Di Santo: "It will be a great showdown"

Reunion of former teammates: Werder’s Franco Di Santo on Sunday will face off against among others John Terry (Photo: getty).
First Team
Friday, 01.08.2014 / 16:13

Exactly 60 seconds. That's how long Franco Di Santo played in his first Premier League appearance for Chelsea. The then 19-year-old was subbed in for Nicolas Anelka in the 89th...

Exactly 60 seconds. That's how long Franco Di Santo played in his first Premier League appearance for Chelsea. The then 19-year-old was subbed in for Nicolas Anelka in the 89th minute and couldn't do anything to change a 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur. On Sunday 3 August at 5 p.m., nearly six years after his first competitive match on European soil, the circle will close. Di Santo will take on his former club from then, FC Chelsea, with his current one SV Werder at Weser Stadium.

To this day, the Argentinean gladly recalls his time with the "Blues" - even though he never made the really big break through there. "When I came to Europe, Chelsea was my first team. For me, it was a great experience, playing in a Champions League semi-final winning the FA Cup. I have a lot of wonderful memories from my time there," looks back Di Santo.

Di Santo will once again on Sunday see the person who helped him a lot with his first steps in England - Didier Drogba. "Didier was very important for me. I learned a lot from him. He is a great personality," said Di Santo. But other than the veterans like Drogba, John Terry and Peter Cech, José Mourinho has really changed the team since Di Santo left for Blackburn Rovers and stopped at Wigan Athletic before making it to SVW. "They have a lot of new faces in their team. As a team, they really haven't come together yet like we have," suspects the Werder striker.

The match against Chelsea will play a central role for Werder. After a tough 2-2 draw against Bilbao, which extended the Green-Whites undefeated streak to eight matches, the London club will be another strong barometer. "For us, the match is very important. It's necessary to compare yourself against big teams like Chelsea so you know where you stand." It will certainly be a great showdown, one which Di Santo is looking to win against his old teammates.

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