Speculation about Didier Drogba returning to Chelsea was finally laid to rest yesterday after the Ivorian hitman rejoined the Blues on a one-year deal.
The Ivorian, 36, won 10 trophies at Chelsea from 2004 to 2012 and was a free agent after leaving Galatasaray.
Manager Jose Mourinho had earlier said the forward “belongs” at Stamford Bridge – but that any deal would be made “in a non-emotional way”.
Drogba told Chelsea’s official site: “It was an easy decision – I couldn’t turn down the opportunity to work with Jose again.”
He said: “Everyone knows the special relationship I have with this club and it has always felt like home to me.
“My desire to win is still the same and I look forward to the opportunity to help this team. I am excited for this next chapter of my career.”
Drogba Drogba wrote on his Instagram account: “So CFC offered me the opportunity to create more history with these guys – how could I say no? Thanks to the club and can’t wait to see the fans again.”
The Ivory Coast international was voted Chelsea’s greatest ever player in a poll of fans in 2012 and has spoken of his close ties to the Blues.
His 34 goals for Chelsea in European competition remains a club record, as do his nine strikes in nine cup finals.
Mourinho had previously said: “If you bring him back it is not because he is Didier or scored the most important goal in the history of Chelsea, or because I need an assistant, no.
“We want to win matches and win titles and Didier is one of the best strikers in Europe. He is still very adapted to the needs of the Premier League and we are thinking about it in a non-emotional way.”
He joins Fernando Torres, new signing Diego Costa, as well as Romelu Lukaku and Victor Moses, who both spent last season out on loan, as striking options at Stamford Bridge.
However, there have been diverse opinions since Drogba embarked on his second journey to the Stamford Bridge side with some arguing that the once dreaded marksman may have reached the twiligth of his career.
If the school of thought that Drogba is already finished is to be upheld, then the example that readily comes to mind is his unimpressive outing at the just concluded Brazil 2014 World Cup where his national team, the Elephants of Cote d’Ívoire failed to advance beyond the first round.
In Drogba’s absence, Chelsea have struggled to discover a striker in his mode who has the penchant to determine the outcome of crucial matches.
It was erroneously interpreted by many fans of the club that Fernando Torres was overshadowed by the towering figure of Drogba when both strikers played for the side.
When Drogba eventually left, Torres, who was phenomenal at Liverpool, failed to emerge from Drogba’s shadow when the striker’s mantle was thrown at him.
Last season, it was an open secret that Mourinho felt disenchanted with the conversion rates of Torres and Samuel Eto.
Apart from acting as a formidable striking partner to Spanish super star, Diego Costa, Drogba’s second coming is also expected to ease the mental pressure on the former Atletico Madrid forward.
That Drogba signed a one-year contract with Chelsea was an indication that both parties did not rule out the possibilty that the striker may become unable to cope with the intensity of the English Premier League even though his experience could prove to be invaluable.
Drogba was born on 11 March 1978 and is the all-time top scorer of the Ivory Coast national team. He has scored more goals at Chelsea than any other foreign player and is currently the club’s fourth highest goal scorer of all time. In October 2012, he was voted by Chelsea supporters as the club’s greatest ever player. His key attributes include his physical strength, ability in the air, and his ability to retain possession of the ball.
After playing in youth teams, Drogba made his professional debut aged 18 for Ligue 2 club Le Mans. A late bloomer, he signed his first professional contract aged 21; it was not until the 2002–03 season that he realised his potential, scoring 17 goals in 34 appearances in Ligue 1 for Guingamp. He moved to Olympique de Marseille in 2003 for £3.3 million. His scoring success at Marseille continued, finishing as the third highest scorer in Ligue 1 with 19 goals and helped the club to reach the 2004 UEFA Cup Final.
In the summer of 2004, Drogba moved to Chelsea for a club record £24 million fee, making him the most expensive Ivorian player in history.
In his debut season he helped the club win their first league title in 50 years, and a year later he won another Premier League title. In 2006–07, Drogba scored 33 goals, won the Premier League Golden Boot and scored the winning goals in both the League Cup and FA Cup finals.
He won the FA Cup for a second time in 2009, scoring the equaliser in the final, and in 2009–10 was instrumental in Chelsea clinching their first double, winning his second Golden Boot and scoring the only goal in the 2010 FA Cup Final. In March 2012, Drogba scored his 100th Premier League goal, the first African player to reach the milestone.
He then became the only player in history to score in four separate FA Cup finals,when he scored in Chelsea’s win over Liverpool in the 2012 final.
He made his last appearance for Chelsea in the 2012 UEFA Champions League Final, in which he scored an 88th-minute equaliser and the winning penalty in the deciding shoot-out against Bayern Munich.
In October 2013, he became the first African footballer to win the prestigious Golden Foot while playing for Galatasaray.
Full name
Tébily Didier Yves Drogba
Date of birth
11 March 1978 (age 36)
Place of birth
Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Height
1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing position
Striker
Club information
Current team
Chelsea
Youth career
1989–1991
Abbeville
1991–1993
Vannes
1993–1997
Levallois
1997–1998
Le Mans
Senior career*
1998–2002
Le Mans 64 (12)
2002–2003
Guingamp 45 (20)
2003–2004
Marseille 35 (19)
2004–2012
Chelsea 226 (100)
2012–2013
Shanghai Shenhua 11 (8)
2013–2014
Galatasaray 37 (15)
2014–
Chelsea 0 (0)
With the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia currently showcasing the finest footballing talent on the planet, the race for the Best FIFA Football Awards is even more intense and the showpiece event will take on added significance when it returns to London for a second time on 24 September 2018.
