Chelsea Legend Didier Drogba Reveals How the Blues Players' Reacted to Lionel Messi's Stats in 2012

Former Chelsea star Didier Drogba has opened up in his autobiography about what the preparations were like when the Blues were getting ready to face Barcelona

Former Chelsea star Didier Drogba has opened up in his autobiography about what the preparations were like when the Blues were getting ready to face Barcelona in 2012.

Drogba played for Chelsea between 2004 and 2012 before leaving to join Galatasaray. But the former Ivory Coast international did rejoin the Blues for the 2014/15 campaign. 

Overall he appeared 381 times for the club, scoring 164 times in two spells. He won four Premier League titles, four FA Cups, three league cups, as well as the Champions League in 2012.

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The now 39-year-old has revealed a story about Chelsea's preparations ahead of their clash with Barcelona in the Champions League in 2012, a campaign which saw them lift the trophy. He opened up about how the Chelsea players reacted when they saw Messi's goal stats for the season. 

According to his autobiography via Sport Bible, the former striker said:" Robbie Di Matteo did what he always did and put up a list of the opposing team's top scorers. Usually, the list would read something along the lines of Rooney - 22 goals; Van Persie - 15 and so on.

"When the Barcelona list went up, sure enough, in third place was Xavi on 14, in equal second place were Alexis Sanchez and Cesc Fabregas on 15, but we all just laughed when the top scorer came up on the screen - Lionel Messi on... 63 goals, 14 in the Champions League alone!

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"But 63 that season? It was such a ridiculous figure that we looked at each other in disbelief and laughed - what else could we do? I even took a picture of the number because it was so outrageous."

Messi netted the equaliser in Barcelona's 1-1 draw against the Blues at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie.