Premier League - Grant: Drogba must stay

Eurosport - Thu, 14 May 15:31:00 2009

Avram Grant has urged Chelsea to keep Didier Drogba at the club despite uncertainty over the striker's future following his Champions League disgrace.

FOOTBALL 2007-2008 Premier League Chelsea Didier Drogba Avram Grant - 0

Drogba looks certain to face heavy punishment from UEFA after his behaviour against Norwegian referee Tom Henning Ovrebo at the end of last week's semi-final against Barcelona.

But former Chelsea manager Grant, who said he is considering an offer from another Premier League club, claims the Ivory Coast star should be given another chance.

Grant, speaking at the Soccerex forum in London, said: "He is one of the best strikers in the world so of course he should stay.

"He made a mistake and he has apologised but he is a very important player for the club."

Grant said he was thinking over an offer from a top-flight club but would not confirm suggestions that Portsmouth have approached him about becoming director of football.

PA Sport / Eurosport

Comment 47 - 66 of 66

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  1. ARE UEFA SO HEARTLESS?
    OR IS IT BECAUSE DROBGA IS A­ BLACK?
    DON'T THET MAKE MISTAKES OUT OF­ ANNOYANCE?
    THEY MUST KNOW THAT THE SPIRIT IN FOOTBALL­ IS SOMETIMES UNCONTROLLABLE.
    AM A CHELSEA FAN. THAT DAY­ I WASNT MY SELF AND MOST TIMES SCOLDED AT FANS OF OTHER­ CLUBS WHEN THEY COME TO SYMPHATIZE WITH ME WHEREAS THEY­ ARE TEASING ME INDIRECTLY.
    DROGBA IS SORRY
    WE HIS FANS­ WANT HIM TO STAY. PLS UEFA DO IMAGINE A CASE LIKE THIS­ TO HAPPEN TO YOU INDIVIDUAL OFFICIALS OF UEFA...
    PUT­ THE BLAME ON TOM OVREBO
    HOW I WISH HIDDICK WIL, STAY­ FOR THE NEXT 6-7 YRS, I BELEIVE HE'LL DO MORE THAN­ ALEX FERGUSON

    From YOYO, on Fri 15 May 9:21PM

  2. ARE UEFA SO HEARTLESS?
    OR IS IT BECAUSE DROBGA IS A­ BLACK?
    DON'T THET MAKE MISTAKES OUT OF­ ANNOYANCE?
    THEY MUST KNOW THAT THE SPIRIT IN FOOTBALL­ IS SOMETIMES UNCONTROLLABLE.
    AM A CHELSEA FAN. THAT DAY­ I WASNT MY SELF AND MOST TIMES SCOLDED AT FANS OF OTHER­ CLUB WHEN THEY COME TO SYMPHATIZE WITH ME WHEREAS THEY­ ARE TEASING ME INDIRECTLY.
    DROGBA IS SORRY
    WE HIS FANS­ WANT HIM TO STAY. PLS UEFA DO IMAGINE A CASE LIKE THIS­ TO HAPPEN TO YOU INDIVIDUAL OFFICIALS OF UEFA...
    PUT­ THE BLAME ON TOM OVREBO
    HOW I WISH HIDDICK WIL, STAY­ FOR THE NEXT 6-7 YRS, I BELEIVE HE'LL DO MORE THAN­ ALEX FERGUSON

    From YOYO, on Fri 15 May 9:21PM

  3. ARE UEFA SO HEARTLESS?
    OR IS IT BECAUSE DROBGA IS A­ BLACK?
    DON'T THET MAKE MISTAKES OUT OF­ ANNOYANCE?
    THEY MUST KNOW THAT THE SPIRIT IN FOOTBALL­ IS SOMETIMES UNCONTROLLABLE.
    AM A CHELSEA FAN. THAT DAY­ I WASNT MY SELF AND MOST TIMES SCOLDED AT FANS AT OTHER­ CLUB WHEN THEY COME TO SYMPHATIZE WITH ME WHEREAS THEY­ ARE TEASING ME INDIRECTLY.
    DROGBA IS SORRY
    WE HIS FANS­ WANT HIM TO STAY. PLS UEFA DO IMAGINE A CASE LIKE THIS­ TO HAPPEN TO YOU INDIVIDUAL OFFICIALS OF UEFA...
    PUT­ THE BLAME ON TOM OVREBO
    HOW I WISH HIDDICK WIL, STAY­ FOR THE NEXT 6-7 YRS, I BELEIVE HE'LL DO MORE THAN­ ALEX FERGUSON

    From YOYO, on Fri 15 May 9:21PM

  4. What uefa is doing is bad how do you fielded such a­ referee for such a magnitude game that people are­ watching througout the world,its too bad overabo can­ never be a first classs referee in europe i believe is­ all about using unknown referee to cause that­ damage,Platini knows what he did,he doesnt want a­ repeat of last year final premiership final,and you­ cant fault a team that strugle to this level and now­ said because they are from thesame league you will drop­ one by force is not good for the game,many years back­ we have been seen 2 italians teams in the final and­ nothing happen then why now,is too glaring that those­ fouls were not blown for even a first classs referee­ from italy comment on the bad officiating it is­ ridiculous hope they will give us good referee that is­ not biased or instructed to do otherwise because a team­ is a defending champion and they want another to take­ it,we want to watch a fair play football and a fair­ referee not the one they will beat after the match pls­ beware a lot of people will come and watch, beware and­ be reasonable that day and respect yourself on the­ pitch.

    From oyedeji, on Fri 15 May 11:51AM

  5. drogba na you be baba no mind them with their smelling­ mouth wa day no day wash

    From shadrachosasu, on Fri 15 May 4:22AM

  6. CHELSEA NEED AVRAM GRANT!!!
    THAT IS THE­ FORMULA,MANCAMIAI PULA!!

    From dorin c, on Fri 15 May 3:33AM

  7. most of ours no where this problem started you ar just­ complain about the chelsea infact i dont why you guyz­ so much dislike this club cos if can tell may be is­ becos they have money to finance there players.. common­ guyz WAKE UP and SMELL COFFEE TOMORROW IS HISTORY stop­ JEALOUS.UP UP UP UP UP UP UP CHELSEA.

    From boy4all, on Fri 15 May 1:33AM

  8. Rport to comment 40 you dont say what you surpose to­ say if the refree is not behave funny there is nothing­ can make anybody go crazy that day cos this a matter of­ money so enybody can behave enyhow when thing is goning­ wrong..heven if is you can behave more than that cos­ nobody want to lose..and about what you said no DROGBA­ no there is nothing to call chelsea,you ar just saying­ it true selfishness,despicable,greedyness,and you ve­ say things how it goes you to beating around bush cos­ everybody has his own star like RONALDO in MAN U now­ what can you say about that common let face the reality­ you hw things go.........

    From boy4all, on Fri 15 May 1:15AM

  9. im sorta with comment 59, the clubs shouldnt be fined.­ this would simply mean any yellow card would result in­ a fine. Clubs cant controlled human reactions, its­ natural. drogba and ballack will be punished, how much­ nooone knows...

    From dodger, on Thu 14 May 11:38PM

  10. this match showed 2 things 1 was the desperate need for­ video replays and 2 the determination and desire to win­ of the chelsea players which is a credit to them

    From Jimmyrice man u are champs again, on Thu 14 May 11:27PM

  11. to comment 58:
    are you joking men, chelsea failed to­ control their players, but UEFA failed to control their­ referee. it was just like a joke no penalty given, UEFA­ should fined their stupid referees.

    From shkumbinnuredini, on Thu 14 May 8:20PM

  12. The club should be fined and suspended from European­ football, they failed to control the players, when it­ comes to fans the club are responsible even though they­ don't employ fans, why oh why does it appear­ footballers are a different breed......

    From Roughie Toughie Northerner, on Thu 14 May 7:50PM

  13. Drogba is one of the most imprtant player as far as­ chelsea is concern so i thing he be forgiven for what­ ever mistake he has made ad still keep him in chelsea­ becos we the fans still need him, we love him and we­ cherish him so much. as for overbo he did not do well i­ think uefa should look into his case too.

    From kemee u, on Thu 14 May 7:03PM

  14. Tom Henning Overbo and uefa they are mad

    From Geomudlogger, on Thu 14 May 6:36PM

  15. we must let drogba go. it's been 2 years since­ mourinho left and drobga's wounds have not healed­ yet. i spoke to a friend in marseille yesterday and­ rumour around the city has it that drogba and trezegue­ from juve will join marseille in the summer. i think it­ is time to let drogba go. he served us well, but all­ comes at an end. the team needs a new direction, and i­ don't think drogba is part of that. we should start­ to change the team slowly and once and for all get out­ of the shadow that mourinho left behind. it's not­ easy to let a player go from a fans point of view as we­ are connected with the player as well as the team, but­ we have to accept that this is a business sport. once­ must not continue on an unhealthy path, and­ drogba's theatrics, constant diving, and lack of­ professionalism at times (i am not talking about the­ ovrebo episode, he has my full support on that, but­ episodes like at old trafford) is a heavy burden on the­ team.

    From go, on Thu 14 May 5:40PM

  16. you going GLASTONBURY V FESTIVAL READING AND LEADS­ FESTIVAL THIS SUMMER

    IF SO YOU WILL NEED TENTS,­ WELLIES, SLEEPING BAGS, PONCHOS

    YOU CAN GET IT ALL­ AT

    NEWQUAY CAMPING SHOP CO UK

    From Damian, on Thu 14 May 4:52PM

  17. Is passion a crime? i believe he is more of a role­ model than certain other players who get paid ludacris­ amounts of money and dont really care as long as they­ get their brand new rolls royce with the custom­ interior!

    From current_ele, on Thu 14 May 4:16PM

  18. uefa are mad at dogba but where dose the ref go in this­ story if he was a gd ref in that mach wat happend with­ drogba that night would have not happend so wat dose­ the ref get in this story part going to get his @#$%­ wipt my all the chelsea fans and who nose i mabe be one­ of them

    From Bodrul A, on Thu 14 May 4:14PM

  19. Drogba,,,, Drogba,,,,, Drogba , okay.

    Now how about­ the referee where did he come from ,what is the level­ of football there,
    please lets tell ourselves the­ truth

    Ben NIGERIA

    From infor.centralbank, on Thu 14 May 4:04PM

  20. they got kalou but drogba is best

    From Hamza, on Thu 14 May 4:01PM
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