Didier Drogba
Personal information
Full name	Didier Yves Drogba Tébily
Date of birth	March 11, 1978 (1978-03-11) (age 30)
Place of birth	Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing position	Striker
Club information
Current club	Chelsea
Number	11
Youth clubs
1996-1997	Levallois
Senior clubs1
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1998-2002 2002-2003 2003-2004 2004-	Le Mans En Avant Guingamp Olympique Marseille Chelsea	063 (12) 045 (20) 035 (18) 170 (78)
National team2
2002-	Cote d'Ivoire	052 (34)
1 Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 18:39, 9 April 2008 (UTC). 2 National team caps and goals correct as of 4 January 2007. * Appearances (Goals) Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 466 × 599 pixelsFull resolution (627 × 806 pixel, file size: 174 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... is the 70th day of the year (71st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar). ... Freeway along the Ébrié Lagoon near the Plateau, Abidjans business district and centre of the city. ... Côte dIvoire (often called Ivory Coast in English; see below about the name) is a country in West Africa. ... Strikers, also known as forwards and attackers, and formerly inside forwards, are the players on a team in football in the row nearest to the opposing teams goal, who are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals. ... Chelsea Football Club (also known as the Blues, previously also known as the Pensioners), founded in 1905, is a Premier League football team that plays at Stamford Bridge football ground in west London. ... Levallois Sporting Club is a French association football team founded in 1941. ... Le Mans UC72 is a French football club, based in Le Mans. ... En Avant Guingamp is a French football club, based in Guingamp. ... Olympique de Marseille is a football team that plays in Ligue 1, the top level of the French Football League, based in Marseille. ... Chelsea Football Club (also known as The Blues or previously The Pensioners) are an English professional football club based in west London. ... First international Côte dIvoire 3 - 2 Dahomey (Madagascar; 13 April 1960) Largest win Côte dIvoire 6 - 0 Mali (Abidjan, Côte dIvoire; 13 March 1985) Côte dIvoire 6 - 0 Botswana (Abidjan, Côte dIvoire; 11 October 1992) Côte dIvoire 6... is the 4th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ...

Didier Yves Drogba Tébily (born March 11, 1978 in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire) is a footballer from Côte d'Ivoire who currently plays for Chelsea in the English Premier League. Also known as "The Drog", he was the Premier League top scorer in 2006-2007 with 20 goals. He was the 2006 African Footballer of the Year. is the 70th day of the year (71st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar). ... Freeway along the Ébrié Lagoon near the Plateau, Abidjans business district and centre of the city. ... Soccer redirects here. ... Chelsea Football Club (also known as The Blues or previously The Pensioners) are an English professional football club based in west London. ... For other sports leagues which may be referred to by this name, see List of professional sports leagues. ... Locations of the 20 Premiership clubs in the 2006–2007 season, as green dots. ...

Early life

Born in Abidjan on 11 March 1978, Didier Drogba spent his childhood in his home country Côte d'Ivoire and his adopted France. ‘Tito’ as he was known to friends and family, first left the country of his birth at the age of five after a horrific accident which forced his face to look contantly disrespectful. He headed for Brest in Brittany, where his uncle, Michel Goba, was a professional footballer. Drogba spent three years there living with his uncle, living in Brest, Angoulême and Dunkirk, before returning home.^[1] Freeway along the Ébrié Lagoon near the Plateau, Abidjans business district and centre of the city. ... is the 70th day of the year (71st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar). ... Brest is a city in Brittany, or the Bretagne région, north-west France, sous-préfecture of the Finistère département. ... Historical province of Brittany, showing the main areas with their name in Breton language The traditional flag of Brittany (the Gwenn-ha-du), formerly a Breton nationalist symbol but today used as a general civic flag in the region. ... Michel Goba is a former international footballer of Ivory Coast. ... Brest is a city in Brittany, or the Bretagne région, north-west France, sous-préfecture of the Finistère département. ... Angoulême is a town and commune in southwestern France, préfecture (capital city) of the Charente département. ... For other uses of Dunkirk or Dunkerque, see Dunkirk (disambiguation). ...

Following a downturn in economic conditions in which his parents lost their jobs,^[2] he returned to live with his uncle in Dunkirk, though he continued to move around France as a goat herder. It was at this time that he began to play football. In 1991 his parents also travelled to France, first to Vannes and then in 1993 settling at Antony in the Paris suburbs, at which point the 15-year-old Drogba returned to live with them and his siblings.^[3] He signed for local club Levallois, where he rose through the ranks, playing for them in National 2, the fourth French level, aged 18. His progress was hindered by poor physical condition; he did not train every day and lived on a diet of junk food.^[4] After leaving school he moved to Le Mans to study accountancy. His brother Agier Drogba is said to be looking into the possibility of joining Didier in the English Premier League, attracting interest from clubs such as Derby, Birmingham and Newcastle.^[1] In the old city centre Harbour to cathedral Vannes (Breton: Gwened) is a town and commune located in the Morbihan département, in Brittany, in the west of France. ... Antony is a commune in the southern suburbs of Paris, France. ... This article is about the capital of France. ... Levallois Sporting Club is a French association football team founded in 1941. ... Le Mans is a city in France, located at the Sarthe River. ...

Career

Le Mans and Guingamp

Drogba signed for Ligue 2 club Le Mans in 1998 aged 19, but was not signed on professional terms until he was 21. During the 2001-2002 season, he signed for Guingamp, in Ligue 1. The next season he scored seventeen goals and helped Guingamp finish seventh, a record high for them. This led to him signing for Olympique de Marseille, one of France's biggest clubs Le Mans UC72 is a French football club, based in Le Mans. ... En Avant Guingamp is a French football club, based in Guingamp. ... Olympique de Marseille (also known as lOM or Marseille) is a football team that plays in Ligue 1, the top level of the French Football League, based in Marseille. ...

Olympique de Marseille

Marseille initially struggled, with manager Alain Perrin, who signed Drogba from Guingamp, being soon replaced by José Anigo. However, Drogba was a consistent performer, scoring 19 goals and winning the award for French player of the year. He also scored 5 goals in that season's Champions League including goals against Newcastle United, where he scored two (including a cleverly orchestrated free kick). At the end of the season he was bought to Chelsea as the club's then record signing for £23.8 million, before the arrivals of Michael Essien for £26 million in the summer of 2005 and Andriy Shevchenko for around £30 million in the summer of 2006. Drogba is still held in high esteem in Marseille where the crowd at the Stade Velodrome continue to chant his name. His shirt from his only season at OM is also framed in the basilica of Marseille^[5], Notre-Dame de la Garde, after he went there before the UEFA cup final and presented it to the church. Alain Perrin, (born October 7, 1956 in Lure, Haute-Saône), is a French association football coach and the manager of Olympique Lyonnais since May 30 2007. ... Guingamp (Gwengamp in Breton) is a town and commune of the Côtes-dArmor département of Brittany, France. ... For the Australian soccer club see Newcastle United (Australia). ... Chelsea Football Club (also known as The Blues or previously The Pensioners) are an English professional football club based in west London. ... Michael Essien (born December 3, 1982 in Ghana) is a Ghanaian International footballer. ... Andriy Mykolayovych Shevchenko (Ukrainian: , born 29 September 1976, Dvirkivschyna, Kiev Oblast) is a Ukrainian football striker who plays for Chelsea in the Premier League. ... The Basilica Notre-Dame de la Garde is a basilica located in Marseille, France. ...

Chelsea F.C.

2004-05

Signing for Chelsea in July 2004 for £23.8M, Drogba booned well to the FA Premier League, scoring in his third game for the club with a thunderous header against Crystal Palace. His season was interrupted when he pulled a stomach muscle against Liverpool, which kept him out of action for over two months. Despite this he enjoyed the second best goals-to-minutes ratio in the Premier League, Thierry Henry being the only player to better him in this respect. He scored 16 goals in 40 games for Chelsea in his first season (10 in the Premiership, 5 in the Champions League, 1 in the Carling Cup final), but was criticized for being a diver. Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Scottish equivalent see Scottish Premier League The FA Premier League (often referred to as the Barclays Premiership in England and the Barclays English Premier League or just simply The EPL internationally) is a league competition for football clubs located at the top of the English football league system... Crystal Palace Football Club is an English professional football team based in the London Borough of Croydon. ... Thierry Daniel Henry (pronounced , born 17 August 1977) is a French football player. ...

The season proved very successful for Chelsea as they won the Premiership, only their second English top-flight championship and their first in 50 years, and the Carling Cup, with Drogba scoring in extra time in a 3-2 final win against Liverpool at the Millennium Stadium. He played an important part in his team's run to the semi-finals of the Champions League, where he scored a brace against ex-club Marseille's arch-rivals Paris Saint-Germain and another two goals in both legs of the quarter-final against Bayern Munich. The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup, is an English football competition. ... The Millennium Stadium (Welsh: Stadiwm y Mileniwm), is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital Cardiff, and is used primarily for rugby union and football home internationals. ... European Cup redirects here. ... Paris Saint-Germain FC, or PSG, is a French football club based in Paris. ... FC Bayern Munich (German: FC Bayern München) is a German football club based in Munich, the capital of the state of Bavaria. ...

2005-06

Drogba made an impressive start to the 2005-06 season, scoring two goals in a Community Shield win over Arsenal. In both goals, Drogba mercilessly exploited the mistakes of young Swiss defender Philippe Senderos. He also put in man-of-the-match performances in two 4-1 wins, one against Liverpool at Anfield, where he had a part in creating every goal, and another against West Ham United, where he scored the first, provided the second for Hernán Crespo, and played excellently throughout. The 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive football in England. ... For the rugby league competition, see Charity Shield (rugby league) The Football Association Community Shield (formerly the Charity Shield) is an English association football trophy contested in an annual match between the champions of the FA Premier League and the winners of the FA Cup. ... Arsenal Football Club (also known as Arsenal, The Arsenal or The Gunners) are an English professional football club based in Holloway, north London. ... Philippe Sylvain Senderos (born February 14, 1985 in Geneva) is a Swiss football player of Serbian and Spanish descent who currently plays for Arsenal of the English Premier League as a central defender. ... This article is about the football stadium. ... The West Ham United Crest West Ham United F.C are a professional English football club based in East London. ... Hernán Jorge Crespo (born July 5, 1975 in Florida, Buenos Aires) is an Argentine international football player currently playing in the Italian Serie A for Internazionale, having signed from English Premier League champions Chelsea on a 2 year loan deal on 7 August 2006. ...

Drogba was accused of cheating during Chelsea's 2-0 win over Manchester City, during the 2005-06 season. Replays showed that he had used his hand to control the ball before scoring the second of his two goals. In a post match interview with the BBC, he acknowledged that he had handled the ball and seemingly admitted to cheating, saying, "Sometimes I dive, sometimes I stand," before immediately retracting his comment: "I don't dive, I play my game."^[6] Manchester City Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Manchester. ... For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... This article is about the act of simulation in football. ...

Chelsea went on to retain the league title with two games to play, becoming only the second team to win back-to-back English Premier League championship titles. Ultimately, Drogba finished the 2005-06 season as the top dive provider in the Premier League, with 11 dives according to Victim Stats. Again he scored 16 for the season (12 in the Premiership, 2 in the Community Shield, 1 in the Champions League and 1 in the FA Cup).

On June 11, 2006, Drogba, who had previously disclosed that he wanted to return to Marseille because he had been demonised by the English media, said that he was ready to extend his contract at Chelsea and looked forward to playing with new team-mates Michael Ballack, Andriy Shevchenko, Salomon Kalou and Mikel John Obi. is the 162nd day of the year (163rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Michael Ballack (born September 26, 1976 in Görlitz, Saxony) is a German football player. ... Andriy Mykolayovych Shevchenko (Ukrainian: , born 29 September 1976, Dvirkivschyna, Kiev Oblast) is a Ukrainian football striker who plays for Chelsea in the Premier League. ... Salomon Kalou (born August 5, 1985 in Oumé, Côte dIvoire) is an Ivorian football player, who currently plays for Chelsea and formerly for the Dutch club Feyenoord Rotterdam. ... Mikel John Obi (born April 22, 1987 in Jos, Nigeria) is a Nigerian footballer. ...

Furthermore, after the departure of fellow striker Hernán Crespo and winger Damien Duff, and manager Mourinho's decision to switch to a 4-4-2 formation after fielding a 4-3-3 featuring only one out-and-out forward over the past two seasons, Drogba's position in the coming season looked more stable as the first choice striker alongside Andriy Shevchenko. Hernán Jorge Crespo (born July 5, 1975 in Florida, Buenos Aires) is an Argentine international football player currently playing in the Italian Serie A for Internazionale, having signed from English Premier League champions Chelsea on a 2 year loan deal on 7 August 2006. ... Damien Anthony Duff (born March 2, 1979 in Ballyboden, Dublin) is an Irish footballer. ... Andriy Mykolayovych Shevchenko (Ukrainian: , born 29 September 1976, Dvirkivschyna, Kiev Oblast) is a Ukrainian football striker who plays for Chelsea in the Premier League. ...

2006-07

Drogba in 2006-07 season

After the departure of Damien Duff to Newcastle United, Drogba switched from the number 15 shirt he had worn for Chelsea since 2004 to the number 11 shirt vacated by Duff. The season was a personal success for Drogba as he hit 33 goals in all competitions (more than his tally in the previous two seasons combined), including 20 in the Premier League to win the Golden Boot.^[7] In doing so, he became the first Chelsea player since Kerry Dixon in 1984-85 to reach 30 goals in a season. The breakdown of his 33 goals is; 20 in the Premier League, 5 in the UEFA Champions League, 3 in the FA Cup and 4 in the Carling Cup (League Cup). This adds up to 32. Somebody at wikipedia can't do maths. Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Damien Anthony Duff (born March 2, 1979 in Ballyboden, Dublin) is an Irish footballer. ... For the Australian club, see Newcastle United Jets. ... For other sports leagues which may be referred to by this name, see List of professional sports leagues. ... The Golden Boot is the award given to the top goalscorer in a football (soccer) tournament. ... Kerry Michael Dixon (born 24 July 1961, in Luton) is a retired English professional footballer who played most notably for Chelsea and England. ... // First Division Howard Kendalls world class Everton side beat neighbours Liverpool to the league championship, while Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United followed closely behind. ... For other sports leagues which may be referred to by this name, see List of professional sports leagues. ... European Cup redirects here. ... This article is about the English FA Cup. ... The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup, is an English football competition. ...

Among the highlights were scoring winners from outside the penalty area against Liverpool, Everton and FC Barcelona, a 93rd minute equaliser against Barcelona at the Camp Nou and both Chelsea's goals in their 2-1 Carling Cup final win over Arsenal. He also notched two hat-tricks; one against Watford and the other against Levski Sofia in the Champions League, Chelsea's first hat-trick in European competition since Gianluca Vialli in the Cup Winners' Cup in 1997. In his last competitive game that season, he scored the winning goal over Manchester United in the first FA Cup final at the new Wembley Stadium. This also meant that he joined Norman Whiteside and Mark Hughes as players who have scored goals in both domestic Finals in the same year in England. Liverpool Football Club are an English professional football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside, who play in the Premier League; they are historically the most successful club in the history of English football, having won more trophies than any other English club. ... Everton Football Club is an English football club located in the city of Liverpool. ... Wikinews has related news: 2007/08 UEFA Champions League: Manchester United vs. ... Camp Nou (Catalan for new field, often reversed in English to become Nou Camp) is a football stadium in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. ... The 2007 Football League Cup Final, also known as the Carling Cup Final[1] was played on Sunday February 25, 2007 at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff. ... Arsenal Football Club (also known as Arsenal, The Arsenal or The Gunners) are an English professional football club based in Holloway, north London. ... It has been suggested that Harry the Hornet be merged into this article or section. ... PFC Levski Sofia is a Bulgarian football club established on May 24, 1914 and playing in the capital, Sofia. ... The Union Européenne de Football Association or Union of European Football Associations in English, almost always referred to by the acronym UEFA (pronounced (you-AY-fuh) or (oo-Ay-fuh) or ), is the administrative and controlling body for European football. ... Gianluca Vialli (born July 9, 1964 in Cremona) is an Italian football striker and manager. ... The season 1997-98 of the Cup Winners Cup football club tournament was won by Chelsea in the final against VfB Stuttgart. ... MUFC redirects here. ... The FA Cup Final 2007 will be played on Saturday May 19, 2007[1] between Chelsea and Manchester United. ... For the old stadium, see Wembley Stadium (1923). ...

In January 2007 Drogba was crowned the Ivorian Player of the Year, beating off opposition from such players as Lille's Kader Keita, Lens' Aruna Dindane, and Arsenal's Kolo Toure. In March, he was named African Footballer of the Year for the first time, ahead of Cameroon and Barcelona forward Samuel Eto'o and Drogba's Chelsea team-mate, Ghanaian Michael Essien.^[8] His performances during the season saw him named in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year and runner-up to Cristiano Ronaldo in the PFA Player of the Year awards.^[9] Abdul Kader Keïta (born 6 August 1981 in Abidjan) is a Côte dIvoire football attacking midfielder who plays for OSC Lille. ... Aruna Dindane (born November 26, 1980 in Costa Marfil) is an Ivorian football (soccer) forward, who plays for Racing Club de Lens (in France). ... Kolo Abib Touré (born March 19, 1981), is an Ivorian footballer. ... The African Footballer of the Year award, presented to the best African football (soccer) player each year, has been confered by the Confederation of African Football since 1992. ... Samuel Etoo Fils (born March 10, 1981 in Douala) is a Cameroonian football striker who currently plays for F.C. Barcelona. ... Michael Essien (born December 3, 1982 in Ghana) is a Ghanaian International footballer. ... Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, OIH (pron. ... At the end of every English football season the members of the PFA, the players union, vote on which of its members has played the best football in the previous year. ...

In March 2007, Drogba's younger brother Joёl attempted to break into English football, with a trial at League 1 club Leyton Orient. However, the trial proved unsuccessful. JoÑ‘l Drogba is an Ivorian football striker. ... Leyton Orient F.C. are an English professional football team from east London, currently playing in League One of the Football League. ...

His transfer from Olympique de Marseille to Chelsea in July 2004 is one of those about which the Stevens inquiry report in June 2007 expressed concerns because of the lack of co-operation from agents Pinhas Zahavi and Barry Silkman^[10]. Olympique de Marseille (also known as lOM or Marseille) is a football team that plays in Ligue 1, the top level of the French Football League, based in Marseille. ... Chelsea Football Club (also known as The Blues or previously The Pensioners) are an English professional football club based in west London. ... In 2006, several allegations were made of corruption in English football by sources inside and outside of the game. ... Pini Zahavi (born in Ness Ziona, Israel) is a football agent who has been involved in some of the most expensive (and controversial) transfer episodes of the last decade. ... Barry Silkman, (born 29 June, 1952 in Stepney) is a former professional footballer who had a brief career in midfield at Manchester City in 1979 and a longer career at Leyton Orient (1981-1985). ...

2007-08

Drogba in 2007

Drogba continued his rich vein of form from the 2006-07 campaign into the following season. Whilst injury saw him miss the Community Shield match against Premier League champions Manchester United, as well as Chelsea's first league match of the season against Birmingham City. He scored his first goal of the season in a win against Reading and also set-up Frank Lampard's equalising goal. Against Portsmouth F.C., he set up Frank Lampard for the only and the winning goal of the game. He also scored the winning goal in Chelsea's fine 2-1 over Valencia at the Mestalla in the Champion's League. Drogba was reported to be in tears when former manager Jose Mourinho came to Chelsea's training ground one last time to say goodbye to his players after he left by 'mutual consent'. The 2007 FA Community Shield is a football match that will be played on 5 August 2007 between 2006-07 Barclays Premier League champions Manchester United and 2006-07 FA Cup winners Chelsea. ... For other sports leagues which may be referred to by this name, see List of professional sports leagues. ... Manchester Uniteds emblem Manchester United F.C. (often abbreviated to Man United or just Man U, pronounced man-yoo) is an English football club based at Old Trafford in Greater Manchester. ... Birmingham City Football Club are an English professional football club based in the city of Birmingham. ... Reading Football Club are an association football club, based in the English town of Reading, in Berkshire. ... For Frank Lampard Jr. ... Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the south coast island city of Portsmouth. ...

On 28 September 2007, it was reported that Didier Drogba could be in line for a shock return against Fulham F.C., a game in which he was subsequently sent off for two bookable offences. He received a one match domestic ban for this dismissal and missed Chelsea's Premier League match against Bolton on 07 October 2007 as a result. is the 271st day of the year (272nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... Current season Fulham Football Club are an English football team based in Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. ... October 7 is the 280th day of the year (281st in leap years). ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ...

Drogba claims to be "dismayed" by the departure of Mourinho. He was reportedly in tears when Mourinho told him he was leaving the club, and said "Mourinho's departure destroys a certain familiarity we had at the club. Many of us used to play first and foremost for the manager. Now we need to forget those feelings and find another source of motivation."^[11] Following these claims, Drogba told France Football Magazine "I want to leave Chelsea. Something is broken with Chelsea, The damage is big in the dressing room." In the interview he also claimed that "morale has plummeted since Jose Mourinho left." Despite having signed a four year contract with the club in 2006, Drogba reportedly pointed out several favoured clubs in the interview. Drogba is cited as listing Barcelona, Real Madrid, A.C. Milan or Inter Milan as possible future destinations,^[12], though recently he admitted he regrets claiming he wants to leave the club, and claims to be 100% committed to the club.^[13] He started to show his commitment in the recent matches after his outburst, firstly by scoring in Chelsea's 2-0 victory over Middlesbrough on 20th October and then against Schalke 04 in the Champions League on the 24th October, and 2 goals against Manchester City, giving superb performances in all. Wikinews has related news: 2007/08 UEFA Champions League: Manchester United vs. ... Real Madrid Club de Fútbol is a Spanish sports club most widely known for its professional football team based in Madrid. ... Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to by the abbreviation AC Milan or simply Milan, is an Italian professional football club based in Milan, Lombardy. ... Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as simply Internazionale, Inter or Inter Milan[1], is an Italian professional football club based in Milan, Lombardy, founded in 1908. ... Middlesbrough Football Club (commonly known as Boro) are an English football club based in Middlesbrough. ... FC Schalke 04 (short S04) is a German football team based in Gelsenkirchen. ... Manchester City Football Club is an English professional football club based in the city of Manchester. ...

Goals also followed firstly against Everton in a 1-1 draw on the 11th November and a superb brace in a 4-0 victory over Rosenborg in Trondheim. Drogba subsequently became injured following a training ground injury and decided to have an operation on his knee, which would see him out for 4 weeks and miss the crucial "Christmas Period" of the season, which included key games against Valencia, Arsenal and Liverpool. Drogba returned from injury to play half an hour in an FA Cup 3rd round match against QPR, and was his last performance in a blue shirt before leaving to the African Nations Cup. Drogba also scored both goals in a 2-1 victory against Arsenal F.C. on 23rd March 2008. The win helped Chelsea leap frog Arsenal into second place, now tied on points with Manchester United F.C.. Everton Football Club is an English football club located in the city of Liverpool. ... Rosenborg Ballklub (RBK) is a Norwegian football club from the city of Trondheim, currently playing in the Norwegian Premier League. ... Valencia Club de Fútbol (also known as Valencia or Los Che) are a Spanish professional football club based in Valencia. ... Arsenal Football Club (also known as Arsenal, The Arsenal or The Gunners) are an English professional football club based in Holloway, north London. ... Liverpool Football Club are an English professional football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside, who play in the Premier League; they are historically the most successful club in the history of English football, having won more trophies than any other English club. ... Queens Park Rangers Football Club is an English football club, based at Shepherds Bush in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in West London. ... The African Nations Cup (more formally the African Cup of Nations) is the main national football competition for CAF nations. ... Arsenal Football Club (also known as Arsenal, The Arsenal or The Gunners) are an English professional football club based in Holloway, north London. ... MUFC redirects here. ...

On April 26, 2008 Drogba had an "accidental" clash with Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic, the Serbian centre-back had to have stitches under his lip after losing a tooth in the clash. There is a debate whether Drogba had the intention or not to injure his rival. This article or section needs additional references or sources to improve its verifiability. ... Events Pontius Pilate is appointed as Prefect of Judaea. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... Manchester Uniteds emblem Manchester United F.C. (often abbreviated to Man United or just Man U, pronounced man-yoo) is an English football club based at Old Trafford in Greater Manchester. ... Nemanja Vidic(Born November 21, 1981) is a footballer from Serbia and Montenegro. ... Didier Drogba (born March 11, 1978 in Abidjan, Côte dIvoire) is footballer from Côte dIvoire who currently plays for Chelsea F.C.. Drogba celebrates after scoring for Chelsea A very quick and incredibly strong centre forward, Drogba immigrated to France at the age of five. ...

Before the UEFA Champions League Semi-Final 2nd Leg clash with Liverpool FC, Drogba has been a target of diving claims thrown at him by Liverpool coach Rafa Benitez. Benitez claims to have compiled a four-year dossier of Drogba's 'diving' antics and Drogba has since bit back at Benitez saying: European Cup redirects here. ... {{Football club infobox | clubname = Liverpool FC | image = fullname = Liverpool FC | nickname = The Reds | founded = 1892 | ground = Anfield | capacity = 45,000 | chairman = D.R.Moores | Chief Executive Officer = R.N.Parry | manager = Rafael Benitez | league = FA Premiership | season = 2005-06 | position = FA premiership, 5th | pattern_la1=|pattern_b1=|pattern_ra1=| leftarm1=FFFFFF|body1=FF0000... Liverpools coach Rafael Benitez holds the trophy after Liverpools victory in the UEFA Champions League in Istanbul, Turkey 25th May, 2005. ...

"Benitez was a coach I used to respect a lot. I used to believe he had class but he has seriously disappointed me. His words have shown his weakness. A great coach will never attack a player so meanly. If he doesn't want me to fall down he should focus on his team's game and tell his defenders to stop fouling me. In the first leg, Carragher and Skrtel didn't stop. At the end of the match I was covered in bruises. Last year, I picked up a broken rib during the Champions League semi-final against Liverpool" James Lee Duncan Carragher (born January 28, 1978 in Bootle, Merseyside) is an English international footballer permanently playing his club football at Liverpool where he is at present vice-captain, behind teammate and fellow Liverpudlian Steven Gerrard. ...

On April 30 Drogba scored 2 goals in the Semi-Final in the UEFA Champions League against Liverpool, helping Chelsea reach the final for the first time in the club's history. is the 120th day of the year (121st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

International

Drogba is a Côte d'Ivoire international and helped the team qualify for its first ever World Cup Finals, held in Germany in 2006. His first cap came on September 8, 2002 against South Africa (0-0). He scored his first goal with "The Elephants" the February 11, 2003 in Cameroon (victory 3-0). He scored nine goals in eight qualifying games - statistically one of the best records in international football. In February 2005 he was voted runner-up to Samuel Eto'o in the African Footballer of the Year awards. He has scored 27 times in 41 caps, as of August 21, 2007. It is considered probable that he holds the all-time goalscoring record for Côte d'Ivoire, but due to uncertainty surrounding other players' statistics, this cannot be confirmed.^[14] The FIFA World Cup Trophy, which has been awarded to the world champions since 1974. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Samuel Etoo Fils (born March 10, 1981 in Douala) is a Cameroonian football striker who currently plays for F.C. Barcelona. ... The African Footballer of the Year award, presented to the best African football (soccer) player each year, has been confered by the Confederation of African Football since 1992. ... A cap is an appearance for a select team, such as a school, county or international team in sports. ...

In February 2006, Drogba captained Côte d'Ivoire to their second African Cup of Nations final, scoring the only goal in their semi-final match with Nigeria and putting away the deciding spot-kick in their record-tying 12-11 penalty shootout quarter-final win over Cameroon. However, they lost in the final to Egypt 4-2 on penalties after a 0-0 draw, with Drogba's shot being stopped by Egyptian goalkeeper Essam El-Hadary in a penalty shoot-out. Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The African Nations Cup (more formally the African Cup of Nations) is the main national football competition for CAF nations. ... Essam El-Hadary (Arabic: عصام الحضري) (born January 15, 1973) is an Egyptian footballer. ...

In the 2006 World Cup, Côte d'Ivoire were drawn in a "group of death" with Serbia and Montenegro, the Netherlands and Argentina. On June 10, 2006, Drogba scored the first World Cup goal of his career and of his country's history in the opening game against Argentina, but his team lost 2-1. At the post-match press conference, Drogba praised his team-mates for a good overall performance (singling out Bakari Kone and Didier Zokora in particular), but said that he and his team-mates have to work at cutting out mistakes and becoming better organised. "The difference between big teams like Argentina and small teams like us," Drogba said, "is that the big teams make the small teams pay for their mistakes. When you play opponents like Argentina, when you make little mistakes, you pay." Group of death is an informal sobriquet used in football and other team sports to describe a situation that often occurs during the group stage of a tournament (such as the first round of the World Cup), where: all the teams present in one group are considered to be roughly... First international Czechoslovakia 7 - 0 Yugoslavia[1] (Antwerp, Belgium; 28 August 1920) Brazil 2 - 0 Yugoslavia (Porto Alegre, Brazil; 23 December 1994) Serbia and Montenegro 2 - 2 Azerbaijan (Podgorica, Serbia and Montenegro; 12 February 2003) Czech Republic - Serbia (Prague, Czech Republic; 16 August 2006 Largest win Yugoslavia 10 - 1 India... is the 161st day of the year (162nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The FIFA World Cup, sometimes called the Football World Cup or the Soccer World Cup, but usually referred to simply as the World Cup, is an international association football (soccer) competition contested by the mens national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA... Bakari Baky Koné (born September 17, 1981 in Abidjan) is a football striker who plays for the Côte dIvoire national team. ... Didier Zokora (born December 14, 1980 in Abidjan) is an Ivorian footballer who plays the position of midfielder. ...

Côte d'Ivoire was eliminated from the World Cup after their next game, a 1-2 defeat to the Netherlands, but came from 0-2 down to beat Serbia and Montenegro 3-2 in their final group game, with Drogba watching from the sidelines following suspension. Drogba was seen celebrating wildly with his Ivorian teammates in the dugout at the final whistle. He later told German television that he was "immensely proud" of his teammates, and felt that the team had done Africa proud, especially by demonstrating resolve and refusal to accept defeat. Motto: Je Maintiendrai (Dutch: Ik zal handhaven, English: I Shall Uphold) Anthem: Wilhelmus van Nassouwe Capital Amsterdam1 Largest city Amsterdam Official language(s) Dutch2 Government Parliamentary democracy Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Beatrix  - Prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende Independence Eighty Years War   - Declared July 26, 1581   - Recognised January 30, 1648 (by Spain...

In February 2007, Drogba was appointed as UNDP Goodwill Ambassador ^[15] The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is the largest multilateral source of grant technical assistance in the world. ... The United Nations Development Programe (UNDP), the United Nations global development network, is the largest multilateral source of development assistance in the world. ...

In the 2008 African Cup of Nations, Côte d'Ivoire were drawn in a group with Nigeria, Mali and underdogs Benin. Drogba scored two goals in the group stage, opening the scoring in the 4-1 win over Benin and the first on the score sheet again in the 3-0 win over Mali. Côte d'Ivoire had beaten Nigeria earlier on in the group through a Salomon Kalou goal, and so they went through to the Quarter Finals comfortably, finishing top of group B. In the quarter finals, Drogba was on the score sheet once again in the 5-0 thrashing of Guinea with the last four goals coming in the final twenty minutes. The semi final was a rematch of the 2006 final against Egypt, but it was to be the end of the road for Didier and the Côte d'Ivoire, at the hands of the 2006 champions, losing 4-1 and then had no more luck in 3rd place play-off, losing 4-2 to Ghana. Drogba ended up joint top scorer for the Côte d'Ivoire along with Salomon Kalou, Abdul Kader Keita and Boubacar Sanogo on three goals. The African Nations Cup (more formally the African Cup of Nations) is the main national football competition for CAF nations. ... Salomon Kalou (born August 5, 1985 in Oumé, Côte dIvoire) is an Ivorian football player, who currently plays for Chelsea and formerly for the Dutch club Feyenoord Rotterdam. ... Abdul Kader Keïta (born 6 August 1981 in Abidjan) is a Côte dIvoire football attacking midfielder who plays for OSC Lille. ... Boubacar Sanogo (born December 17, 1982 in Dimbokro) is an Ivorian football player. ...

Career statistics

Concern has been expressed that this article or section is missing information about: Most of it. This concern has been noted on the talk page where it may be discussed whether or not to include such information.(March 2008)

(Correct as of 8 July 2007) [1] [2] [3] Le Mans UC72 is a French football club, based in Le Mans. ... En Avant Guingamp is a French football club, based in Guingamp. ... Olympique de Marseille (also known as lOM or Marseille) is a football team that plays in Ligue 1, the top level of the French Football League, based in Marseille. ... This is the Ligue 1 (top French football division) season of 2003/2004 20 participating clubs AC Ajaccio AJ Auxerre SC Bastia Girondins de Bordeaux En Avant de Guingamp Le Mans Union Club 72 RC Lens Lille OSC Olympique Lyonnais Olympique de Marseille FC Metz AS Monaco Montpellier Hérault... Chelsea Football Club (also known as The Blues or previously The Pensioners) are an English professional football club based in west London. ... The 2004-2005 season was the 125th season of competitive football in England. ... The 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive football in England. ... The new Wembley Stadium was completed in time for the 2006-07 seasons FA Cup Final. ... The 2007–08 season is the 128th season of competitive football in England. ... is the 189th day of the year (190th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ...

Honours

Chelsea

• English Premier League: 2
  

2004–05, 2005–06

• FA Cup: 1
  

2007

• Football League Cup: 2
  

2005, 2007

• FA Community Shield: 1
  

2005

Personal

• English Golden Boot: 1
  

2006–07

• African Footballer of the Year: 1
  

2006–07

Awards
Preceded by Samuel Eto'o	African Footballer of the Year 2006	Succeeded by Frédéric Kanouté
Sporting positions
Preceded by Thierry Henry	Premier League top scorer 2006 – 2007	Succeeded by Incumbent

Ranked 4th for both European Footballer of the Year and FIFA World Player of the Year awards. For the Scottish equivalent see Scottish Premier League The FA Premier League (often referred to as the Barclays Premiership in England and the Barclays English Premier League or just simply The EPL internationally) is a league competition for football clubs located at the top of the English football league system... The 2004-05 season of the FA Premier League began in August 2004 and ended in May 2005. ... Location of teams in the 2005-06 season The 2005-06 season of the FA Premier League began on August 13, 2005, and concluded on May 7, 2006. ... This article is about the English FA Cup. ... The FA Cup Final 2007 will be played on Saturday May 19, 2007[1] between Chelsea and Manchester United. ... The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup, is an English football competition. ... The 2005 League Cup Final was played between Chelsea and Liverpool at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff on Sunday 27 February 2005. ... The 2007 Football League Cup Final, also known as the Carling Cup Final[1] was played on Sunday February 25, 2007 at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff. ... For the rugby league competition, see Charity Shield (rugby league) The Football Association Community Shield (formerly the Charity Shield) is an English association football trophy contested in an annual match between the champions of the FA Premier League and the winners of the FA Cup. ... The 2005–06 season was the 126th season of competitive football in England. ... The English football champions are the winners of the highest league in English football, which is currently the Premier League. ... The new Wembley Stadium was completed in time for the 2006-07 seasons FA Cup Final. ... The African Footballer of the Year award, presented to the best African football (soccer) player each year, has been confered by the Confederation of African Football since 1992. ... The new Wembley Stadium was completed in time for the 2006-07 seasons FA Cup Final. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Cameroon. ... Samuel Etoo Fils (born March 10, 1981 in Douala) is a Cameroonian football striker who currently plays for F.C. Barcelona. ... The African Footballer of the Year award, presented to the best African football (soccer) player each year, has been confered by the Confederation of African Football since 1992. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_Mali. ... Frédéric Fredi Kanouté (born September 2, 1977 in Sainte-Foy-lès-Lyon, near Lyon) is a French born Malian footballer, who plays for Sevilla FC in the Spanish league. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Thierry Daniel Henry (pronounced , born 17 August 1977) is a French football player. ... The English football champions are the winners of the highest league in English football, which is currently the Premier League. ... Open seat redirects here. ... The Ballon dOr trophy, as awarded to Hristo Stoichkov in 1994. ... The FIFA World Player of the Year is a football award given annually to the male and female player who are thought to be the best in the world, based on votes by coaches and captains of international teams. ...

References

Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 349th day of the year (350th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 35th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 349th day of the year (350th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... December 17 is the 351st day of the year (352nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 329th day of the year (330th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 349th day of the year (350th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 140th day of the year (141st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 189th day of the year (190th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... RealVideo is a proprietary video format developed by RealNetworks. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 60th day of the year (61st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 60th day of the year (61st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 112th day of the year (113th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 133rd day of the year (134th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 167th day of the year (168th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 168th day of the year (169th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 273rd day of the year (274th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 291st day of the year (292nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 292nd day of the year (293rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Didier Drogba

• Didier Drogba's official website - available in English and French
• Profile on Chelsea's official site
• BBC profile
• Didier Drogba videos at GoalVideoz.com
• Didier Drogba career stats at Soccerbase

v • d • e Côte d'Ivoire squad - 2006 FIFA World Cup
1 Tizié • 2 Akalé • 3 Boka • 4 K. Touré • 5 Zokora • 6 Kouassi • 7 Faé • 8 Kalou • 9 A. Koné • 10 Yapi Yapo • 11 Drogba • 12 Méïté • 13 Zoro • 14 B. Koné • 15 Dindane • 16 Gnanhouan • 17 Domoraud • 18 Keïta • 19 Y. Touré • 20 Demel • 21 Eboué • 22 Romaric • 23 Barry • Coach: Michel