Thiago Silva And Didier Drogba Criticize Chelsea Owners After Champions League Exit

Thiago Silva thinks that reckless spending by Chelsea's new owners is partly to blame for the club's dismal form this season. Didier Drogba is also unimpressed.

Thiago Silva believes that reckless spending by Chelsea's new owners has been partly to blame for the club's dismal form this season.

Since Todd Boehly and his consortium bought Chelsea from Roman Abramovich, more than half a billion pounds has been invested in buying 17 new players over the past two transfer windows.

This has left Chelsea with a huge squad, which has proven difficult to manage.

Boehly has fired two managers already this season, replacing Thomas Tuchel with Graham Potter in September, before dispensing of Potter in early April.

Chelsea, now with Frank Lampard in charge on an interim basis, are currently 11th in the Premier League table.

A 2-0 home loss to Real Madrid on Tuesday effectively ended Chelsea's season as it saw them eliminated from the Champions League.

Captain Silva fears that next season could also end in failure unless the owners "stop and put a strategy in place".

Chelsea captain Thiago Silva pictured after his team's 2-0 loss to Real Madrid at Stamford Bridge :: IMAGO/Sportimage/Paul Terry

Speaking to reporters after Tuesday's game, Silva said: "I think the first step has been made. An incorrect step, but it has been made.

"We can't be blaming the managers if we don't take responsibility.

"It's a hard period for the club, with a lot of indecision. Change of ownership, new players arriving – we had to increase the size of the changing room because it didn't fit the size of the squad."

Silva went on to say that Chelsea have some "amazing players" but that "there is always going to be someone upset because not everyone can play."

He added: "The manager can only pick 11 from a squad of 30-something – that's tough.

"Some can't make the squad. We signed eight in January. We need to stop and put a strategy in place otherwise next season we could make the same mistakes."

😡 Veteran @ChelseaFC defender @tsilva3 slammed the way the faltering @premierleague club has been run pic.twitter.com/LRkIU0njvG

— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS_AUS) April 19, 2023

Former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba was also critical of Boehly and Co on Tuesday night.

"I don't recognize my club," Drogba told Canal+.

Drogba, who won 14 trophies in nine seasons as a Chelsea player over two spells between 2004 and 2015, continued: "It's no longer the same club.

"There is a new owner and a new vision. Of course, we try to compare it with what happened during the Abramovich era where a lot of players were brought in, but the decisions were very intelligent.

"Bringing in players like Petr Cech, Andriy Shevchenko, Hernan Crespo, Micheal Essien, Didier Drogba, Florent Malouda, and I go on. It was done to win titles. They are players with a certain experience.

"The strategy is now different; we bet on young players. But a dressing room of over 30 players is difficult for a manager."

Drogba was critical of the players as well as the ownership.

"They lack charismatic leaders," he said. "You need players that take on the game, that assume their responsibilities. You need a player that brings a bit of madness to the stadium."