Didier Drogba says Chelsea have ‘lost principles and club values’

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By Martin Graham | 16th Oct 2022

Chelsea legend Didier Drogba has accused new-owner Todd Boehly of lacking class since taking ownership of the Blues this summer.

The American businessman completed a deal to purchase the Premier League giants and immediately made his impact known after undergoing a huge turnover of staff.

While the likes of Petr Cech, Marina Granovskaia and Thomas Tuchel are the higher profile members of staff to have left the club since Boehly’s takeover, Chelsea legend Drogba says that his treatment of the club’s backroom staff is the most disappointing.

Drogba displeased at Boehly’s treatment of Chelsea backroom staff

Speaking in an interview, Drogba said Canal Plus: “I knew this club with a certain class during the Abramovich era, but today I find it lacking.

“It’s very hard for me to see how they got rid of certain people, for example the physiotherapists, who were there for a very long time.

“They should go back to the principles and values they had.”

Drogba is not the only ex to slam their recent conduct, with Michael Ballack calling the decision to sack Thomas Tuchel as ‘incomprehensible’.

He told German outlet Bild: “I was surprised by the sacking. For me it was incomprehensible when a coach is dismissed so quickly.

“Especially because Tuchel had such a great success like winning the Champions League.

“We have to see if it works in the long term. I believe that you have to approach such a successful and big club carefully.

“Chelsea doesn’t need any upheaval. Boehly is doing it differently now with his elbow mentality.”

Boehly sparks division among the Chelsea fanbase and despite spending a huge amount of money in the summer, the biggest criticism of the American came after he moved to sack Thomas Tuchel after the club’s 1-0 loss to Dinamo Zagreb on the opening day of the Champions League.

However, new manager Graham Potter has steadied the ship to a great deal and has now recorded four wins in four for the Blues. Most of the credit has come in the Champions League, especially after the Blues secured consecutive wins against Serie A giants AC Milan.

Chelsea are now up to fourth place in the Premier League though they are eight points off current table-toppers Arsenal. It must be said that they have two games in hand though meaning they could yet be just two points off the top of the league should they win those games in hand.