Didier Drogba retires from football

Former Chelsea and Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba, who is now 40 years old, has ended his glittering football career.

Drogba, now 40 years old, decided to hang his boots after his team, Phoenix Rising, which he part-owned lost to Louisville City in the USL Cup final.

It was the final of U.S. football’s second tier.

According to BBC Sport, co-owner of Rising, Berke Bakay thanked Drogba for his “amazing contributions to the beautiful sport” after Friday’s loss.

Drogba scored a goal in each of the club’s three play-off matches en route to their first ever USL Cup final.

Before the final, Bakay told BBC World Service that Drogba would be moving into the boardroom after retires.
Writing on the Phoenix Rising website last month, Drogba had said:

I joke with people that they need to give me the cup, so I can retire in peace. And that if I don’t get it, I’ll come back. But the truth is, this is my last season.

Drogba scored 157 goals in 341 appearances during his first spell at Chelsea from 2004 to 2012, winning three Premier League titles and the Champions League.

Drogba’s stats:
1x Champions League
4x Premier League
4x FA Cup
3x League Cup
2x Community Shield
2x PL Golden Boot
1x Süper Lig
1x Turkish Cup
2x African POTY