Scolari accuses Drogba, Ballack and Cech of dissent and indiscipline

LONDON - Former Chelsea FC coach Phil Scolari has accused three of the club’s stars - Didier Drogba, Michael Ballack and Petr Cech of consistently fanning dissent and indiscipline in team ranks, which eventually led to his sacking by Blues owner Roman Abramovich.

When he joined the club less than a year ago, Scolari appeared to be the ideal man for the job. He had led the Brazilian team to the 2002 World Cup before working wonders with Portugal’s playmakers, such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Deco and Luis Figo.

There were no complaints when they kicked off the 2008-09 campaign with a thumping 4-0 home victory over Portsmouth.

Scolari’s 4-1-3-2 formation was hailed as the start of an exciting new era down the Kings Road.ormer boss Jose Mourinho set the benchmark for his successors with the trophies he won. And, Scolari seemed to provide the perfect solution. It looked like a match made in football heaven.

But, behind the scenes, the cracks were already starting to appear.

At the club’s Cobham training headquarters, where Scolari’s lack of English sometimes made it hard for him to get his message across, there were growing signs of discontent.

The players who idolised Mourinho yearned for a return to the Special One’s meticulous attention to detail and intense one-on-one sessions.

What initially started as a few raised eyebrows, slowly turned into dissent and disapproval over Scolari’s training regime and his relatively relaxed approach to coaching and pre-match planning.

And when results started to falter, the boss faced a crisis of confidence, trust and belief from his players.

It culminated in Scolari getting the sack in February this year after just seven months in the job.

“Who do the teams prefer to sack? The stars - who earn four to nine million euros a year with contracts of up to five seasons - or the coach?

“Of course, the first to be dismissed will always be the coach. And the major footballers already perceive their power and do what they wish.

“This was my major problem at Chelsea. Drogba, Ballack and Cech did not accept my methods of training nor my demands.”

And Scolari claimed the trio tried to undermine his authority with unusual medical requests and defiance.

Speaking to O Globo newspaper, he said: “I will never again work in English football. I believe that beginning next year they will have lots of problems. (ANI)