Didier Drogba claims he ‘no longer recognises’ Chelsea and has blasted the club’s hierarchy after their Champions League exit on Tuesday.
Frank Lampard suffered his fourth successive defeat since taking temporary charge of Chelsea as they were beaten 2-0 at home by Real Madrid, which sealed their elimination from the Champions League.
The Blues now have seven Premier League games left but sit 17 points behind fourth place, meaning that they will miss out on a place in the Champions League next season.
Chelsea’s hierarchy are already hunting for Lampard’s successor and talks with Julian Nagelsmann and Luis Enrique have been held, but Drogba says the current situation at Stamford Bridge will make it tough for the next manager to thrive.
The former Chelsea striker has criticised Chelsea’s new ownership for their strategy since taking over the club from Roman Abramovich and says the squad needs more experienced players.
‘They lack charismatic leaders,’ Drogba told Canal Plus on Tuesday evening.
‘We need players who take the game on their own, take their responsibilities. You need a player who brings madness to the stadium.’
‘I no longer recognise my club,’ said Drogba. ‘It’s not the same club anymore. There is a new owner and a new vision.
‘Of course, we try to compare with what was done under the Abramovich era where there were a lot of player acquisitions but the choices were very smart. Bringing in a Petr Cech, [Andriy] Shevchenko, [Hernan] Crespo, Didier Drogba, Michael Essien, [Florent] Malouda and so on is to win titles.
‘These were players who had some experience. Here we are betting on very young players, but a dressing room with more than 30 players is difficult [to manage] for a coach.’
When asked if he had a view on Drogba’s comments after Chelsea’s Champions League elimination, Frank Lampard said: ‘No, I don’t, no. They’re Didier’s comments.’
