Drogba eager to face mentor, Mourinho

Didier Drogba

Ivoirian striker Didier Drogba will meet his former mentor again on Wednesday, for Galatasaray’s away game in Madrid in their Champions League quarter final clash.

Real Madrid coach José Mourinho coached the captain of the Elephants between 2004 and 2007 during his tenure on the Chelsea bench, and a very special relationship was created between the two men.

“I am going to play against my father, Mourinho.  He has a special place in my heart, he changed my life,” admitted Drogba, who never misses an opportunity to sing the praises of the Portuguese technician.

 “He is a person who looks after his players and who does his utmost to get the best out of them.”

 For his part, the former Blues’ manager has never hidden the strong bond between him and the now Galatasaray player.

“I won’t say that he is my favourite player, because I have coached many special players, but if I had to choose one, perhaps I would choose Didier.  He is a player from another world,” revealed Mourinho on Real Madrid’s official website.

The latter will also meet up with Wesley Sneijder again, who played for him at Inter Milan between 2009 and 2010.

And the Dutch international keeps as cherished a memory of his former boss.

“Mourinho is like a second father to me. He is not like the other coaches, he is special. The difference lies in how he persuades you, how he helps you if you’re not on form.  He pays attention to everything and always knows how to come to the assistance of the players,” shared Sneijder to Spanish daily, Marca.