You can bet Roberto Mancini knew Didier Drogba’s name before he was appointed manager of Galatasaray.
If he didn’t, the Italian certainly does now, after the Ivorian icon’s star turn for the Turkish giants against Juventus last night.
It was a difficult match for Mancini to make his managerial debut in, against the star-studded Italian champions.
Fortunately for him, The Old Lady still seem incapable of sweeping aside all before them in Europe like they have done in Italy for two seasons in a row.
And also fortunately, as a Serie A winning coach at Inter Milan, Mancini knows what it takes to dismantle Italian opposition.
And now he will take the time to get to know the names of the players who made his first match in charge of Gala an occasion to remember.
"At the moment, I don't even know the names of my players," Mancini quipped last night.
"I couldn't do much in two days apart from giving some logic to the team. Now I need to get to know them."
The first player Mancini should sit down with to discuss the way forward is 35-year-old striker Drogba, who is becoming the kind of talisman for Gala like he was at all of his previous clubs too.
The African superstar scored his team’s first goal to give Juve the jitters, and was on hand to make the late equaliser.
And Mancini was suitably impressed by the charging Elephant’s exploits.
"Drogba has been incredible," he said.
"I didn't expect a performance like that. He played alone in attack, in the home of Juventus; extraordinary."
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