10 Players You Didn't Know Nearly Signed For Inter Milan
5. Didier Drogba
One gets the feeling that Didier Drogba would follow Jose Mourinho to the end of the earth, if he so asked him. Such is the unwavering bond that they share, its probably no surprise that the Ivorian powerhouses head was turned by his former manager during the 08/09 campaign, when he was enduring a turbulent relationship with Chelsea boss Luiz Felipe Scolari by contrast. In November 2008, it was reported that Drogba had met a representative of his former boss - the man whose sacking a year earlier had left him in tears - as well as Inters general manager, Marco Branca, in a top London restaurant. Scolari certainly appeared on edge when pressed about whether he knew where his centre-forward had spent the evening.
''I dont know. I dont sleep with Didier, and Im not the policemen for my players. - Luiz Felipe Scolari, November 2008.
Mourinho remained predictably coy, claiming that he knew nothing of the meeting, but several years later, Scolari admitted that he had in fact tried to swap a player who he perceived believed was the star of the squad for Inter front-man Adriano.
''I tried a switch to release Drogba for Adriano, because Adriano was having some problems at Inter. I told the directors I could manage his behaviour problems. - Luiz Felipe Scolari, March 2011.
Considering Drogba went on to 63 more goals for the club, and buried a spot-kick to win the club their first ever Champions League title, compared to Adrianos alarming fall from grace and fluctuating weight problems, the Brazilian boss should probably have kept that to himself.
Recent Journalism & New Media graduate. Insatiable thirst for all things football, and hopes to break into the field of sports journalism in the near future.
Have made a significantly insignificant playing career out of receiving several slaps around the head for not passing the ball.
