Mikel Obi, a former teammate of Didier Drogba at Chelsea Football Club, has voiced concerns about the impact of player attitudes on managerial stability within the club. During a recent episode of his podcast, the Obi1 Podcast, he reflected on a troubling shift in the team’s dynamics early in the season when they were initially winning games.
Obi pointed out that the turning point came when the team’s star player, Didier Drogba, was sidelined. At that time, manager Luiz Felipe Scolari opted to favor Nicolas Anelka over Drogba, which Obi believed significantly affected the team’s morale and performance.
“Drogba was our main man, but when he wasn’t on the pitch, it was evident,” Obi explained. He noted that during training sessions, Drogba’s visible displeasure—walking around and sulking—had a ripple effect on the entire squad. “When you have such a big ego, a big player, and all of a sudden he’s not playing, it wraps around everybody.”
Obi emphasized that Drogba’s unhappiness had a profound impact on the team. “Everyone knows he’s the big man of the team; his absence is always felt. When we started losing games, it became clear that something was wrong, especially with our main man not playing.”
Mikel Obi further elaborated on Drogba’s mindset during this period, suggesting that even if he were brought in as a substitute, he felt unable to contribute effectively because of his frustration with the manager. “He was thinking, ‘I want this manager gone. I want someone who will favor me,’” Obi stated.
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Reflecting on the club’s culture at that time, Obi likened it to a mafia operation, where influential players like Drogba, Frank Lampard, John Terry, and Petr Čech held significant sway. “If these ‘mafia’ guys weren’t happy or playing, they would make sure the owner knew, and that often led to managerial changes,” he concluded.
