Luiz Felipe Scolari has recounted how Chelsea sacked him just seven months into the job owing to the bust-up between Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka.
"Anelka was the top scorer in the league. We had a meeting and Anelka said, 'I only play in one position'. So, there was a bit of a lack of friendship, of respect, of trying to play together with Drogba"
– Luiz Felipe Scolari pic.twitter.com/7yLM7TdUuM
— MAAZ! (@maazi_chinedu) March 31, 2021
The 2002 FIFA World Cup-winning manager was appointed as a replacement for Avram Grant in 2008 but could not even last one season at Stamford Bridge.
Scolari, 72, recalled that the crisis started with Ivorian legend Drogba who was looking for the best way the club can help recover from surgery. The former Blues handler was quoted by SunSport:
“Chelsea had some problems with injuries, some problems in the team. I had a form of leadership that clashed with one or two players.”
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Asked which members of the squad in particular, he confirmed: “Anelka and Drogba. Our medical department thought that we should let Drogba go and recover in Cannes, in the middle of summer. “I thought he should stay in London. I’d also like to go to Cannes in the middle of summer. I’d stay there for a month, two months, enjoying myself.”
Luiz Felipe Scolari
When Drogba returned, the Frenchman was already topping the league’s scorers chart with 19 goals and the boss wanted to play both strikers in the starting XI – but Anelka was reluctant.
After applying different criteria and permutations, Chelsea FC have been named as the English club of the decade for 2011-2020.
According to IFFHS, Chelsea beat Manchester City and Manchester United to win the prize. The Rankings are decided by rating victories and draw from each competition.
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The last ten years were filled with success for Chelsea, which saw them win the UEFA Champions League.
The Blues defeated Bayern Munich in Germany to win Europe’s top trophy back in 2012.
Chelsea clinched two Premier League [2015, 2017], FA Cup [2012, 2018], League Cup [2015], Champions League [2012] and two Europa League [2013, 2019].
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