Montreal Impact striker Didier Drogba announced that he was hanging up his boots today (or we thought he did).
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
The Ivorian hitman made his name in Ligue 1 playing with Le Mans, Guingamp, and Marseille, rose to fame with Chelsea FC, and closed out his career with spells with Shanghai Shenhua, Galatasaray, and the Impact. The 37-year-old is rumored to be returning to Chelsea in a coaching capacity on Guus Hiddink’s staff. He was seen with owner Roman Abramovich during Hiddink’s opening match at Stamford Bridge. But Drogba’s best moments came on the field and in tribute to his famous #11 jersey we take a look at the Top 11 moments from Drogba. #11 – Drogba’s First Goal for Chelsea – Drogba showed his power when he opened his Chelsea account jumping over 2 Crystal Palace players to blast home a header in 2004. #10 – Drogba’s 30-Yard Blast – It may have only been a pre-season friendly in the World Football Challenge but this 30-yard blast is impressive at any point of the year. #9 – Jose Mourinho’s Slide – Drogba is not the only one who can pull off the post goal slide. Manager Jose Mourinho took to his knees after Drogba scored against Barcelona in the UEFA Champions League.
#8 – Drogba Impact Hat Trick – What better way to mark your territory than scoring in hat-trick in your first start for a new team and that is exactly what Drogba did for the Montreal Impact. The goals helped the Impact to a 4-3 win over the Chicago Fire. #7 – Backheel vs Real Madrid – Drogba was honing his skills at the backheel goal long before coming to MLS (See #3) with this fine backheel finish against Real Madrid while he was playing with Galatasaray. #6 – Drogba Sinks United – After a somewhat dull 90 minutes, Drogba scored this spectacular goal to help Chelsea win the 2007 FA Cup with a 1-0 win over Manchester United. #5 – Gunning for the Gunners – Drogba ended his career scoring 15 goals in 15 games against Arsenal with Chelsea and Galatasaray. #4 – Drogba Carried Off Field – Drogba played 2-stints in the Chelsea shirt. He made 226 appearances and scored 100 goals from 2004 until 2012 and then played 2014-15 with 28 appearances and 4 goals. He was carried off the field by his teammate in his last game when he was substituted off in the 29th minute of the match against Sunderland.
#3 – Drogba’s Impact – Drogba joined the Montreal Impact in July and made 11 appearances with the Canada based MLS club. He made a huge impact scoring 11 goals in his stint and was the best summer signing to join the league. He had some great games and goals but none compare to his 2 backheel goals in the Impacts 2-1 win over Toronto FC.
#2 – UEFA Champions League 2012 Winning PK – Drogba felt no pressure (or did not let) on when he stepped up and converted the winning penalty against Bayern Munich in the 2012 UEFA Champions League final. It is hard to imagine missing did not cross his mind as teammate John Terry had missed the final PK in the Blues previous UEFA Champions League final appearance in 2008. History did not repeat itself in Munich.
#1 – UEFA Champions League 2012 Final Equalizer – Chelsea appeared to be on their way to a runners-up finish in the 2012 UEFA Champions League final when Bayern Munich, playing on their home field at Allianz Arena, grabbed a late goal ahead goal in the 83rd minute. But the always clutch Drogba had different ideas heading home the equalizer 2 minutes from full time to send the game to extra time and ultimately penalty kicks.
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