“I knew this club with a certain class during the Roman Abramovich era, but today I find it lacking” – Didier Drogba slams Todd Boehly ownership at Chelsea

Legendary Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has slammed the hierarchy at Stamford Bridge following a series of decisions taken by new owner Todd Boehly.

The former Ivory Coast international did not mince his words while comparing Boehly's administration to that of former owner Roman Abramovich. Speaking to Canal+ (via Metro), Drogba said:

"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, for example, the physiotherapists, who were there for a very long time. They should go back to the principles and values they had."

The Boehly-Clearlake consortium bid for Chelsea earlier this year, following Abramovich's decision to sell the club. The UK government imposed sanctions on the Russian oligarch due to his ties with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin following the invasion of Ukraine.

The American businessman's consortium has spent £250 million in the transfer market after taking over at the helm of the west London outfit.

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It has been a rocky start for Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital consortium at Chelsea

While their spending has been significant, the consortium have come under fire for sacking manager Thomas Tuchel just seven games into the new season. The club appointed former Brighton & Hove Albion boss Graham Potter as Blues boss following the German's sacking.

The new owners went on to sack a number of backroom staff, including the physiotherapists that Drogba mentioned.

Senior members of the Chelsea hierarchy also made the decision to exit Stamford Bridge. Bruce Buck, a veteran on the Blues board, decided to step down, opting for an advisory role in the new administration.

Transfer director Marina Granovskaia made the decision to leave the club, a season after she was recognized as the 'Best Club Director' in European football at the Golden Boy awards. Legendary Blues goalkeeper Petr Cech also stepped down from his role as technical advisor.

It hasn't helped that Boehly notably suggested that the Premier League set up a North vs South All-Star game, a format that is popular in North America. The suggestion received a lot of backlash from pundits, fans, and managers alike, with concerns that the businessman trying to make the Premier League more American.

Boehly also incorrectly claimed that Manchester City midfielder Kevin de Bruyne was a graduate of Chelsea's youth academy and said the same about Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah.

While the duo did play for Chelsea earlier in their careers, they did not come through the Blues academy.