“Didn’t want to fight against him for another year” - Ex-Chelsea forward on why he left club despite Jose Mourinho wanting him to stay

Former Chelsea forward Demba Ba has opened up on his decision to part ways with the Blues back in the summer of 2014. The Senegalese revealed that he grew tired of 'fighting against' Jose Mourinho and had to leave despite the manager wanting him to stay.

Demba Ba joined Chelsea from Newcastle United in a deal worth €8.5 million in January 2013. The striker went on to win the Europa League at the club, although he never had it easy as he had to compete with Fernando Torres and Samuel Eto for places.

After spending 18 months at Stamford Bridge, the Senegalese decided to cut ties with the Blues in search for greener pastures. Speaking to FourFourTwo, Ba explained why he chose to part ways with the Premier League giants.

"I’d like to have stayed at Chelsea. Jose asked me to stay, but at that point I was tired and didn’t want to fight against him for another year. The opportunity to go to Turkey came up and I grabbed it," he said.

The Senegalese ended up joining Turkish side Besiktas in a deal worth €6 million after leaving Jose Mourinho's Chelsea in July 2014. Reflecting on that transfer, Ba admitted that religion played an important role.

"As a Muslim, I wanted to experience the lifestyle, as well as the intense atmosphere in the stadiums," he said. "The passion is different. For big games, the ground might be 80 per cent full when the team bus arrives."

During his time at Stamford Bridge, the striker made 51 appearances for the Blues across all competitions, recording 14 goals and five assists to his name. Ba last represented Lugano where he called time on his career in September 2021.

Chelsea gearing up for difficult Aston Villa test

Chelsea are scheduled to take on Aston Villa in the fourth round of the FA Cup on Saturday (January 27). It promises to be a very tight encounter for Mauricio Pochettino's men.

The Villans have proven to be a really tough nut to crack this season. Over the last few weeks, they've managed to beat the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal and Manchester City. They also beat Chelsea 1-0 at Stamford Bridge when the two sides clashed in the Premier League back in September.

Meanwhile, Pochettino's men have reasons to believe they can pull off a victory from the encounter. The Blues appear to be in good form at the moment after winning five of their last six games across all fronts, including the 6-1 battering of Middlesbrough in the EFL Cup on Tuesday.