Drogba Backs Mourinho To Rebuild Reputation

By Max Wise

Former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba, has backed his former manager, Jose Mourinho, to make a strong managerial comeback after the disappointing stint at Manchester United. 

Mourinho was shown the door by Manchester United in December last year after two-and-a-half seasons at the club, amid some poor results coupled with reports that he had fallen out with some players and adopted a negative brand of football alien to the Red Devils’ traditional way of playing.

Drogba, who was signed for Chelsea by Mourinho from Olympique Marseille in the summer of 2004, and went on to win three Premier League titles under the Portuguese at Stamford Bridge across two spells, believes his former boss deserves the chance to rebuild his career at another top club.

"I think Jose is a great manager," Drogba – speaking courtesy of Yokohama Tyres – told Omnisport at the Geneva Motor Show.

"I think he deserves the chance to manage again and I think he will. He is passionate about his job.

"You know, it's unfortunate what happened with Man United, but he still has the quality to manage a team.

"We know he did it many times and people forget that the year before, he won the Europa League with this team and suddenly everyone says he is done."

Manchester United’s upturn in form under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, that has seen them win 14 out of 18 games under the Norwegian, has led to more criticism of Jose Mourinho’s management style but that has not prevented European champions, Real Madrid, from reportedly courting their former manager as a replacement for Santiago Solari.