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Didier Drogba is indeed leaving Chelsea. After 8 long years of excellent service, Didier would be saying goodbye. He is such a Chelsea legend that his last kick of a football for Chelsea FC made us the European champions.
Chelsea FC Chief Executive Ron Gourlay said:
Didier is undoubtedly a Chelsea legend and will always be part of the Chelsea family. He is certainly leaving on a high after Saturday night but he feels the time is right for a new challenge. Of course Didier has contributed so much to all of Chelsea’s recent successes. He has been a consummate professional during his entire time here and as one of the natural leaders in our squad he has been an inspiration to a lot of our younger players.
We have known for some time that this outcome was likely but Didier and the club only made a final decision on that in the last couple of days, because for obvious reasons neither Didier nor the club wanted to distract focus away from the Champions League Final. The talks were amicable all the way through and we wish him all the best for the future. He is welcome back to Stamford Bridge at any time – either as a player or as a guest of ours.
Didier Drogba thanked Chelsea FC and the Chelsea fans
I wanted to put an end to all the speculation and confirm that I am leaving Chelsea. It has been a very difficult decision for me to make and I am very proud of what we have achieved but the time is right for a new challenge for me.
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.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone at the club especially Roman and my team-mates, many of whom have become very close friends and will be my friends for life. I would also like to say a very special thank you to the Chelsea fans who have shown me so much love and support over the years.
I wish the club all the best and continued success for the future – you will always be in my heart.
Let’s take some time to thank Didier Drogba, the man who was instrumental in every bit of success that Chelsea had in the last 8 years.
[youtube id="etKJm7i0K6I" width="600" height="350"]
I never thought this day would come. He is the GREATEST Chelsea player ever and undoubtedly made the biggest achievement in our Club’s history. We will never forget you Didier, you were always a Legend and will always be a Chelsea hero. Thank you for everything.
The greatest striker to ever wear a chelsea shirt. In fact the greatest chelsea player ever. He was the scariest striker i have ever seen. I really will miss him a lot
Didier drogba we will miss u are a true legend thanx for everything and ur last kick will always be special ur last goal will always be special
I loved the way he terrorozed defence. Especially with his back to goal. His touch was just magnificient. No one will eve be able to replace this super human called DIDIER DROGBA
All I want to say is Bravo Didier! You complitted your mission to chelsea, 8 yrs ago you were brought to chelsea to win the champion’s league that you have done. An achievement not many can get we miss you dearly and wish you well wherever you go. So long my hero so long.
This isn’t really sad to be honest. It’s the perfect way for Didier to leave Chelsea – as a hero and with so much respect and regard from all the supporters for the world-class player and great person that he is. Certainly out greatest ever centre forward. Good luck to him.
@Matt Clark: Not sad for him. This is a great end to his Chelsea career. It’s sad for me. I love him so much. I’ll miss him so it’s sad for me. But pragmatically speaking, his leaving Chelsea is good for both him and Chelsea. I’ll talk more on that tomorrow.
We will miss you Drogs!! You have always shown us what Proper Chels is all about. Best of luck with your new club.
My top 5 Drogba goals – Numbers: 36, 48, 104 & 141 on this youtube video, plus his goal against Spurs in the FA Cup semi this year.
There are only a few out there and the first in Chelsea’s History for whom LEGEND is an understatement. If there is a word close enough to describe him it’s GOD.(*already tears rolling down*)
wow i can believe he is really leaving.., I feel really sad, I lv the guy.. I have a Drogba Shirt.. ( i need to get another too ) . But what better way to do it.. Chelsea will not be the same Chelsea. The man is great for us .. great! i want to see hm back at chelsea in a few years.. in some role.. i heard he said if they call me to cut the grass im there!! have to love him. We are making history.. He said Torres will be the main man now.. wow what hugh shoes to fill. I say give torres the backing..if we try to get Falcao torres will panic.. but if we get Moutinho, Jovetic, Johnson. we could get him back to his best.. we will need a kind of differen striker though.. Jovetic can play there too and sturridge
Gutted. What a player. What a guy. The scary thing is, he’s 34 and still at the top of his game. Genuinely heart broken to see him leave.
Let me tell you guys a small story…
In the summer of 2004, I was still an average Indian bloke for whom sport meant only cricket.. i got into a group of individuals who used to follow football a lot… all Man Utd fans and their arrogance literally threw me off the Man UTD fan radar from the start…. Arsenal were the ruling invincibles.. so i surely didn’t wanna support them coz I always back the underdogs…and Liverpool were never even in contention coz of their fans harping on history and shit… I didn’t know who Roman was and I admit, I didnt know much about Chelsea either. So there I was, a guy who wanted to follow football and wanted to be a fan but did not know to whom he can pledge his allegiance. I was studying engineering. and was stayin in an hostel so coudn’t catch up much of TV and the stupid newspapers uses to pass on the news clippings of Beckham and his haircuts as “football news” regardless of which club he used to play for.
Then came THE day, It was a Sunday. Feb 27, 2005… I was at home watching some carling cup final… incidentally the match wasn’t thr on local cable.. but we had just bought some set top box.. tht used to give Real madrid tv, Barca tv… and some other european football channels on which i could see this match. Thats’ when I saw this one player in the
blue” shirt who caught my eye, not coz of his skill or anything.. bt his sheer presence, movement and the way he was bulldozing the defence with every chance he got. He was a Fcuking menace for L’pool. That match being one of few ones I had seen on full length, I just wanted the blue team to win, just coz of this one man. This man was Drogba!!! I was so elated that they won the Carling cup. I hardly knew the difference between a Carling cup and a EPL cup then. But i was just happy that the “blue” team won and it won coz it had a guy called “Drogba”.
I graduated in the summer of 2005 so I came back home, and I made it a priority to watch all the matches of the “blue” team on every Saturday and Sunday. Since then I have been a fan of this wonderful team, of this wonderful Center Forward that is Drogba. He has been much more than a legend for me. His on the pitch work of scoring 9 goals in 9 cup finals. His off the pitch work of requesting for peace and cease-fire to Ivory Coast rebels and much more, has made him one of the most respectable iconic personalities in my life.
I thank him for everything that he has done for my beloved club and wish him the best of luck for everything in life.
KTBFFH.. hail Drogba!!!
BTW… my all time favorite Drogba goals are
For brilliance – The one he scored against liverpool… took the pass with the back to the goal.. bounced of the ball to his left.. and a spectacular volley into the goal with his left foot… after he had turned 180 degrees… the best part was Mourinho’s reaction aft this goal….
For importance and timing… Header against Bayern in the 88th minute of UCL final… in my opinon it is by far the most important goal in Chelsea’s history, a close second would be Ramires’ chip in Nou Camp in UCL SF.
All Hail Drogba!!!!!……. KTBFFH!!!! .. Its truly the end of an era!!!