Marseille fans raise 1.5m euros for Drogba, only 26m to go

Marseille fans have raised almost 1.5 million euros in a bold bid to lure prodigal striker Didier Drogba back to the Mediterranean, according to the website handling donations on Monday.

The fans may still be way off the target of 28 million euros – with 20,673 people raising 1,451,047 euros (as of Monday) – but they were confident enough to claim: “Together we can do it”, according to www.Didier-revient.com.

The affair, nicknamed “Drogbathon”, brought a wry smile to the French club's president Pape Diouf, as it emerged the donation website had crashed on Sunday after encountering traffic problems.

“I'm surprised and amused. It shows the true passion of our supporters,” he told the newspaper La Provence.

Diouf then gave the fans a dose of reality, saying that if they reached the projected target there would still be the small – or perhaps big – matter of the Ivory Coast international's weekly wage.

“I know what Drogba earns at Chelsea!” he joked.

Drogba has recently been linked to a host of top European sides such as Barcelona and both Milan clubs, even though new Chelsea coach Luiz Felipe Scolari insists the striker is part of his future plans.

The 30-year-old scored 18 goals in 35 appearances during the explosive 2003-04 season with Marseille to earn legendary status, before leaving for Stamford Bridge the following season.