Chelsea legend Didier Drogba has delivered a strong verdict on the Blues' dismal 2022/23 campaign so far, admitting that he does not recognise the club anymore.
The west London side has endured a torrid season to date, and currently sit in an unfamiliar 11th place with no wins in their past five Premier League games.
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To add to their woes, Real Madrid knocked them out of the UEFA Champions League at the quarter-final stage on Tuesday night with a comfortable 4-0 aggregate win.
Chelsea had perhaps hoped their season would turn around following previous manager Graham Potter's departure earlier in April, but this has not been the case, with interim boss Frank Lampard having now overseen four defeats in four matches.
Todd Boehly and the club's other co-owners have also spent more than £600 million (R13.5 billion) strengthening the team with a plethora of signings this season, but the majority of those new players have failed so far to make an impact at Stamford Bridge.
Drogba, who enjoyed two successful stints at Chelsea, has now lambasted his former club and their recent transfer strategy.
"I don't recognise my club," the Ivory Coast icon told Canal+.
"It's no longer the same club. There is a new owner and a new vision.
"Of course, we try to compare it with what happened during the [Roman] Abramovich era, where a lot of players were brought in, but the decisions 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 done to win titles. They are players with a certain experience.
"The strategy is now different; we bet on young players.
"But a dressing room of over 30 players is difficult [to manage] for a manager."
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The African legend's critique did not stop there as he seemingly also questioned the club's current players' character.
"You need players that take on the game, that assume their responsibilities," he added.
"You need a player that brings a bit of madness to the stadium."
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