Didier Drogba will forever be remembered by Chelsea fans for his heroic performance which helped the club lift their first UEFA Champions League trophy, especially since it will be his final contribution for the team.
The 34-year-old Drogba confirmed that he will leave the club when his contract expires next month. Drogba has not said where his next destination will be, but he has been heavily linked to joining former Chelsea forward Nicolas Anelka at Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua.
The Ivory Coast international is coming off a big performance in the Champions League final. Drogba saved Chelsea from defeat minutes before the end of regulation with a thunderous header, and he also converted the winning spot kick in the ensuing penalty shootout to give Chelsea European glory.
"I wanted to put an end to all the speculation and confirm that I am leaving Chelsea," Drogba said in a statement on Tuesday. "It has been a very difficult decision for me to make, but I am very proud of what we have achieved. As a team we have accomplished so much, and have won every single trophy possible. Saturday was a very special moment for everyone at the club and for all the fans, and I am very proud to have played my part in bringing many trophies to this club which has been my home for the last eight years."
What do you think of Drogba leaving Chelsea? How will you look back on his time with the club? Would you like to see an MLS team make a run for him? Whom do you think Chelsea should go after to replace him? Disappointed he won't be taking part in the MLS All-Star Game?
Share your thoughts below.
First of all, “Huns” usually describe a northern person, but since like most PSG fans you seem to have your head up your head up your *** it’s understandable why you would think north is south.
Droit au but!
no, hopper is right, you are inferring that because he had an awful season that he’s somehow damaged good. therefore the obligatory snarky retort (i.e. “Mike you’re smoking crack”) is one I’m gonna +1.
Sorry I’m sure you’ve very nice for a crack smoker. But there are about 100 clubs worldwide that would sell the store to have a season with Drogba on their squad, not just to sell tickets, but to win games. Same goes for Torres, who had a “terrible season” but also took part in some of the most important offensive momets for the club this season.
Sadly I think it’s a matter of playing for the highest bidder. I would not be surprised if an “acceptable offer” from an MLS club would make his salary would pretty much equal the rest of the roster combined. Unlike Beckham (the Beckham name is a brand that transcends soccer) there are only so many sponsorships and tie-ins he could be offered to sweeten the pot and I don’t know how interested he’s be in owning a stake in a future MLS expansion club. The only thing an MLS club could offer Drogba is cash, and that’s something Qatari and Chinese and former Soviet Republic teams have in greater quantity. It stinks when soccer is a business, because I think he could do a lot to grow the sport in the USA.
Agreed that he was most important.
But, you said he was the “single player” responsible for the CL title.
Maybe I’m splitting hairs, but others were VERY important (read: not Terry). 🙂
Lampard and Terry are elderly (in soccer terms) too. But nobody is talking about getting rid of them. If you need to clear out dead wood to make room for new players, fine. But there is PLENTY of dead wood around Chlesea that should go before Drogba. Starting with Torres, and moving on to Malouda, Essien (much as I’ve loved him over the years), Mata (who has really tailed off), Kalou, Bosingwa, etc.
Drogba Come to the MLS!!!
You used the word “woeful” to describe Drogba, and I’m the one who’s rude, condescending and incorrect?
He was also injured a lot this past season, so I’m not exactly sure how much you’ve been paying attention anyway.
Maybe your powers of observation are woeful.
haha of course. it was obvious when he signed that he would regret that decision.
How about this line-up if Drogba were to go to the Earthquakes (No Dp’s now)
Drogba/Wondo (Subs: Lenhart/Gordon)
Dawkins/Baca/Cronin/Chavez (subs: Moreno/Salinas/Garza)
Corrales/Morrow/Bernardez/Beitashour (subs: Opara/Hernandez)
Not saying it would happen, but it would be fun to watch
Cool!
thanks for the story, looked it up. Does not sound good there! Id say that the odds have to be good for MLS, assuming they want to make the move.
Philly would be a good destination if they have the money.
I agree he was crucial to the CL title for obvious reasons, but he’s 34 and there is no way they can sustain another run like that for another season without quite a few new players. I’m sure Chelsea are looking for a world class striker and Drogba knows he can’t play all the time. Plus, he just won the CL and therefore can leave Chelsea having one everything there is to win…
I don’t know, I’m fairly certain he could agreed something with Chelsea, but I would wager him saying he’s leaving Chelsea is a fact, I don’t think he’d say it and then change his mind…
Google Anelka and check out how he feels about China; as of today he is threatening to leave. Money can make you happy for a time, but it will not last.
Also, I know that we want Didier’s focus to be on the game when he comes, but what better place to get on a human rights platform than the US if you arent going to stick around Europe. I dont mean to say this is the end all be all, but America does offer a lot of visability beyond the pitch for someone of his stature and someone like him who feels so strongly about human rights in his homeland.
Also, I must note, I am a Union fan and thus this may be me convincing myself he should come to the US, regardless of how remote the changes are that we will finally use our stockpile of allocation $ to finance his acquisition.
Malaga should try to sign Drogba and Nesta fot their Champions league run next season.
He’d do great in the MLS…teaching the kids how to dive 😉
i just hope he comes to MLS. China would be a complete waste unless he only cares about money. Anelka wants him there because he regrets his decision! haha
…its the only acceptable explanation for the Nowak lunacy.
Henry vs Drogba 3 times a year would be great for the local rivalry and MLS.
even after you correct yourself, you’re still incorrect. it took him a while to get going, but that’s more because he was coming off the bench early on as AVB was starting Torres purely because he was so expensive, not because he deserved it. Drogba would come off the bench and brought the team back to life and often scored a goal. he then showed against Barcelona that he is the prototype for a target striker, and finished off with an incredible performance to win the CL. sounds like a pretty damn good season
i am usually anti-old DP’s but personally i think just about any MLS squad should, if they can, throw Beckham money at Drogba! The guy is still a beast and would kick @ss in the physical/fast paced MLS.
Also he has to be about as Marketable as any player in the world, especially after his last game.
I really hope someone puts up the cash, it would be worth it!
Dude, this is chosing among your children. Yes Cech is important. But, man, Drogba scored Chelsea’s only goal on Saturday. He scored what ended up to be the game winning goal against Liverpool in the FA Cup final. And he scored the only goal in the home leg against Barca. He is the single most important player in winning that silverware.
…so he can get him into the club house, realize that he’s speaks up in class, then trade him to Toronto for Reggie Lambe and something to be named later.
You’re a very rude and condescending person who is loud and incorrect.
I said, “he finished strong,” indicating that he came up big at the end of the season.
But his regular season form was pretty awful.
It would be nice to see him in the MLS, BUT I think he’ll go to China. Which sucks because he will disappear just like Anelka did.
If Sounders lose Montero in the summer transfer window, we’ll accept Drogba as a suitable replacement:)
Remember that Drogba fouled Ribery in extra time to give Bayern a penalty. Cech should be lauded almost as much as Drogba.
Oh, and Cech had nothing to do with it, right?
al17…. he wasn’t talking to you. he was telling timmytwoshoezzz that he would play in China if he got paid like that.
He would definitely help with their goal-scoring woes……
NY redbull arena is natural grass. Wayne Rooney said it was the best pitch he played on in the US
LMAO!!!!
So he can bench him.
Ha, Ha
NEW YORK RED BULLS
Oh like hell we would. I’m not joking in any way but he definitely wouldn’t dream of speaking to PSG. Besides, talks with Eto’O have been ongoing for a bit and he could be there along with Kaka by summer’s end.
I see Drogba getting this sorted out and staying at Chelsea.
Mike, you’re smoking crack. Drogba is still an elite player. He just proved it two days ago. Any club would want a player like him. He’s always money in the big games.
Clearly this is why NYRB just traded Agudelo for allocation money.
yes, yes you would.
Not in a BAZILLION YEARS do we want him for PSG and it’s mutual. He would quit playing before signing for PSG and anyone high in the club actually considering it would be forced to leave France for Safety reasons.
You do realize that he played for the huns known as Marseille (OM). He hates PSG and it’s mutual.
There are many things in the back office, budgets, wages, future plans, contracts.. not everything has to do with current form.
NYRB could easily.. But, A great bowler wouldn’t want to bowl on gravel, so why would a footballer want to ball on plastic? No high calibre star would ever play on turf.. jussayin
AAAAARRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!
Dumbest. Move. Ever.
He was the best player on the field on Saturday. Why on earth would Chelsea let him go? This is moronic. Who do they think is so special they are going to get to replace him? He doesn’t need to start every game – midweek matches against Sunderland he can ride the pine. But for crying out loud, he’s the single player responsible for a Champions League title.
Adrain, you’re up for a vote..
work it
I would LOVE to see him in a Revs kit but I doubt anyone in MLS would be willing to pay him what he wants/deserves.
Woeful? He is certainly not the player he used to be, but he did score some of the biggest goals in the club’s history. I don’t think you can call this a woeful season for him…
If you want to play in highly polluted air, why not go to LA (besides not having DPs)?
Clearly this is why Nowak & Co. are hoarding up all that allocation money.
Clearly …
:rolleyes:
Drogba is a beast. I would think there would be a number of Champions League teams that would jump at the chance to sign him. I would love to see him in MLS, but I think he could be a starter for a top team in Europe for another 1-2 years.
I wouldn’t play in the polluted cesspool of Beijing or Shanghai if they paid me 300,000 pounds a week. I’m thinking PSG or Juventus
Evidently Karma has run over Drogba.
He finished strong, but he had a woeful season and he is old. Also, I’ve heard that the club took some real backlash from his antics on the pitch which created some animosity.
What happened with the Drogba to MLS talk? Is that still legit? Would love to see him in the league.