What if: Jose Mourinho never joined Chelsea

MUNICH, GERMANY - MAY 19: (L-R) Gary Cahill, Florent Malouda, Fernando Torres and Jose Bosingwa of Chelsea celebrate after Didier Drogba scored the winning penalty during UEFA Champions League Final between FC Bayern Muenchen and Chelsea at the Fussball Arena Mnchen on May 19, 2012 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images) — Chelsea celebrate Didier Drogba’s Champions League winning penalty in 2012

#2 Didier Drogba would not be a Chelsea Legend

LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 24: Didier Drogba of Chelsea celebrates with team mates and the trophy after the Barclays Premier League match between Chelsea and Sunderland at Stamford Bridge on May 24, 2015 in London, England. Chelsea were crowned Premier League champions. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images) — Drogba with his last ever trophy as a Chelsea player

One of the first players Jose Mourinho signed in 2004 upon taking over at Chelsea was Didier Drogba from Lyon for a whopping £24 million from Marseille. He was a then record signing for the club and the English media were at their usual best by questioning the player’s ability to perform in England.

Despite being a risky signing in the eyes of many, Mourinho had decided that Drogba was the man who would lead his attack. The criticism by the media only became more intense towards the end of his first season as Drogba ended with a mediocre number of goals at 16. His second season was nothing special as well as he netted 16 goals yet again. However, Jose did not give up on his man.

With the confidence from Jose Mourinho, Drogba donned the new number 11 shirt vacated by Damien Duff and went on to smash 33 goals that season, one more than the number of goals in his first two seasons combined. Although Mourinho departed from Chelsea, he had created a beast in Drogba who would go on to be a legend in the Premier League.

Edited by Staff Editor