Drogba announces Montreal Impact exit

Didier Drogba has announced he will leave Montreal Impact at the end of the season in the wake of his side’s 3-2 win over Toronto FC in their Eastern Conference Championship first leg on Tuesday.

The 38-year-old joined Impact in July 2015 after a second spell with Chelsea and guided them to the Eastern Conference semi-finals for the first time in the club’s history in his maiden season.

He then appeared to be on his way back to Chelsea in a coaching role, but eventually elected to stay for a second campaign with Montreal.

Drogba is now on his way out of the club after all, though, with the Ivorian confirming he will leave once the MLS season reaches its conclusion.

Merci Didier #IMFC pic.twitter.com/pKJHlEOLc3

— Impact de Montréal (@impactmontreal) November 23, 2016

“My contract ends at the end of the season and I will not be returning,” Drogba told reporters.

“I want to end things well, out of respect for everything the people here, the city, have given me.

“I had one-and-a-half years of good emotions. I think we made history. When I came I here for the first time, last season we played against Columbus [Crew] in the semi-final and this year we are in the conference final, so it is a good progress.

“I am quite happy with the way things are going and I think I kind of reached the target, but there is still more work to do. There are still 90 minutes to play and a lot of things will happen in those 90 minutes. I hope we are going to be happy by the end of it. I was disappointed with the result, but we will do everything to qualify to the final. I do not think the adventure will end in Toronto.”