DIDIER DROGBA has admitted the last six months have been "the toughest" of his career but, having refused to comment on his reported meeting with the Internazionale technical director Marco Branca this week, vowed to emerge stronger for the traumas he has endured.
The Ivorian's relationship with Chelsea appears to be on edge yet again after he and his representative, Pierre Frelot, allegedly met Branca and the Inter coach Jose Mourinho's agent, Jorge Mendes, in London. Drogba would not be drawn on the issue prior to Chelsea's 1-1 draw with Bordeaux last night, when he came on as a 63rd minute substitute.
"I have a contract with Chelsea until 2010, no comment about the supposed meeting," he said. But he was more open on other matters.
He expressed regret at his dismissal in May's Champions League final against Manchester United, offering a rare reflection on the slap he afforded Nemanja Vidic, and for the incident at Stamford Bridge this month when he flung a coin back into the Burnley support, which prompted a three-match ban and an ongoing police inquiry.
Chelsea might have listened to offers for the forward in the summer, though the 30-year-old remains in Luiz Felipe Scolari's plans for now.
Asked whether the period since May had been the toughest of his career, Drogba replied: "Yeah, you can say that. It's been really tough for me over the last six months. But I've been through difficult moments before so I know how to get myself out of these. I will do it.
"I was really disappointed [at the dismissal in the European Cup final] because there were only three minutes to go, something like that. And, once again, I don't know how I put myself into this situation. You can do things you don't realise because you are in extra-time and your heart is beating because you're going to penalties. So there's a lot of pressure.
"It was very difficult because people said that: 'Ah, if he'd been on the pitch, he would have taken the fifth penalty and Chelsea would have won the game'. It's not true. Even if I took this penalty, I could have missed it and then we lose. But it's easy to say Drogba is guilty for the loss instead of saying Chelsea were unlucky."
Last night Inter's president, Massimo Moratti, suggested Drogba was trying to instigate a move to San Siro. "I believe the desire is more the player's," he said. "I didn't even know [about the alleged meeting] and I will get an explanation of what happened. We don't need any strikers."
Meanwhile, Frank Arnesen's position at Chelsea looks increasingly uncertain with the €2.37 million-a-year chief scout and head of youth development expected to lose his job this season.
Arnesen, recruited from Tottenham Hotspur some three years ago, had come under pressure as the Premier League leaders attempt to cut costs.
The Chelsea hierarchy has been unimpressed at the lack of young players emerging from the junior ranks and this month announced drastic cuts to their scouting network.
The chief executive, Peter Kenyon, has since indicated the club will be pursuing more home-grown talent, thus leaving Arnesen's current position in some doubt.
The experienced 52-year-old publicly remains committed to the club but is understood to covet the Denmark national team manager's role.
Morten Olsen, the current incumbent, is contracted to the Danish federation until 2010.
