Chelsea
experienced an up-and-down 2011-2012 season as Andre Villas-Boas was sacked and
replaced with Roberto Di Matteo.
And the
Blues were on the verge of going out of the Champions League after they
suffered a first-leg 3-1 defeat to Napoli in their round-of-16 tie.
Drogba
took to Twitter and explained how the likes of John Terry, Frank Lampard and
Petr Cech stepped up during a team meeting and how the players recognised they
were “partly responsible” for Villas-Boas’ dismissal.
The
Chelsea hero, who retired from football in 2018, also opened up about his
exchange with Mata over a series of tweets.
“Eight
years ago, the Manager [sic] had been sacked by the club and we, the players
had a team meeting where we recognised being partly responsible for his
departure,” Drogba wrote.
“The
captain [John Terry] spoke, [Frank Lampard] [Petr Cech] and other leaders in
the group too.
“We
decided to all give this competition everything, despite our defeat 4-1 against
Napoli.
“We had
been chasing this trophy for eight years and couldn’t do better than runner up.
Everyone agreed to put egos aside and challenge each over [sic] for the same
goal.
“After
that meeting I asked a young 23 years old [Juan Mata] ‘please Maestro, help me
win the champions league’ he looked at me like ‘man you’re crazy, you’re Didier
Drogba you are gonna help me win it,’ I then told him I’ve been here for 8
years and never won it.
“[So] I believe you’re the one who’s gonna help us win. I’ll even give you a present if we win it, that was end of February.”
We decided to all give this competition everything, despite our defeat 4-1 against Napoli.
— Didier Drogba (@didierdrogba) May 19, 2020
We had been chasing this trophy for eight years and couldn’t do better than runner up.
Everyone agreed to put egos aside and challenge each over for the same goal.
After that meeting I asked a young 23 years old @juanmatagarcia “please Maestro, help me win the champions league “
— Didier Drogba (@didierdrogba) May 19, 2020
he looked at me like “man you’re crazy, you’re Didier Drogba you are gonna help me win it,
I then told him I’ve been here for 8 years and never won it
Chelsea mounted a successful comeback against Napoli in the second leg and continued to march all the way to the final against Bayern Munich.
Thomas
Muller opened the scoring in the 83rd minute at the Allianz Arena and Drogba
admitted that he was “so discouraged.”
But the
Ivorian former striker would cross paths with Mata again on the pitch and the
Spaniard told him to believe as Drogba was on the verge of tears.
Drogba
tweeted: “Three months later, we were in Munich, in the final, in their
stadium, submerged with a red wave.
The hosts
took the lead with 8 minutes to go and on my way to kick the ball for the last
8 minutes I was so discouraged, the young man said to me ‘believe Didi, you
have to believe’, almost in tears I answered after looking at the time score
‘believe in what? It’s almost over.’
“I’m
gonna cry like a few months ago when I lost the final with Cote d’Ivoire. Last
minute, last corner, I mean first corner for us against eighteen for Bayern
Munich.
“Guess who took that corner kick… [Mata] and the rest is history. The lesson is ALWAYS BELIEVE!!!!”
so I believe you’re the one who’s gonna help us win.
— Didier Drogba (@didierdrogba) May 19, 2020
I’ll even give you a present if we win it, that was end of February.
Three months later, we were in Munich, in the final, in their stadium, submerged with a red wave.
The hosts took the lead with 8 minutes to go and
on my way to kick the ball for the last 8 minutes I was so discouraged, the young man said to me “believe Didi, you have to believe” , almost in tears I answered after looking at the time score “believe in what? It’s almost over,
— Didier Drogba (@didierdrogba) May 19, 2020
I’m gonna cry like a few months ago when I lost the final with Côte d’Ivoire.
— Didier Drogba (@didierdrogba) May 19, 2020
Last minute, last corner, I mean first corner for us against eighteen for Bayern Munich.
Guess who took that corner kick... @juanmatagarcia and the rest is history.
The lesson is ALWAYS BELIEVE !!!!
Mata whipped in a corner only minutes after Muller’s opener and Drogba connected with a powerful header past Manuel Neuer.
Only the Manchester United midfielder would miss his spot-kick effort for the Blues during the shootout as Chelsea sealed a 4-3 win on penalties.
No comments