Drogba: Euro final always the goal

Didier Drogba insists Chelsea always believed it could reach the final of the Champions League even though Jose Mourinho was sacked last September.

Chelsea's stuttering 1-1 draw at home to Rosenborg in its opening group game proved to be the last of Mourinho's glorious reign.

His relationship with the club's board had broken down and he was relieved of his duties with director of football Avram Grant installed in his place.

The managerial upheaval was swiftly followed by speculation that a number of star players, including Drogba, would be following the 'Special One' out of Stamford Bridge.

But the Ivory Coast striker remains an integral part of Chelsea's side and will be the main spearhead in attack as they attempt to overcome Manchester United in the Champions League final on May 21 in Moscow.

And even though the club was in turmoil after the sacking of Mourinho, Drogba is adamant the players believed the final of the Champions League was always a realistic target.

"We have been working and playing to reach the Champions League final for a few years now so it is fantastic," said Drogba.

"In September we believed we could reach the final. There were some events difficult for the club but the most important thing is to stand up and keep working like we did. The objective didn't change."

"I hope I will be in good form and in good shape. The team are improving physically and to win games like the semi-final gives you a lot of power and confidence."

"If you lose the semi-final you are upset for two, three, four days, but to lose the final will stay with you for years so now we are there, we have to win it."

It has been a strange season for Drogba. After the shock of Mourinho's departure, he was quoted in a French magazine as wishing to leave Chelsea.

He later regretted making his comments public but the speculation over his future has refused to dissipate.

He then collected a knee injury a month before the start of the African Nations Cup and underwent an operation in order to get fit for the competition.

Drogba made it to the finals but has been plagued with knee problems ever since. But his form has slowly started to return. Two goals in the win over Arsenal at Stamford Bridge in the Barclays Premier League had Chelsea believing it could catch United at the top.

However, Drogba has not always had his fans in the Champions League this season.

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez claimed the striker had a habit of 'diving' but his allegations backfired as Drogba fired two goals in the 3-2 second leg victory which put Chelsea into the final for the first time in their history.

"Benitez was a manager I respected a lot," said Drogba. "I found him not only very competent but also classy."

"But he really disappointed me. His words demonstrated a weakness. A top manager would never go so low to attack a player."

Drogba still has two years left to run on his current contract and, despite being linked with various European clubs, including Real Madrid and Inter Milan, he refuses to discuss what may happen until the end of the season.

"People are saying a lot of things but I still have two years left on my contract," he said.

"At the moment, I am only thinking about