Adrian Mutu was among the first Chelsea signings of the Roman Abramovich era before a cocaine storm cost him his Blues career as he regrets missing out on a potential Ballon d'Or
Sport
Updated 10:33, 27 Mar 2025
Adrian Mutu joined Chelsea in 2003 - but left after testing positive for cocaine
Adrian Mutu joined Chelsea in 2003 - but left after testing positive for cocaine
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Ex-Chelsea forward Adrian Mutu claims he could've won the Ballon d'Or had he not fallen into a cocaine habit that saw his career nosedive. The Romanian was part of the first Roman Abramovich-led recruitment drive at Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2003.
He cost the Blues £16million when he moved from Parma and started the season in sensational form as Chelsea eventually finished second. After that Claudio Ranieri was axed in favour of Jose Mourinho and Mutu quickly clashed with the Special One before reports emerged that the striker had failed a drugs test with cocaine appearing in his system.
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Mutu has reflected on that decision, which was born out of a feeling of isolation, and concedes he cannot justify taking drugs but believes it ultimately led to personal growth.
The Romanian told the Telegraph: “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.”
He also added: “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."
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The decision cost Mutu his contract at Chelsea and after a lengthy affair with the Court of Arbitration for Sport that spanned several years, the player was eventually forced to pay the Premier League side back millions for breach of contract.
Perhaps an even bigger loss for Mutu though was a potential place in history with the forward claiming he could "easily" have landed the Ballon d'Or. He broke the 20-goal mark for Parma before moving to Chelsea, where he began in sensational form, but individual accolades ultimately eluded him.
Adrian Mutu admits he could've landed huge honours had his career gone differently
Adrian Mutu admits he could've landed huge honours had his career gone differently
“I’ve reflected on that many times," said Mutu on his Ballon d'Or hopes. "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 his spell in England ended Mutu headed back to Italy, initially with Juventus and then Fiorentina. It was in Florence that the Romanian recaptured his goalscoring form, hitting 55 goals in his first three seasons with the club. Mutu also finished his career as the joint highest goalscorer in Romania's history.
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