DIDIER DROGBA once wanted to ‘kill’ old Chelsea team-mate Tal Ben Haim after a tackle in training – and Jose Mourinho loved it.
The Special One is now in charge of Tottenham and suffered a 1-0 defeat to his former club in the Premier League last night.
Didier Drogba once wanted to ‘kill’ Tal Ben Haim after a training ground incidentCredit: Getty
Then Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho appeared to love the rivalryCredit: EPA
Steve Sidwell spent the 2007/08 campaign working under the Portuguese boss at Chelsea and watched yesterday’s action as part of the BT Sport panel.
During the coverage, he provided an insight into what he believes makes Mourinho so good.
Recalling how the squad he played alongside was packed full of leaders, he told a story about how legendary Blues striker Drogba lost it with his Israeli colleague.
And Sidwell shed light on what Mourinho’s sharp response was to the Ivory Coast icon’s outburst.
Sidwell said:: “There were leaders. Terry, Lampard, Essien, Drogba, Ballack – there were leaders in there.
“In training, people were smashing the hell out of each other.
“I remember Essien snapping Shevchenko in half.
“Tal Ben Haim going through Drogba, Drogba getting up saying, ‘I want to kill him’. Mourinho saying, ‘I need him on Saturday, you can kill him next week’.”
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Sidwell added: “But he (Mourinho) loved that, I think he thrived off that, and I don’t think he’s getting that at the moment at Tottenham.”
Mourinho is coming under-pressure from Spurs fans after a third consecutive defeat left them 14 points off top spot in eighth place.
But he will have a chance to end the club’s 13-year trophy drought when they face Manchester City in the Carabao Cup Final at Wembley in April.
Steve Sidwell recalled the moment from his time at ChelseaCredit: PA:Empics Sport
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Didier Drogba brings to an end a glittering career of 18 trophies in six different countries
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
