Didier Drogba’s plans to become a coach and Guus Hiddink’s desire to have him at Chelsea were simply too heavy a combination for Major League Soccer, according to a report from L’Equipe.
Drogba Tweeted that nothing is official, but the report says the Ivorian striker is retiring from playing in order to join Hiddink’s staff at his beloved Chelsea, ending weeks of speculation on the future of the Blues’ legend.
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Drogba lit MLS on fire this year with a goal-a-game record helping Montreal into the playoffs. He appeared set to build on that, but Jose Mourinho’s sacking and Hiddink’s admiration of Drogba hit fast-forward on the fast forward’s plans.
The Impact have been fighting the rumors since they arrived, but reports also say they’ve been actively seeking an alternative at striker.
And Drogba isn’t ready to throw in the towel, at least publicly.Lovely to receive these messages but I have not yet announced my retirement & am still in discussion with @impactmontreal about my future.
— Didier Drogba (@didierdrogba) January 6, 2016
It’s a shame for MLS if he goes, while at the same time it’s impossible not to see his sojourn to Quebec as anything but a success. Short-term moves like that usually signal failure, but Drogba was lightning in a bottle and we loved every minute of it.
And if he sticks around, or goes to Chelsea until the end of the Premier League season and then returns to Montreal? That’s fine with us, too (provided Montreal gets proper compensation).