“Call me”

You’d think that the inner workings of football would be like a well-oiled machine, or a complicated series of electical circuits, all intertwined, zapping around to a very strict schedule. In many ways, a bit like the offices in Mad Men, only less smokey, and not quite so outwardly sexist.

But you’d be way off.

An interview with Didier Drogba on Chelsea’s official website today paints an entirely different picture of how football businessmen go about things - instead conjuring images of backroom staff with their hands in their pockets coyly wandering up to their star players to sheepishly ask for phone numbers without once making eye contact.

Talking of Guus Hiddink’s World Cup appointment as the temporary boss of the Ivory Coast, Drogba - 32 today, by the way - said this:

“The Ivory Coast FA asked me for his number, like they asked for the number of Carlo, of Jose Mourinho, of a few managers.”

Hmm, perhaps Drogba’s got Ribery’s number on his SIM card too?

Worth a try, Abramovich.