"JOSE, RESPECT"

DIDIER DROGBA revealed he texted Jose Mourinho as soon as Galatasary were drawn against Real Madrid.

And the Ivory Coast striker is looking forward to facing the ex-Chelsea boss with whom he formed a close bond during their time at Stamford Bridge.

And Drogba said: “We have a good understanding. We don’t have to talk every day to know what we think about each other. After the draw I texted him and I have seen him at one game since, that’s it.

DIDIER DROGBA has urged Roman Abramovich to end his purge of Chelsea’s old soldiers.

The former Blues striker fears the spirit that made the club so formidable is in danger of disappearing unless Frank Lampard and John Terry stay to pass on their much-envied mentality to the next generation.
Drogba and Chelsea’s title-winning ex-boss Jose Mourinho have left and 34-year-old Lamps could be gone within six weeks unless owner Abramovich stages a dramatic U-turn.
Skipper Terry, 32, has one season left on his contract but the team built by Mourinho is being dismantled, leaving Chelsea with nothing but tales of glory and DVDs to show the club’s new crop of stars.
Big-name stars like Nicolas Anelka, Claude Makelele and Michael Essien have also left Stamford Bridge Drogba, 35, is now with Turkish side Galatasaray after leaving the King’s Road club last summer.
And he has urged Chelsea to preserve the Special Ones that are left at Stamford Bridge.
He said: “When we speak about important players who have made history for a club, I think of Ryan Giggs at Manchester United or Paolo Maldini at AC Milan.
“Of course, there will be new, young talent to keep improving the club but players like John and Frank should stay to share their passion for the club and the mentality of the club to these young players.
“They should stay. What Frank is doing now is unbelievable “To be two goals from being Chelsea’s all-time top scorer is remarkable. He has to stay.”
Stretched across a sofa at Galatasaray’s training ground ahead of tonight’s Champions League quarter-final first leg against Real Madrid, Drogba said: “There has been change at Chelsea. Players have left — me, Michael Essien, Jose Bosingwa and Claude Makelele and Florent Malouda is not playing.
“These were important players for the team. They have brought in a lot of new, young players who do not know the league so there will be up and downs. What we had was unique but it is like when you learn to ride a bike. Even if you do not do it for years, when you find a new bike you don’t forget.
“All the players who were there at that time, we still have that winning mentality. It is something you do not lose.
“It is something that can come back again but with Frank and John staying it makes it easier — and you might win something more as well.”

THREE AMIGOS ... Drogba, Terry and Lamps won the 2012 FA Cup together

Of course, Drogba would say that about his best mates, wouldn’t he?
But Lampard in particular still offers as much on the pitch as off it.
His 12 Premier League goals this season — and 200 in total for Chelsea over 11 years — have answered every question about his longevity.
Terry courts controversy but the defender — who nearly died on the pitch when he swallowed his tongue and then asked a stunned physio if he could go back on — clearly has a lot to give to raw youngsters unsure of what it takes to win.
Mourinho built much more than a trophy-winning team in three years at the Bridge — the Special One built a philosophy.
Drogba made sure he went back to Chelsea before Christmas to keep fit but, more importantly, to drink in the atmosphere at the training ground he calls “home” as an extra spur for his adventures in Turkey.
Drogba recently replaced fellow striker Gianfranco Zola as the Chelsea fans’ favourite player of all time.
And Mourinho, when pushed, will admit Drog was his favourite player to manage.
The quietly spoken 6ft 1in Ivory Coast star revealed how Mourinho could bring anyone down to size to get the best out of them. Drogba added: “During a game, a player could score twice but Mourinho will go to a midfielder or a defender and say ‘You were man of the match’.
“You know if you scored two goals that you had a good performance but somebody had to work behind for you not to concede.
“I’ve seen some special moments with him. We were at Watford and players were coming back from the national teams and Andriy Shevchenko came back from Ukraine with a knee problem, “I had just won the African Player of the Year so I went to Bouake in Ivory Coast to show off the trophy.
“At half-time it was 0-0, Mourinho came in and said ‘Sheva, I asked you if you want to play with your knee problem and you said ‘Yes’, so now you go and play. You, King of Africa, now you play’.
“People say Mourinho liked me but if I did not perform I did not play.
“Even if he likes you, if you do not perform on the pitch, you do not play. That is his signature.”