In a 2009 article for The Guardian, former Chelsea defender Tony Dorigo wrote: "You never want to take away fight and spirit from players such as Drogba because that fire is part of what makes him a great player, but the way he reacted in the Barcelona game raises a question mark about him.
"Drogba lets out his frustration in the wrong way at times. More importantly, it happened in such a high-profile game – a Champions League semi-final – where the eyes of the world were on the team. A sickening blow like the one Chelsea took last week against Barcelona can make a side take stock and reassess their options.
"Another thing to bear in mind is that Drogba's contract runs out next year. Chelsea may want to cash in on him this summer rather than let him leave for free later on – he'd certainly have no shortage of clubs willing to pay for him."
Long story short, Dorigo argued that Chelsea should let go of their main forward as his attitude was off and he wasn't the hardest player to replace.
Keep in mind that he was referring to Drogba's outburst after Chelsea were knocked out of the 2009 Champions League at the hands of Barcelona in one of the worst officiated games of all time!
Chelsea fans in the comments section opposed his opinion:
Alex800: "The only people who will want chelsea to sell him are the supporters of rival clubs.He is simply one of the best strikers in world football.If the media dont like him all the more reason to keep him.The demonising of Didier and the club by some parts of the media has been pathetic.He is and always will be one of our champions.Keep sticking it to them Didier."
FishCake: "much of the time, he dosses about like a goon and exaggerates his falling down in challenges et al ad nauseum. But - and this is a big but - when he's good, he's amazing. He's big, he's strong, he's got skill and flair aplenty and is a terrific reader of the game and the key to Chelsea's 4-3-3/4-5-1 formation. And for that, I wouldn't sell him for any number of rubles."
Mattaldinho: "He's worth the controversy as he is the most useful striker in the world. Really who else do you see getting back to defend, winning every header he goes for and assuming he is at full fitness scoring an average of about a goal a game while still getting a good number of assists. I honestly can't see how any Chelsea fan could want rid of him, I'm Chelsea through and through and the thought of him leaving makes me sick, I would give him whatever contract he wants as soon as the season ends."
Arsenal fan LoonyGoon wrote: "As an Arsenal supporter I'd love to see Drogba leave, he's consistently been a royal pain in the rear. I'd love to have him, but we can't afford him."
What happened the next season? Drogba scored 37 goals in 44 appearances for the Blues in what was his most prolific campaign for us. We also won the Premier League and the FA Cup that season.
2 years later, he was our best player in Bayern as we beat the home club in the Champions League final in what remains the most historic night in Chelsea's history.
The moral of the story? Chelsea fans know best!
Latest news
