled about joining the club.
Jose Mourinho famously opted for Drogba over Ronaldinho, persuading billionaire Roman Abramovich to sign him from Marseille in 2005.
Drogba was happy at the Ligue 1 side and didn’t want to leave. However, when a £24 million offer came in, he found himself heading to West London for a medical.
“I was disgusted. I realised 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 have accepted a bid). Maybe that’s going to shock supporters of Chelsea, but I didn’t want to leave.
“I even did some things that were almost absurd in order not to go 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,” he said in a 2007 documentary called ‘The Incredible Destiny of Didier Drogba’ in quotes carried by Daily Star Sport.
