Former Chelsea striker, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, has disclosed that Jose Mourinho, the club’s ex-manager, has apologized to him for his departure from Stamford Bridge in 2004. Hasselbaink revealed that Mourinho wanted Didier Drogba as Chelsea’s main striker, leading to his transfer to Middlesbrough without even a phone call from the Portuguese coach.
Hasselbaink joined Chelsea from Atletico Madrid in 2000 for £15 million and quickly proved his worth. Despite scoring 46 league goals in his first two seasons and forming a formidable partnership with Eidur Gudjohnsen, his time at Chelsea came to an abrupt end following Mourinho and Drogba’s arrivals.
Hasselbaink, now 52, stated that Mourinho has since apologized for the manner of his departure, acknowledging it should have been handled better. “I still had a lot to offer, but he wanted a new striker, and they got Drogba,” Hasselbaink added.