' Iman Yang Kuat '

1. Didier Drogba
 

Name:	Didier Drogba
Nationality:	Ivorian
Date of Birth:	11/03/1978
Height:	6' 2" (189cm)
Weight:	14st 5lbs (91.0kg)
Previous
Clubs:	Marseille, Guingamp
Position:	Striker

Chelsea career
When Didier signed from Marseille in the summer of 2004 he was a big man with a growing reputation, Though a groin operation forced him out for two months midway through his first Chelsea season and it took time to reach full power again, he ended the league-winning campaign with 16 goals to his name in all competitions, including one in the victorious Carling Cup Final against Liverpool.

In 2005/06 his season's tally was again 16, 12 coming during the successful defence of the Premiership, but before that triumph, there was also adversity.

Following handball incidents in two games and accusations of diving in the media, it took character to respond with an awe-inspiring showing against West Ham at the Bridge in March 2006.

Chelsea came back from a goal and a man down to win that game 4-1, prompting then manager Jose Mourinho to say: 'Didier should go home, switch on the TV, listen to the pundits, buy every single paper tomorrow and listen and read to see if the same people who wanted to kill him have now the common sense to say what he deserves.'

The 2006/07 campaign was when it all came together for the Ivorian, whose pace, strength and aerial power had made him the type of forward not seen at Chelsea for some time. He netted 33 times in all competitions after moulding a strike partnership with newly-arrived Andriy Shevchenko.

His 20 goals in the league won him the Premier League's Golden Boot for the first time. His 60 games tally was the second highest appearances in a season in the club's history - and he ended the campaign with the first club goal at the new Wembley as Chelsea beat Manchester United 1-0 in stoppage time of the 2007 FA Cup Final.

There were high hopes that he could reach the heights again in 2007/08 but knee injuries and an African Nations Cup meant it was hard to put a run of games together, and he ended a disrupted season with 15 goals, including another at Wembley in the Carling Cup Final defeat to Spurs.

After his double at the Bridge against Liverpool in the semi-finals, the Champions League ended with shame as he was red-carded the Final in Moscow against Man United.

If there had been ups and downs in that campaign, 2008/09 would be even more extraordinary.

The arrival of Luiz Felipe Scolari into the manager's chair was greeted with excitement, but the Brazilian struggled to utilise the injury-affected Didier alongside the free-scoring Nicolas Anelka, eventually opting to go with the Frenchman alone.

Lacking match fitness, Didier found it hard to make an impact in the first half of that season, eventually doing so against Burnley in the Carling Cup, but after a fine individual goal, he reacted to coins thrown from the away end and was punished with a three-match ban that further hinder his involvement.

Scolari's dismissal and Guus Hiddink's arrival in mid-February sparked a return to form and the starting line-up for the Ivory Coast captain, and he repaid the Dutchman with a number of vital goals.

Controversy though was never far away. Eliminated from the Champions League in injury time of the semi-final against Barcelona, again he did not react well, confronting referee Tom Henning Ovrebo in front of the TV cameras. Another three-match ban followed, reduced on appeal from four.

Still there was one more twist to come, as he powered home a header in the FA Cup Final against Everton, levelling up Louis Saha's opener for his fourth goal in as many Wembley visits. Chelsea lifted the Cup once more.

From the moment his two-goal salvo turned a deficit into victory versus Hull on the opening day of the 2009/10 campaign, the signs were good that the player could pick up where he left off the previous season.

The early season formation adopted by the Dutchman's successor, Carlo Ancelotti, allowed Didier to play close to Anelka and he locked into an incredibly consistent run of scoring. By Christmas he had found the net 18 times in 21 games as he departed for the African Nations.

On his early return to club duty at Hull, he scored his third direct free-kick of the season before he went on the rampage against Arsenal with a brace - making it 12 goals in 12 games against the Gunners.

However as Champions League ambition faded once again, Didier was sent off near the end of defeat by Inter, maintaining what was almost becoming a traditional ban for the start of the next Euro campaign. It was his one red card of the season.

Back in the middle of a three-man attack for the league run-in, Didier netted a vital winner at Old Trafford that put Chelsea on top of the table and with our destiny in our own hands.

An historic 8-0 win against Wigan on the final day and a second-half hat-trick was a great way way to reclaim both the Premier League and the Golden Boot.

His winner in the 2010 FA Cup Final, a direct free-kick against Porstmouth meant the season had a pair of Ivorian bookends - a Didier goal at its start and at its finish.

Voted the club's Player of the Year by the fans, his 37 goals is the second best total in Chelsea history and included strikes at Anfield, the Emirates and Old Trafford.

Following hernia surgery that saw him miss most of pre-season, he began 2010/11 with a hat-trick against West Brom, followed by a hat-trick of assists at Wigan in the first away game. It looked like being another scary season for defences around Europe.
However illness struck in the autumn in the form of malaria. Didier battled on and was captain for a spell with Terry and Lampard both injured, but his power was down and Chelsea's flying start to the campaign gave way to an extended period of well-below-par results with important players missing. Coming on as a sub away to Spurs before Christmas, he scored to salvage a point but frustratingly missed out on a winner when his penalty was saved, a rare spot-kick failure indeed.
A stunning long-range strike away to Bolton in January 2011 was his last for 11 games as Fernando Torres came onto the scene and the right mix up front was sought by Ancelotti.
Didier was on the bench for a Champions League quarter-final second leg at Old Trafford and although he came on at half-time and scored, Chelsea went out. It was a sad way to mark his 300^th appearance for the club.
Although 13 goals in all competitions and no medals in 2010/11 suggests an indifferent season by his standards, his combined league total of goals and assists was still the second highest by any top-flight player in that season. His 109 shots were the most attempts on goal.
Physically a match for any defender and able to score any type of goal, his ability to make and take chances as well as take on the opposition backline single-handed has marked Didier down as one of the world's very finest strikers for many seasons.
Pre-Chelsea
Didier was signed in the summer of 2004 from Marseille where he had been named France's Player of the Year. A reported fee of £24 million was paid.

The man who spearheaded Ivory Coast to a first World Cup Finals in 2006 moved from Africa to live in France as a young child and played his early junior football at right-back.

He dabbled with various small clubs and even turned down the chance of a trial at Paris St-Germain, preferring to learn his trade before moving onto the big stage.

He did so at second division Le Mans before shifting up a division to Guingamp, a club he had been prevented from joining some years earlier due to injury.

It was during this spell in Brittany that Didier first came to the attention of Jose Mourinho, then Porto's manager - but after scoring 17 goals in 2002/03 and becoming an international, he had moved out of the Portuguese club's price range.

Marseille swooped and they did not regret their move. In his second season at l'OM, he netted 18 times in 35 league games and six times as the 2004 Uefa Cup Final was reached, including braces against Liverpool and Newcastle.

In addition to his France Footballer of the Year award, Fifa recognised the achievements with a nomination for World Player of the Year. Mourinho made the player a top target in his first summer of transfer activity at Chelsea - and this time the price wasn't a problem.


International career
Didier made his Ivory Coast debut in 2002, and captained his country to their first ever World Cup appearance in 2006, where he scored in a narrow defeat by Argentina which was followed by an equally-close reverse against Holland.

There may have been a few choice words from the 32-year-old when Ivory Coast were drawn in the 'group of death' for the second World Cup running ahead of South Africa 2010.

Chelsea's all-time international goalscorer, having netted 43 times in 69 matches by that stage, suffered a broken arm in a pre-tournament warm-up game which left his participation in 2010's Finals in question leading up to the opening game. He came on as sub although his play looked restricted, but he did find the net during defeat to Brazil next match. Once again Ivory Coast left after three games. Didier was again the captain.

In the Africa Cup of Nations, Ivory Coast have struggled to live up to expectations. In Ghana in 2008 they were expected to challenge but eventually finished fourth, having lost the final on penalties to Egypt in 2006, Drogba missing his. In an incredible shoot-out in the quarter-final against Cameroon that eventually ended 12-11, Didier scored as the first of the original five takers and then later scored the decisive spot kick.

In 2010, they bowed out in extra-time of the quarter-finals as coach Vahid Halilhodzic lost his job, making way for Sven Goran Eriksson to coach the side in South Africa after Guus Hiddink had turned the post down.
Didier's exploits for club and country won his Africa's Player of the Year in 2006 and 2009. For Ivory Coast, he is simply their biggest star.

Career History:
Club	Season	Comp.	Apps (as sub)	Goals
Chelsea	2010 - 11	League	30  (6)	11
		FA Cup	2  (0)	0
		Euro Cups	5  (2)	2
Chelsea	2009 - 10	League	31  (1)	29
		FA Cup	4  (0)	3
		League Cup	0  (2)	2
		Euro Cups	5  (0)	3
Chelsea	2008 - 09	League	15  (9)	5
		FA Cup	5  (1)	3
		League Cup	2  (0)	1
		Euro Cups	7  (3)	5
Chelsea	2007 - 08	League	17  (2)	8
		FA Cup	0  (1)	0
		League Cup	1  (0)	1
		Euro Cups	11  (0)	6
Chelsea	2006 - 07	League	32  (4)	20
		FA Cup	6  (0)	3
		League Cup	3  (2)	4
		Euro Cups	12  (0)	6
Chelsea	2005 - 06	League	20  (9)	12
		FA Cup	3  (0)	1
		League Cup	0  (1)	0
		Euro Cups	5  (2)	1
Chelsea	2004 - 05	League	18  (8)	10
		FA Cup	1  (1)	0
		League Cup	3  (1)	1
		Euro Cups	8  (1)	5
Marseille	2003 - 04	League	30  (5)	19
		Euro Cups	14  (2)	11

2. Peter Cech

Name:	Petr Cech
Nationality:	Czech
Date of Birth:	20/05/1982
Height:	6' 5" (196cm)
Weight:	14st 6lbs (91.71kg)
Previous
Clubs:	Sparta Prague, Stade Rennais
Position:	Goalkeeper

Chelsea CareerPetr Cech arrived in 2004 for £7 million, more than all the past goalkeepers in Chelsea history combined, with the task of challenging established number one Carlo Cudicini.
He immediately caught the eye with his height, incredible reaction speed and confidence in leaving his goal-line and began his Chelsea career as Jose Mourinho's first choice. He had to be good to keep Cudicini out.
A clean-sheet laden first season at Stamford Bridge was statistically the most accomplished by any Chelsea keeper - a run of 1,024 minutes without conceding a goal between December and March set a new English top flight record.
By the end of that season he had his first championship medal plus records for the fewest goals conceded and most clean sheets in an English top-flight season, recognised with the award of the Barclays Golden Gloves for 2004/05.
Though the 2005/06 version of the Chelsea defence was never quite as watertight as the season before, Petr continued to excel and was a major force in capturing a consecutive Premiership title.
Serious injury in October 2006 cast big doubts over the future of his career, but Petr overcame a fractured skull that had required immediate surgery, 30 stitches and much rest to return just three months later.
Within weeks he had recorded a seven-game run for club and country without conceding a goal, all while sporting the skull protection that has become a trade mark, and he ended the season with both domestic cups.
Injuries took their toll again during 2007/08, and change of management brought a change of goalkeeping coach - Christophe Lollichon, his coach at former club Rennes, joined the Blues - as Silvino Louro left with Mourinho.
Despite calf, hip and facial afflictions, 6ft 4in Petr was there as we reached the Champions League Final in Moscow, making a string of vital saves before we were eventually beaten on penalties by Manchester United - his save from Cristiano Ronaldo in the shootout proving academic.
After a typically consistent opening to the 2008/09 campaign, Petr's form, and those in front of him, took a dip around Christmas and new manager Luiz Felipe Scolari experimented with a set-piece zonal marking system which contributed to points being lost against Fulham and Manchester United, while we were nearly embarrassed in the FA Cup by Southend and then Ipswich.
Scolari's exit brought about an improvement in form under Guus Hiddink, the highlight of Petr's season coming in the Camp Nou as Barcelona were kept at bay, important saves made against Samuel Eto'o and Alex Hleb.
For the first season in three there were no major injury problems, with 35 Premier League appearances and an ever-present record in the Champions League.
In 2009/10 Petr further enhanced his own reputation with a solid season and a major contribution towards a first Premier League and FA Cup Double.
Individual errors were reduced, though a couple of mishaps occurred at Stoke and Aston Villa, but Petr bounced back to concede just two more in the next eight games as we entered the Christmas period on top of the league, and while a calf injury at the San Siro prevented him from participating in our Champions League second-leg defeat against Inter, causing him to miss five games, he returned for the run-in and had a big say in the direction the silverware went, earning the Premier League's Golden Glove on the final day of the season with his 17th clean sheet from 34 games.
Petr kept perhaps his best for last. In the FA Cup Final he first pulled off an amazing instinctive save to prevent Frederic Piquionne from opening the scoring, and then kept out Kevin-Prince Boateng's spot-kick with his feet, moments before Didier Drogba went up the other end and scored a superb free-kick.
Cech's next campaign began with a calf strain in pre-season, but he returned in time for the first league game and he would be an ever-present, surpassing the 300-appearance mark. He has since become Chelsea's highest appearing foreign player, going past Gianfranco Zola's 312. At the end of the season he was voted Chelsea's Player of the Year for the first time.
A knee injury hampered the early stages of 2011/12 causing him to miss two games, but he was soon back between the sticks, though facing criticism with goals flying past him. He was beaten five times by Arsenal in late October, the first time we had conceded as many since 2002, but if anyone has the strength of character to deal with such issues it is Cech, and he kept a clean sheet at Blackburn on Bonfire Night despite sustaining a broken nose in the early stages of the game, after a collision with his own defender Ashley Cole.
Pre-ChelseaA precocious talent, Petr built his reputation at Sparta Prague where at the age of 19 he broke the national record for the longest spell without conceding a goal.
Equally hard to beat in the Champions League, over 1,000 minutes in all competitions passed without a goal.
That earned a move to Rennes in France where midway through his second season he agreed to join Chelsea for the next campaign on a five-year contract.
International CareerAt Under 21 international level Petr was a major factor in the crowning of the Czech Republic as 2002 European Champions while at senior level, Euro 2004 brought five clean sheets, a semi-final and a place in Uefa's all-star squad of the tournament.
His reputation on the international stage continued to grow and he represented his country at both the World Cup in 2006, Czech Republic's first since splitting with Slovakia in 1993, and Euro 2008, where it was his unfortunate late error in the group stages that saw his country eliminated.
He bounced back to be named Czech Footballer of the Year for the fifth time in 2010 and although they failed to qualify for South Africa 2010, Petr continues as team captain.
>> Click here to visit Petr Cech's official website

CLUB INFORMATION

Nickname
The Blues

Formed
1905

Stadium Capacity
41,837

Pitch
103 x 67 metres

---

CLUB PERSONNEL

Chelsea FC plc is the company which owns Chelsea Football Club. The ultimate parent company of Chelsea FC plc is Fordstam Limited and the ultimate controlling party of Fordstam Limited is Roman Abramovich.


CHELSEA FC plc BOARD :Chairman: Bruce Buck.
Directors:  Eugene Tenenbaum, Ron Gourlay (chief executive).


CHELSEA FC plc BOARD BIOGRAPHIES:
Bruce Buck, Chairman:
Born in New York, he has been a Chelsea supporter since coming to London in 1983 and has been a season ticket holder since 1991. He is a shareholder in Chelsea Limited, the ultimate owner of the club, and the company used by Roman Abramovich for the takeover in 2003 and is managing partner in Europe for the US law firm Skadden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom.

Ron Gourlay, Chief Executive:
Previously chief operating officer, he had been with Chelsea for five years in a variety of director-level roles before becoming chief executive in November 2009. He has more than 25 years experience in football having previously undertaken senior roles at Manchester United and Umbro.
Eugene Tenenbaum, Director:
Born in the Ukraine but moved to Canada at an early age, Eugene is one of Roman Abramovich's closest associates and was formerly head of corporate finance at Sibneft, the oil company sold by Mr Abramovich in 2006. He is currently the managing director of MHC-Services Ltd. He holds a bachelors degree in commerce and finance and a degree in economics from University of Toronto and is a Canadian chartered accountant.


The day-to-day running of Chelsea is undertaken by the football club's Executive Board headed by chief executive Ron Gourlay:

EXECUTIVE BOARD BIOGRAPHIES:(in alphabetical order)
Chris Alexander, Finance and Operations Director:
Trained as a chartered accountant with Price Waterhouse and has 20 years financial experience in different industries. Prior to joining Chelsea in March 2003 he worked in France as the FD of a construction related business where he completed an MBA at one of Europe's leading business schools.

David Barnard, Director / Club Secretary:
Joined Chelsea in July 2002. Has overall responsibility for the day-to-day administration of the Football Department. Has just completed 30 seasons in football. Previous clubs are Fulham, Colchester and Wimbledon. Also a member of the Football Club board which oversees football policy for the club.

Company Secretary, Alan Shaw:Joined Chelsea in 1993. Has a wide range of business knowledge, having run legal, construction, HR, customer services and planning teams through a variety of projects in differing organisations from retail to engineering , merchant banking and professional football. Interests include tennis, horse racing and cinema.


FOOTBALL CLUB BOARD:
Bruce Buck, Eugene Tenenbaum, Ron Gourlay, David Barnard, Mike Forde.

---

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Training Ground
The training ground is at Cobham in Surrey but sessions are not open to the general public. Special open days are organised at Stamford Bridge when fans can see the team train.

Creche
Chelsea operates a creche during the match on home weekend matchdays and caters for children from one to five-years-old. The service is free but donations for equipment are appreciated. Bookings are taken on 08719 841955.

Chelsea Matchday Programme
If you wish to advertise in the Matchday Programme call Profile Sports Media on 020 7332 2000.

Payments to Agents - 2009/10Total Amount paid to Agents in the period 1 October 2009 to 30 September 2010: £9,293,751.48
Explanatory Note:The amount shown is the aggregate of all payments made to agents during the reporting period for agency activity, including payments made by the club on behalf of players.

Free Template Blogger collection template Hot Deals SEO