'Taking cocaine at Chelsea stopped me from winning Ballon d'Or'

Updated: 28 Mar, 2025 • 0 • min read

Table of Contents

'Taking cocaine at Chelsea stopped me from winning Ballon d'Or'

Photo: AFP/Getty Images

Adrian Mutu believes that he could have won the Ballon d'Or, had he not fallen into a cocaine habit during his ill-fated spell at Chelsea.

The Romanian was one of Roman Abramovich's first big money signings at Chelsea when he arrived from Parma in a £16 million deal in 2003.

Wayne Bridge, Joe Cole, Hernán Crespo, Damien Duff, Geremi, Glen Johnson, Claude Makélélé, and Juan Sebastián Verón were among those to arrive at the same time.

Mutu was a regular in his first season at Stamford Bridge, scoring 10 goals in all competitions under Claudio Ranieri.

However, everything changed when a certain José Mourinho arrived following the sacking of Ranieri.

Mutu hardly featured under the Portuguese, with the pair clashing over his fitness for a 2006 World Cup qualifying match against the Czech Republic.

Things then went from bad to worse in October 2004, when Mutu was hit with a seven-month ban following a positive test for cocaine.
READ MORE: Adrian Mutu banned from Romania team for comparing coach to Mr Bean

In an interview with The Telegraph, Mutu reflected on his decision.

Taking cocaine during my time at Chelsea was the worst decision I could have made in my career.

I was alone and sad, but neither depression nor anything else justified my actions. I should have asked for help, and I didn't.

However, you learn from everything in life, and that lesson made me a better person - much more mature and self-aware. And I'm proud of that.

After a drawn-out affair with the Court of Arbitration for Sport that spanned several years, Mutu was forced to pay Chelsea back millions for breach of contract.

Zero tolerance - that was Chelsea's policy regarding drugs. And I think that's fair. I made a mistake, strayed from the path, and paid the price for it.

I was caught off guard. I wasn't used to that life. I was unprepared. I arrived at Chelsea during a turbulent time in my personal life, and I found myself caught up in too many excuses and lies. I was too young and too alone.

Despite his regrets, Mutu remains convinced that he had the potential to be a Ballon d'Or winner if things had gone differently.

I've reflected on that many times. I believe that for more than a season, I was amongst the best players in the world, so I could have won it easily.

But bad decisions prevented me from doing so. I try not to beat myself up about it.

After leaving England behind, Mutu went on to salvage his career in Italy, particularly at Fiorentina - where he scored 69 goals across a five-year stint.

For any enquiries, please contact us here.