In just 1 year at Marseille, Drogba left a lasting legacy at the seaside French club.
“He didn’t arrive as this big star,” Hassoun Camara, former Marseille player told MLS.
“He’d done a fine season at Guingamp, but Marseille, every year, would expect a name, a world-class forward. He had to prove his worth straightaway. But what an incredible journey it was.”
In his single season at Marseille, Didier Drogba scored 30 goals in 51 appearances, taking home the Ligue 1 Player of the Year and Goal of the Year awards.
The Ivorian also helped his side reach the UEFA Cup final, scoring 6 goals in 8 games.
Camara continued: “He made history, although he didn’t stay for a long time. It was unbelievable for the supporters. I remember one game, we were warming up at the Vélodrome, and I could hear supporters chanting his name – he’d already left. You rarely see that, especially in France.”
4 years after the striker’s move to Chelsea, Marseille fans incredibly tried to raise funds to get Drogba back to France.
Vincent Labrune, the Marseille president, said in 2012: “I’ve rarely seen a player carry a team on his shoulders like Drogba did…Oh, yeah, there was Maradona at Napoli before him, in the 1980s.”
In 2003, Jose Mourinho’s Porto clashed against Drogba’s Marseille in the Champions League. The Ivorian impressed Jose so much that he insisted he would sign Drogba after arriving at Chelsea.
Roman Abramovich agreed to the Portuguese’s demands and the rest, as they say, is history.
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