Didier Drogba. The striker is synonymous with Chelsea, with his spell in west London coinciding with the club’s emergence as one of Europe’s elite and his own rise to become a forward feared by defenders across the globe.
Although Drogba and Chelsea only lifted the Champions League on only one occasion during their time together, there were plenty of memories created through the spell.
Under the guidance of Jose Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, Andre Villas-Boas and Roberto Di Matteo, the Ivory Coast idol was present in the Blues’ XI, and continuously did what he’s always done best: score goals and lead the line in an effective manner.
With that in mind, here are his FIVE best moments in Champions League action…
5) His last effort
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2b251u_didier-drogba-goal-schalke-0-4-chelsea-25-11-2014_sport
Unless Drogba makes a somewhat unlikely move back across the Atlantic Ocean, the above goal against Schalke will remain his last in Champions League action. Although the experienced forward hasn’t scored many easier than the tap-in in Gelsenkirchen, it’s sure to live long in his memory, as well as the thoughts of Blues fans.
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4) Silencing French critics
https://vine.co/v/hxjtZYq7wvb/embed/simple
After his big money move from Marseille to Chelsea in 2004, there were some in France questioning his motivation. The usual talk surrounding money surfaced, while the Blues’ newly established status was also used as ammo. However, Drogba fired an early shot across the Channel with a fine performances against PSG, in which he scored twice - including the lovely free-kick (above).
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3) Huge goal vs. Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final 2012
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2) Helping Chelsea to a memorable Champions League win over Liverpool
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1) Winning the big prize
https://vine.co/v/Opb2WFtiO0t/embed/simple
Arguably the pinnacle of Drogba’s career, and he played such a huge role. Deep into normal time the striker netted a trademark header to take the game into extra-time, which ended goalless. He then stepped up at the key moment to score the decisive penalty kick, securing a momentous win against German giants Bayern Munich.
Rather poetically, the effort from the spot was the last kick of Drogba’s ‘first Chelsea career’.