Chelsea and Ivorian football icon, Didier Drogba, has publicly voiced his support for Senegalese striker Nicholas Jackson following the severe backlash he endured after Chelsea’s 1-0 loss to Manchester City in the Emirates FA Cup on Saturday, April 20, 2024.
Jackson faced the brunt of Chelsea fans’ anger due to what many perceived as a dismal performance against Manchester City.
The Senegalese player missed three clear-cut opportunities during the game, contributing to the disappointment.
In response, some Chelsea fans resorted to hurling insults at Jackson on social media, with some comments taking on racist undertones.
Drogba, widely regarded as one of Chelsea’s greatest strikers of all time, took to X (formerly Twitter) to express unwavering support for his fellow African footballer.
The tweet on Monday, April 22, 2024, reads, “Keep your head High UP and never stop working hard, it will pay off.”
Meanwhile, Chelsea has condemned the racist attacks on the former Villarreal striker.
“There is no place in society for any form of discrimination and we operate a zero-tolerance approach to any incident of this nature.
“The club will support any criminal prosecutions and take the strongest possible action, including bans, against any individual who is found to be a season ticket-holder or member,” a statement by Chelsea.
The same sentiments were echoed by Chelsea coach, Mauricio Pochettino, who urged the fans to be measured with their expectations of Nicholas Jackson as he is not Drogba’s replacement.
“He’s our main striker, the only striker we have fit. He’s doing fantastic. He’s doing an amazing job for the team; running, scoring goals, giving assists.
“His first season, a young guy, came in from Spain, even with not too much experience there. If we want the player to match the iconic players here, if we compare him with [Didier] Drogba, obviously he’s going to lose.
“But he’s going to have all my support. Even if he doesn’t score, the way that he’s fighting for the club and his team-mates, he’s producing chances. He needs time to improve. He’ll be better next season for sure, no doubt about that,” he said.
Jackson, who has scored 13 Premier League goals, is expected to lead the line for Chelsea when they take on Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday, April 23, 2024.