MONTREAL—The Montreal Impact likely never saw as many members of the media after a pre-season practice session as it did on Thursday, when well over 30 journalists and camera crew waited around for Didier Drogba to finally shed some light on his situation.
It was hardy a surprise that so many turned out to hear him speak. It was the first time that Drogba addressed the Montreal media following a long off-season saga that had the 37-year-old supposedly calling it quits on his playing career and returning to his beloved Chelsea as an assistant coach.
Up until the point that it became clear Drogba would return to Montreal to honour the last year of his contract, it was a chaotic winter for the Impact. The prospect of losing Drogba was a devastating one. While members of the Impact’s technical staff scurried off to different parts of the globe to find a potential replacement, local fans spent the off-season in a state of angst, many even going so far as to call the Montreal’s main office demanding a refund on their season tickets should Drogba not return.
But to only listen to Drogba give his account of things, one would be inclined to believe that much ado was being made out of nothing.
Is he happy to be back? One would assume that he would rather be in London leading his old team, but he claims that isn’t the case.
“Believe me, if I wanted to be with Chelsea, I would be with Chelsea,” he said.
Is he fully committed to the Impact’s cause? Given the fact that he’s gone to great lengths to avoid the media, that he spent half of pre-season camp training on his own in Qatar, and that he’s not willing to train or play on turf to start the 2016 Major League Soccer season, its not unreasonable to question his commitment. But again, he insists that he is.
Will he actually stay for the entire year? This question was first asked to club president Joey Saputo a few weeks ago and he couldn’t give a definitive answer. It was asked again on Thursday to technical director Adam Braz, and he responded that you’d have to ask Didier. After finally asking him, Drogba gave a not very convincing answer of “yeah, yeah, yeah.” If it was difficult to force his way out in January, it should be easier for Drogba to do so in the summer, which would certainly be an ideal time to join Chelsea’s staff—in time to help prepare the Blues’ pre-season.
All of these questions are important because how far the Impact will go this year in MLS will depend on how far Drogba is able to take them.
Following his arrival in MLS last summer, Drogba was sensational. He brought energy and zeal to a despondent Montreal locker room that was suffering its worst slump of the season and was beginning to slide in the standings. He scored goals for a team whose goal scoring had dried up—11 in his first 11 appearances.
His influence off the field was phenomenal as well. Montreal media gave the team the most attention it has ever enjoyed. Stade Saputo was consistently sold out for the first time in two years.
In the regular season standings, the Impact surged from sixth to third. In the playoffs, they blew past Toronto FC in the opening round. But in the second round, against the Columbus Crew, Drogba’s goal scoring came to a halt, and the Impact were eliminated.
It’s not to say that without Drogba the Impact are a bad team. Coach Mauro Biello is back in charge after a promising interim spell at the end of last season. Laurent Ciman, the reigning MLS defender of the year, will marshal the back line, and designated player Ignacio Piatti is a regular attacking menace on the left-hand flank. Even without the Drogba, Montreal would still likely be in contention for a playoff spot, especially given the fact that the Eastern Conference still remains quite feeble.
But if Drogba can play at the same level this season as he did last year, and if the Impact can add an important piece or two during the summer window to invigorate central midfield, than they will be a definite force.
Whether or not Drogba really wants to give his utmost is, for now, difficult to ascertain.
At one point during Thursday’s scrum, he took issue with a reporter, who he accused of trying to deliberately paint a negative portrait of him. But after a sensational start to life in Montreal, if Drogba is now viewed in a different light, with some degree of misgiving, the fault is entirely his own.
As soon as he goes back to doing what he does best all will be well again, for the Montreal Impact most of all.
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