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Biello: Drogba ‘didn’t accept’ place in squad after being named to bench

Photo by Eric Bolte/USA TODAY Sports
Photo by Eric Bolte/USA TODAY Sports

Mauro Biello simply wanted to try something different. Didier Drogba wanted no part of it, and now the Montreal Impact are marching towards the playoffs full of controversy.

The Montreal Impact head coach confirmed reports that Drogba refused to be part of the team’s 18-man roster for Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Toronto FC. Biello said that Drogba was healthy enough to start, but “didn’t accept” a role off the bench.

According to Biello, the idea was to utilize a different look via Matteo Mancosu, who has given the Impact a unique energy whenever he has been named to the lineup. Drogba, meanwhile, was set to be utilized as an “excellent tool” off the bench, holding the ball while providing world class set piece play. However, it was not to be.

“Didier wasn’t selected to start the game,” Biello said, “and I spoke with him yesterday. He didn’t accept the fact to come off the bench and, in the end, he did not want to be in the 18. Yes, there was a little bit of tightness in his back, but he was capable of playing. He didn’t accept the fact that he was coming off the bench.”

The 2-2 draw was enough to seal the Impact’s spot in the playoffs heading towards the final week of the season. The Impact now prepare for a visit to the New England Revolution as the club looks to lock up a home match in the opening round of the postseason.

 

 

Comments

    • I think Biello handled fine. They are better when he’s not on the field anyway.

      I don’t know why anyone thinks this reflects badly on the league – the headlines are filled weekly with drama like this from anywhere in the world. Remember, there is no such thing as bad publicity. Do you think any of Balotelli’s teams are suffering now because he was on their team?

      Reply
  1. BW: You beat me to it, Props to you, Playah.

    Whenever I think of divas who came over here and stole checks and threw shade, Matteus is at the very top of my list.

    He was a prototype DP Diva before the league DP rule became an official mechanism for he league.

    Reply
  2. Bad look for the league.

    This is the same player that decided he’d train away from the club on his own time this summer, with his own physical therapist (not Montreal’s), at a USL club, on his own time table when coming back from an “injury” (quotes for sarcasm) that also conveniently took place after he was speculated to leave the club in the summer transfer window and started the season late. I believe this was also the second window in a row that unrest took place with him considering or wanting to leave (first rumored to go back to Chelsea for a player/coach role, but was denied by Montreal).

    It seems like this is the same scenario with 9/10 DP’s that are mid-30’s or nearing 40. Very rarely is there an exception. When will MLS learn? Mickey Mouse league with this type of allowed nonsense.

    Reply
      • You don’t necessarily need to list other examples here because the fact that one of the oldest players in the league is able to manage the situation however he wants says enough about who’s really in charge of who.

        It’s a bad look for the league 100% to be so cavalier about it and shows that MLS will let big name players do whatever they want simply because they know that they’re relied on to keep the money coming in.

      • I can see where my words may have caused confusion, based on your response: I should clarify, the same scenario isn’t specific to actions identical to Drogba, but rather the failed venture of signing DP’s that fit his age description.

        For instance, when Drogba plays he has produced but at what cost? It’s been another black eye on the league by a player that clearly doesn’t want to be here and our clubs (and commissioner) continue to bend over backwards for. It’s embarrassing to support this league more times than not.

      • The Lampard situation was not good. Though Matthaus may have been the worst (yes I know DPs did not exist in 2000).

        However I think the league will penalize him in some fashion. Just staying optimistic here.

      • One thing that needs to be said is that some of you clearly show your bias by your comments. Drogba acts like a diva and Montreal cuts him slack and it’s “MLS this and MLS that” instead of what should be “Montreal and Drogba this and that”. Is it a bad look for the league? I guess you can say so if you want to lump everyone together. I’ll personally put this on Montreal and Drogba, not on the league as a whole.

      • Agree, Credit to the Montreal coach for standing up to Drogba, too. If the guy isn’t going to be professional and earn his Very Large paycheck – which is ten or twenty times what a lot of the guys who cheerfully accept their places make – then park him, and Biello did.

        It actually strikes me as a misunderstanding of the MLS’s DP system…we will pay the veteran big names big money, yes…but there is also an implicit demand that they earn that money because teams only have three DP slots and they have to get full value for all of them. MLS teams are too competitive – and there is far too much parity between squads – for a squad to be able to accept diva behavior. You HAVE to be a pro’s pro – like, Robbie Keane, even Thierry Henry (though Henry wouldn’t play on turf, that was negotiated beforehand and was an admission he had a bad knee he was trying to keep the miles off of). Regardless, you got cold-eyed professionalism with those guys, and they rewarded their squads with consistent value and leadership in the locker room. (I though sometimes, if anything, Henry was a little too demanding of his teammates…but I’d far rather deal with high standards than indifference.)

        It’s a shame, because I always liked Drogba. On the field, anyhow, he’s always been a force. Hopefully this was some major miscommunication that can be resolved because I’d hate to see him summarily jettisoned when he still does have something to offer. Even at 38, when he played, he was a pure master-class in how to play with his back to goal, and his intelligent movement, skill, finishing, and even his passing remained a cut above.

      • One thing that needs to be said is that some of you clearly show your bias by your comments.

        Bias? On SBI, a soccer blog? Unreal! I owe no impartiality to the topic, league or conversation and I’ve never claimed to do so. We’re not journalists – biased opinions is what everyone provides and anyone believing otherwise takes themselves too seriously.

        Drogba acts like a diva and Montreal cuts him slack and it’s “MLS this and MLS that” instead of what should be “Montreal and Drogba this and that”. Is it a bad look for the league? I guess you can say so if you want to lump everyone together.

        Yea, the single entity does that to the conversation and that collective mentality is propagated by Garber himself. The so-called “Don” of this philosophical movement of signing players nearing AARP status.

      • +1 to you MTF.

        Old School, “Bias? On SBI, a soccer blog? Unreal! I owe no impartiality to the topic, league or conversation and I’ve never claimed to do so. We’re not journalists – biased opinions is what everyone provides and anyone believing otherwise takes themselves too seriously.”

        Did I say that biased opinions are bad or shouldn’t be given? No I didn’t. I simply said that you are showing your bias, and you just agreed with me. The single entity thing isn’t relevant to this topic because each team and each front-office/manager of said team can and will handle their players differently or however they choose to.

      • Did I say that biased opinions are bad or shouldn’t be given? No I didn’t. I simply said that you are showing your bias, and you just agreed with me. The single entity thing isn’t relevant to this topic because each team and each front-office/manager of said team can and will handle their players differently or however they choose to.

        Actually, you didn’t mention “me” at all, instead opting for your usual passive-aggressive posting habits. Indeed, +1 to MTF posting from obscurity with his one post every six months because at least he said directly what he wanted even if he didn’t say anything at all.

        No, I didn’t “agree” with you, I simply confirmed the sky is blue, water is wet, and people post biased opinions on a soccer blog. Really hard hitting observations there, UCLA, and another confirmation why I said we aren’t journalists.

      • “Indeed, +1 to MTF posting from obscurity with his one post every six months because at least he said directly what he wanted even if he didn’t say anything at all.”

        Old School won’t take anyone seriously unless they post comments as frequently as he (she?) does. This is probably the sixth time in the past month that he’s noted my infrequent posts. Since I don’t agree with him that Americans are clamoring for promotion / relegation, he can never accept that my comments could be as relevant or value-added as his. I must say, I do commend him for his wit and consistency in making snarky comments to everyone.

      • Old School: twist it however you want, but you did agree with me. And once again you ignore the point, which was that your anti-MLS bias makes you dump on the league as a whole for any little thing that probably isn’t the league’s fault. If a random individual wearing a Columbus Crew shirt kicked a puppy you’d probably say “MLS and Gather are a disgrace allowing fans like that to exist”.

      • Old School won’t take anyone seriously unless they post comments as frequently as he (she?) does. This is probably the sixth time in the past month that he’s noted my infrequent posts

        Yes, that’s a reality of social interaction.

        While I UCLA routinely disagree on about everything under the sun, I give him credit for routinely contributing and being available to actually continue debates instead of taking random potshots from the sideline that come off as nothing more than trolling. See: “Old School is Exhibit #1 in “taking themselves too seriously.” Until you become someone that regular inserts themselves or takes a stance on an actual topic/opinion, I simply don’t value your insight but it appears you’ve taken great note of mine. That comes from contribution. You’re absent – I am not.

        Old School: twist it however you want, but you did agree with me.

        Again, I’m not denying that. I simply don’t see the relevance because everyone provides biased opinions. If that is the basis for any point its irrelevant because we’re all guilty of it. That’s not an “agreement” so much as it’s an obvious fact.

        And once again you ignore the point, which was that your anti-MLS bias makes you dump on the league as a whole for any little thing that probably isn’t the league’s fault.

        I didn’t ignore the fact, I addressed it – you just didn’t like my response. Don’t “twist” my response to ignore that I did respond to it.

        If a random individual wearing a Columbus Crew shirt kicked a puppy you’d probably say “MLS and Gather are a disgrace allowing fans like that to exist”.

        You’re right. I just may.

      • Old School, just to be clear I don’t have an issue with your anti-MLS bias. There are definitely reasons to be critical. I get accused of being biased against Klinsmann and I respond that Klinsmann has definitely given me reasons to be highly critical of him and be tired of him. But everything is not MLS’ fault just like everything isn’t Klinsmann’s fault. That is all.

      • Fair enough.

        Just to be clear (and I’m assuming like you), I’m not anti-MLS (as you’re not purely anti-Klinsmann). I’m just anti-nonsense and there’s far too much within MLS to not point out.

        I still refer to it as “our league” because I do support it, but sometimes addressing the elephant in the room is not what people are open to. I have no reservation for citing it’s nonsensical on-goings and I think we, soccer fans in the States, are far too accepting of it.

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