Didier Drogba revealed in his autobiography that the Chelsea locker room burst into laughter when manager Roberto Di Matteo displayed Leo Messi’s staggering 63-goal tally ahead of their 2012 UEFA Champions League semifinal.

Roberto Di Matteo Displayed the Barcelona Scoring Charts in 2012

Before facing Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona side, Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo ran through his standard tactical routine of displaying opposing goal tallies. The usual briefing featured marquee strikers with high single-season totals, such as Robin van Persie sitting at 15 goals and Wayne Rooney at 22.

The scannable list transformed entirely when the tactical screen switched to Barcelona’s squad metrics. Xavi occupied third place on the chart with 14 goals, while Cesc Fàbregas and Alexis Sanchez sat tied in second with 15 goals each. At the summit stood Leo Messi, holding a 63-goal total for the campaign.

Didier Drogba Photographed the Stat Sheet as Proof of the Impossible

The sheer disparity between Messi and his peers left the Stamford Bridge squad in disbelief. Drogba explained that the figures looked so absurd that the Chelsea players simply looked at each other and started laughing because no alternative reaction felt appropriate.

“¿63 goles aquella temporada? Era una cifra tan ridícula que nos miramos unos a otros sin poder creérnoslo y empezamos a reír,” Drogba wrote in his memoir. The former striker admitted that the numbers felt like a genuine madness, prompting him to take a photograph of the screen to preserve the moment.

Leo Messi Reached Record Heights Before the Semifinal Collision

The statistical milestone proved to be a mere checkpoint during an astonishing individual year for the Argentine forward. Messi finished the season with 73 official goals for Barcelona, including 50 in the Liga, setting a record in the Spanish championship. He later pushed his total to 91 goals across club and international duty during the 2012 calendar year, surpassing the previous mark of Gerd Müller.

Despite those monumental numbers, Chelsea managed to blunt Messi’s impact across the two-legged European tie. Di Matteo’s side claimed a 1–0 victory in the first leg at Stamford Bridge courtesy of a Drogba strike, then survived a return fixture at Camp Nou.

Chelsea Survived Camp Nou and Claimed the Champions League Title

The return leg in Barcelona tested Chelsea’s defensive resolve. Barcelona raced to a 2–0 lead on the night through Sergio Busquets and Andrés Iniesta, while Chelsea player John Terry received a red card, leaving the visitors with 10 men. Ramires pulled a goal back before the interval and Fernando Torres sealed the result by scoring in stoppage time to make it 2–2.

Messi hit the crossbar with a crucial penalty kick during the match, finishing the European campaign with the exact total of 14 goals that had stunned the Chelsea dressing room.

Chelsea advanced to the Munich final, where they defeated Bayern Munich on penalties to lift the Champions League trophy, with Drogba converting the decisive spot-kick.