Former Chelsea striker Adrian Mutu confesses drugs killed his Ballon d'Or dream

Former Chelsea striker Adrian Mutu has confessed in an interview how taking drugs during his playing days killed his Ballon d’Or dreams.

The Romania striker arrived from Parma in the 2003/04 season in England, with Jose Mourinho in charge arriving a year later.

His career then took a swift downturn after he was banned from football for eight months following a positive test for cocaine.

His career in England ended in disgrace, but today, he feels things could have taken a different turn had he stayed away from cocaine at that time.

In an interview with The Telegraph, Mutu said,

“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.

“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,” said Mutu.

Despite all regret, the 46-year-old remains positive, saying he thinks his talent could have won him football’s most prestigious award – The Ballon d’Or.

‘I’ve reflected on that many times,” he said.

“I believe that for more than a season, I was amongst the best players in the world, so I could have won it (Ballon d’Or) easily.

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

Mutu’s football talent took center stage and was widely recognized when he joined Inter Milan as a 20-year-old in January 2000.

He spent a few years in Hellas Verona and later moved to Parma, where his potential fully developed.

His stand-out performance won him a €10m move, and he delivered, scoring 22 goals in 36 games during the 2002-03 season.

His excellent form brought him a €22.5 million transfer to Chelsea after the Roman Abramovich take-over and a nomination for the Ballon d’Or,

He went on to receive the same number of votes as footballing icons Ronaldinho, Filippo Inzaghi, Jan Koller, and Francesco Toldo. They secured his signature with the hope of rebuilding the team around one of the most sought-after youngsters then.

However, Mutu experienced a dip in form. After scoring four goals in his first three games, he managed just two more goals in the next 22 league appearances.

Despite backing from the new owner, Mutu’s place in the squad became uncertain after reports emerged of off-field concerns regarding his lifestyle and alleged drug use.

Mutu failed a drug test, confirming the club’s worst fears, after reports suggesting a clash between him and Mourinho over suspicions of cocaine use resurfaced.

The consequences were dire – he received a seven-month suspension from football, effectively ending his Chelsea career. His contract was terminated, ending his career in London with disgrace.