Didier Drogba, a former Chelsea striker, said he no longer “recognises the club” following the club’s Champions League loss to Real Madrid.
Despite the extensive transfer spending by new owner Todd Boehly, the Blues will finish the season without a title due to the 4-0 aggregate loss.
Given that they are now ranked 11th in the Premier League, they are unlikely to participate in any European events in 2019.
“It is not the same club any more, I don’t recognise my club. There is a new owner and a new vision,” Drogba told Canal+.
Between 2004 and 2012, Drogba won 12 major awards at Stamford Bridge under the previous owner Roman Abramovich, whose tremendous support made the Blues a recurrent trophy-winning team after he took over the club in 2003.
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A £4.25 billion takeover will be completed by American investor Boehly and private equity firm Clearlake Capital in May 2022 after the 56-year-old was compelled to sell the club last year as a result of sanctions imposed by the UK government for alleged ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
They acquired a first-team roster of 30 players for roughly £550 million throughout the summer and winter transfer windows, but this has not resulted in success in football.
This season, they fired coaches Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter, and interim manager Frank Lampard has lost every game since taking over for a second time earlier this month.
Drogba added, “A dressing room with 30 players is difficult to manage for the coach, whoever he is.”
“We try to compare with what was done under the Abramovich era, where there were many acquisitions of players, but the choices were very intelligent.
Bringing in players like Petr Cech, Andriy Shevchenko, Hernan Crespo, Michael Essien, Didier Drogba, Florent Malouda, and I go on. It was to win titles and they are players who already have some experience. Here the strategy is different, they bet on young players.
I think they certainly lack charismatic players and leaders. It needs players who take responsibility.”
Gus Poyet, a former Chelsea midfielder, told BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast: “Under Abramovich, 90% of the players coming in had to perform right away.” And if you don’t, you are out.
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“Now there is a group of players who arrived in January, except perhaps Enzo [Fernandez] and Joao Felix, that look like they are more for the future.
The future is what, next year? Two years? Chelsea fans are not used to waiting.”
Frank Lampard, speaking ahead of Tuesday’s encounter against Real Madrid, refuted allegations that the club is “broken,” but he said they are “not where we want to be.”
“There are probably reasons for the transition,” the former midfielder said after the game. “We can’t be too short-term with it.”
