Football
10y

Didier Drogba re-joins Chelsea

Chelsea have confirmed that Didier Drogba has returned to the club on a one-year contract.

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Drogba told the club's official website, "It was an easy decision -- I couldn't turn down the opportunity to work with Jose [Mourinho] again. Everyone knows the special relationship I have with this club, and it has always felt like home to me.

"My desire to win is still the same, and I look forward to the opportunity to help this team. I am excited for this next chapter of my career."

Drogba, 36, initially moved to Stamford Bridge in 2004 and scored 157 goals in 342 appearances for the club before departing in 2012, having helped the Blues claim the Champions League for the first time in their history with the winning penalty in the final against Bayern Munich.

After a brief spell with Shanghai Shenhua, he played for Galatasaray but left when his contract expired this summer.

Mourinho, who worked with Drogba from 2004 to 2007, had insisted this week that the Ivorian's return was not down to sentiment.

Following the confirmation of the deal, he stressed, "He's coming because he's one of the best strikers in Europe. I know his personality very well, and I know if he comes back he's not protected by history or what he's done for this club previously. He is coming with the mentality to make more history."

Mourinho had expressed frustration with his attack last season, and Samuel Eto'o and Demba Ba have now left the club, while Diego Costa was brought in from Atletico Madrid.

It remains unclear whether Fernando Torres, who has been linked with a return to Atletico, and Romelu Lukaku, who is due to start preseason training with the Blues on Monday, are part of Mourinho's plans.

In May, Mourinho had indicated that he planned to retain the same number of strikers for the 2014-15 campaign, saying, "We have three strikers at this moment. Normally one is coming, one is going. That is normal and logical."

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