Chelsea legend Didier Drogba has slammed Todd Boehly for the changes he’s made to the club since taking over from previous owner Roman Abramovich.
The Blues enjoyed huge success in the Abramovich era, winning five Premier League titles, two Champions League titles and numerous other major honours since the Russian purchased the club back in 2003.
However, sanctions against Abramovich following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year meant that the club had to change hands, and Drogba is clearly not happy with how Boehly has handled key issues at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea were knocked out of the Champions League by Real Madrid last night, with interim manager Frank Lampard losing all four of his games in charge so far.
Drogba seems to be blaming the new ownership for taking the team in such a different direction from how things were under Abramovich, with Drogba perhaps pointing at the departures of previous manager Thomas Tuchel, and other key figures such as Marina Granovskaia and Petr Cech at board level.
“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,” Drogba is quoted by the Daily Mail.
“They should go back to the principles and values they had.
“I don’t recognise my club. It’s no longer the same club, There is a new owner and a new vision.
“Of course, we try to compare it with what happened during the (Roman) Abramovich era where a lot of players were brought in, but the decisions were very intelligent.
“Bringing in players like Petr Cech, Andriy Shevchenko, Hernan Crespo, Michael Essien, Didier Drogba, Florent Malouda, and I go on. It was done to win titles.
“They are players with a certain experience. The strategy is now different; we bet on young players. But a dressing room of over 30 players is difficult [to manage] for a manager.
“They lack charismatic leaders. You need players that take on the game, that assume their responsibilities. You need a player that brings a bit of madness to the stadium.”