José Mourinho believes that Chelsea striker Diego Costa will be unable to match the legacy of club legend Didier Drogba even though he may be on the lips of Chelsea fans. Costa has been a fan favourite since his first match for Chelsea last season.
A remarkable 20 league goals in his debut campaign got everyone going, but the Spaniard has struggled to replicate the same form this season. Even then, Costa remains favourite amongst the fans but he will struggle to come close to the legendary status enjoyed by his predecessor Drogba.
The Ivory Coast international played with Chelsea for more than 300 games over two spells. He ended up with more than 150 goals to his name, but the importance of those goals spoke volumes rather than the numbers itself. Drogba largely scored in key matches against the top teams. He was especially fond of scoring in the finals or semifinals of the tournaments. This helped the club win numerous trophies including the Champions League. Costa has been voicing concerns about leaving Chelsea either in January or in the summer, which comes as a surprise.
The manager recently admitted that Costa will see out his Chelsea contract, which still has three years left to run.”He didn’t say [he wanted to go back to Atletico]. He said that in football you never know. Filipe Luis was one example, but he could also say Fernando Torres.Atletico is a great club, Madrid is a great city, La Liga is a very good league, so why not a player 28 years old [sic: Costa is 27] not to think that in football it’s possible to be back? I don’t see a problem.
Drogba was here for 10 years. I don’t see Diego playing until he’s 38! He’s happy here, he likes to be here,” said Mourinho.