Who signed Didier Drogba for Chelsea?

In the summer of 2004, Chelsea appointed Jose Mourinho and completed arguably their defining signing of the Premier League era with a £24million deal for Didier Drogba. Drogba scored 164 goals across two spells at Chelsea and his time at Stamford Bridge coincides with the most successful period in the club's history.

When did Drogba join Chelsea?

Drogba moved to England's Chelsea FC in 2004 in a trade from Marseille. Though Chelsea won its first Premier League championship in 50 years the following season, its new centre-forward was inconsistent.

How much did Chelsea buy Drogba for?

Drogba, a 26-year-old Ivory Coast international, flies to London this morning to put pen to paper on a four-year contract worth £66,350 a week after Chelsea increased their initial offer of £18.6m to £23.8m.

How old was Didier Drogba when he signed for Chelsea?

But Jose Mourinho didn't, and he's often spoken about how he was able to bring a 26-year-old Drogba to Stamford Bridge. “Drogba is the kind of guy who is so loyal that he never forgot that I took him from Marseille to the ​Premier League, where he was not even expected,” the manager said in January.

Why did Drogba return to Chelsea?

Drogba told Chelsea's official website: "It was an easy decision - I couldn't turn down the opportunity to work with Jose again. Everyone knows the special relationship I have with this club and it has always felt like home to me. Available on Eurosport app.

When did Didier Drogba leave Chelsea?

On 22 May 2012, Chelsea released a note on their official website announcing that Drogba would leave the club when his contract expired at the end of June 2012. On 19 June 2012, Drogba declared he would be joining Chinese Super League side Shanghai Shenhua, linking up with his former Chelsea teammate Nicolas Anelka.

How many trophies did Drogba win at Chelsea?

As well as the four Premier League titles, he won four FA Cups, three League Cups and, in the most dramatic and glorious of circumstances, the Champions League. He was named Chelsea's Player of the Year and Players' Player of the Year and won the Premier League Golden Boot twice.

Was Didier Drogba a target man?

Didier Drogba is not just a typical target man, he is the definition of "target man." He has set a model for future generations to strive for.

How did Didier Drogba stop a civil war?

Please lay down your weapons and hold elections," Drogba finished. The players then rose and sang: "We want to have fun, so stop firing your guns!" The words had a huge effect, eventually helping the two warring sides to the negotiating table where a ceasefire was signed.

How many goals did Didier Drogba score for Chelsea?

Didier Drogba Record Numbers:

Chelsea's fourth top scorer in history: 164 goals. Most goals scored by a non-English player: 164 goals. Most goals scored in FA Cup Finals: 4 goals.

What does Didier Drogba do now?

He also captained them at the 2006, 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cup finals. Upon retiring from playing Drogba has continued his charity work with the foundation which he set up in 2007 which provides financial and material support in both health and education to people in Africa.

Who converted Drogba to a striker?

Didier Drogba believes that Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho made him become one of Europe's most feared strikers.

What did Drogba do for his country?

One of his most notable acts came in 2005, after the Ivory Coast beat Sudan to qualify for the 2006 World Cup. Amid civil war, Drogba invited TV cameras into the team's changing room after the game and made a speech begging his country to end the conflict. This led to a ceasefire after years of violence.

Who stopped Ivory Coast civil war?

Drogba was from the south, so it was an attempt to the unite the nation – and that's exactly what happened. The Chelsea legend scored Ivory Coast's final goal in a 5-0 victory, sparking jubilant scenes across the entire country.

Who ended Ivory Coast civil war?

Violence again erupted five years later after disputed elections, and then president, Laurent Gbagbo, has only this week been acquitted of war crimes at The Hague. However, for a short period, Chelsea legend Didier Drogba managed to bring peace to the Ivory Coast.

Is Drogba a coach?

Didier Drogba was offered Chelsea coaching job in summer but rejected it in bid to become Ivory Coast FA chief. DIDIER DROGBA turned down a "perfect" coaching job with Chelsea because he has his heart set on taking over as president of the Ivory Coast FA .

How many golden boots does Drogba have?

Most Golden Boots in Premier League

Robin van Persie, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, Michael Owen, Didier Drogba and Mohamed Salah each have 2 Golden Boots in Premier League. No other player has more than 1 Golden Boot in Premier League.

Where did Drogba go after Chelsea?

Drogba left for China and followed that stint by spending two years in Turkey with Galatasary. Another season and another Premier League title with Chelsea further cemented his legacy before Drogba left to finish his career in the United States.

Did Didier Drogba win Ballon d Or?

Didier Drogba - not a winner, but an ambassador for the award in 2019. However, three players have had previous when it came to winning the Ballon d'Or prior to arriving at Stamford Bridge.

How many times has Drogba won African best player?

Samuel Eto'o and Yaya Touré are the players who have won the award the most times (4 wins each), Two-time winner Didier Drogba is the player with the most runner-up appearances (4), most third place finishes (3), and most times in the top three (9).

Why did Drogba leave Chelsea?

Drogba, who famously scored the decisive Champions League-winning penalty for the Blues at the end of his first spell with the club in 2012, told Chelsea's official website: "I want to play for at least one more season and in order to play more football I feel I need to go to another club.

At what age did Didier Drogba retire?

On 8 August 2014, he announced his retirement from international football. In 2018, Drogba retired from professional football at the age of 40.