Luiz Felipe Scolari blames Anelka for Chelsea failure
Scolari was dismissed by Roman Abaramovich after just eight months in the job with Chelsea fourth in the Premier League, and the club saying in a statement that "the results and performances of the team appeared to be deteriorating at a key time in the season."
"I had Anelka playing as centre-forward. Top scorer in the league," Scolari told ESPN Brasil. "The players return, I make a meeting, and in the meeting I say: 'Look, now that the players have all returned, Drogba is back after two months, we will try to work a situation involving the two strikers playing one by the side, one in the centre, changing positions.'
"Then Anelka, the league's top scorer, who had been a reserve all the time but had started [during Drogba's absence] said: 'I do not play on the wing.' Well, that's when I said: 'You don't play on the wing, you are surplus, it's over. I'm not going to stay here arguing with you guys. I'm trying to come to an understanding and you are unwilling.' And there began a series of other things.”
I left there and our team was third in the league, three or four points behind the top. Qualified for the semifinals of the [FA] Cup and round of 16 or quarterfinals of the Champions League. But there was this bad environment, that situation.”