“I would never say that" - Chelsea legend reacts to Didier Drogba's recent comments claiming he doesn't recognize the club anymore

Chelsea legend Frank Leboeuf has reacted to another Blues icon Didier Drogba's recent comments regarding the West London club.

Drogba, who is the second-highest goalscorer in the history of the Stamford Bridge-based club, recently remarked that he could not recognize the club anymore.

The former Ivory Coast international claimed that Chelsea's policies have changed significantly over the years and urged the club to go back to their principles. He told Si & Dan Talk Chelsea, as quoted by Chelsea News:

“I knew this club with a certain class during the [Roman] Abramovich era, but today I find it lacking. It’s very hard for me to see how they got rid of certain people. 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."

Drogba added:

“Bringing in players like Cech, Shevchenko, Crespo, Essien, Drogba, Malouda. 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. They should go back to the principles and values they had. I no longer recognise my club.”

Former France international Leboeuf, who represented the Blues prior to their Roman Abramovich days, has taken exception to Drogba's remarks. The FIFA World Cup 1998-winning former defender has claimed that he understands Drogba's point of view but does not agree with him.

The Frenchman insisted that the club belongs to the fans, not the owners. As quoted by Chelsea News, he said:

“I would never say that personally because Chelsea is my club. The club is not represented by the board for me, the club is represented by the fans, and the club belongs to the fans. They know the history of it. So saying that he no longer recognises the club that he used to play for, I wouldn’t say that because Chelsea is Chelsea, and owners will come and go. But I understand what Drogba means, even if I cannot agree with him.”

Leboeuf made 204 appearances for Chelsea between 1996 and 2001 and won six trophies during his time at Stamford Bridge.

Drogba, on the other hand, represented the club in two spells between 2004 and 2012 and 2014 and 2015. He made 381 appearances for Chelsea and scored 164 goals while producing 86 assists.

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Chelsea preparing to offload ten players ahead of the summer transfer window

Chelsea are reportedly preparing themselves for another busy transfer window as Todd Boehly looks to reshape the squad.

The Blues are prepared to splash the cash on new signings once again but also need to offload several first-team stars to fund the incoming. They are believed to be considering selling as many as ten players during the summer following a disastrous season, as per The Evening Standard.

The players who could be shown the exit door are Conor Gallagher, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Edouard Mendy, Hakim Ziyech, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Christian Pulisic and Kalidou Koulibaly.

The club will also have to make decisions on the future of the likes of N'Golo Kante, whose contract expires this summer. Kai Havertz's future is also being considered as per the report following the Germany international's inconsistent showings in a Chelsea shirt.

Mason Mount is another player who could be on his way out and has been strongly linked with a move to Liverpool.

Chelsea are currently in the 11th position in the Premier League table with just 39 points, with seven games left to play.