FOOTBALL : Didier Drogba has no intention of leaving Chelsea for Italy despite admitting there had been past contact with both Milan clubs.
Didier Drogba has no intention of leaving Chelsea for Italy despite admitting there had been past contact with both Milan clubs.
Inter Milan have long been admirers of the Ivory Coast striker with ex-Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho keen to be reunited with his former player and AC Milan have also been linked with Drogba but the 31-year-old, who extended his contract in the summer, claims he will not be moving to Italy in the near future.
“I’m sorry but I’m staying here,” Drogba told Tuttosport. “I have just renewed my contract for another three seasons.”
He added: “It’s true that in the past there was contact with two big Spanish clubs and two big Italian, sorry Milanese, clubs.
“But now the rumours aren’t true any more and they are without any foundation. Who knows, maybe in 10 years: but I will be too old to play and maybe I could go as a coach.”
Drogba has impressed this season under Carlo Ancelotti, who joined from Milan in the summer.
The former Marseille player scored another brace in Chelsea’s 3-0 defeat of Arsenal on Sunday to move level with Jermain Defoe at the top of the goalscoring charts and credits Ancelotti with the Blues’ stunning form.
He added: “Carlo is one of us, a great person, one of the family. He arrived full of glory with a serious honours list of European and worldwide triumphs won with Milan.
“He could have brought with him an even more powerful staff, he could have changed or undone or done anything, he could have had detached relationships and only been professionally cool with the dressing room.
“Instead he talked to us with clarity, simplicity and kindness, almost like a father. He didn’t carry out revolutions, only several Italian style retouches and adjustments and now the squad are flying.”
