Barely 11 hours before the kick off of the Champions League last-16 clash between Chelsea and Galatasaray at Stamford Bridge, former Chelsea striker, Didier Drogba, who now plays for the Turkish side, has warned Chelsea fans not to expect a friendly match from him.
Drogba will be loudly cheered by Chelsea and Galatasaray fans for his Stamford Bridge homecoming considering he scored 157 goals in an eight-year playing career at Chelsea.
In a press conference held this morning ahead of the match, the Ivorian striker gave an early indication that he is feeling torn ahead of the match when he said: “Yeah, it’s going to be tough… I’m really happy to come back and to see some familiar faces, and, yes, it’s good.
“It’s very difficult to play against Chelsea, but it’s not going to be difficult for me to put myself into the competition because now I belong to Galatasaray,” Drogba said.
“I need to be professional. Of course, there will be emotions. Of course. Like the first leg when I saw my ex-team-mates and the Chelsea fans at the stadium. It was special. But then there was the game and the game, as you saw, was tough. I think it’s going to be the same here.”
Walking a diplomatic tightrope between being respectful to Chelsea but not wishing to offend the Galatasaray supporters, Drogba was clearly uncomfortable with being asked if he will celebrate a goal at Stamford Bridge. He initially tried to get away with a “Let’s see if it happens”.
When pushed for a better answer, he said: “With all the respect I have for this club, for the fans and the players, I might not celebrate. But if we win I will be happy. That’s OK?”
