Didier Drogba finally fulfilled a 10-year debt to Kylian Mbappe on Monday night by taking a selfie with the PSG striker at the Ballon d’Or awards.
The Chelsea legend revealed that he denied a then 10-year-old Mbappe a picture after a Champions League semi-final with Barcelona in 2009.
But Drogba refused, as he was incensed with referee Tom Henning Ovrebo’s performance as the Blues were knocked out by a last minute Andres Iniesta goal.
Didier Drogba finally fulfilled a 10-year debt to Kylian Mbappe on Monday night
Drogba took a selfie with Mbappe after refusing him a picture together back in 2009
Drogba poses with Mbappe and his co-host for the Ballon d’Or ceremony, Sandy Heribert
Drogba, hosting the 2019 awards show, said on stage: ‘Ten years ago after a match, a child came to me and wanted to take a picture.
‘That day I said no because of the result [and the refereeing]. I learned that the child was Kylian Mbappe. I want to pay my debt now.’
He then proceeded to ask the entire audience to stand and get in the back of a selfie, in a similar manner to American TV host Ellen DeGeneres’ famous selfie from the 2014 Oscars.
As Drogba stands alongside Mbappe and co-host Sandy Heribert, a host of world stars can be seen in the crowd behind.
Mbappe spent a trial spell at Chelsea when he was a child before joining Monaco’s academy
Virgil van Dijk stood between Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann in the front row. Robert Lewandowski and Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson could also be seen towards the left of the picture.
Mbappe was on trial at Chelsea when he was a child and still owns a shirt from his time at Stamford Bridge with ‘KYLIAN 10’ on the back.
‘I was still young back then, maybe 10 or 11,’ Mbappe told FourFourTwo. ‘I went to London and spent just under a week over there. I trained at Chelsea and we played a friendly match against Charlton Athletic.
‘We won 6-0 or 7-0. I played upfront, but I don’t think I scored. It was great – it was my first experience abroad and a chance for me to see what the game was like in England.’
Drogba refused Mbappe a picture because he was furious with referee Tom Henning Ovrebo
Drogba confronted Ovrebo on the pitch after the final whistle as Chelsea were knocked out
Drogba recreated the famous image from that Champions League semi-final on stage
The game Drogba referred to saw the Ivorian angrily confront referee Ovrebo after the final whistle as Chelsea were knocked out in the second leg on away goals.
Ovrebo was sent death threats after turning down four penalty appeals by Chelsea before Iniesta’s stunning late goal knocked them out and sent Pep Guardiola on the way to his first Champions League title.
‘It was not my best day, really,’ Ovrebo told Spanish newspaper Marca last year. ‘But those mistakes can be committed by a referee, and sometimes a player or a coach.
‘Some days you are not at the level you should be. But no, I can’t be proud of that performance.’
