The former Chelsea striker withdrew himself from selection for Sunday’s 2-2 draw at Stade Saputo after learning he would not be in the starting XI.
After Didier Drogba was missing from the Montreal Impact’s matchday squad for Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Toronto FC, reports soon began to spread that the former Chelsea striker’s absence was due to a dispute with the club.
Those rumours were ultimately confirmed following the game at Stade Saputo, with Impact head coach Mauro Biello telling MLSSoccer.com that the 38-year-old Ivorian had refused to be named on the bench after being informed he would not be starting.
“Didier was not selected to start the game,” Biello said. “I spoke with him yesterday [Saturday]. He did not accept to come off the bench. In the end he did not want to be in the 18. He said that he did not accept the fact that he was coming off the bench.
“I analyzed everything, and I made a decision to give my team the best chance to win. That’s what was behind my decision.”
Drogba, who joined the Impact on a free transfer in the summer of 2015 after leaving Chelsea, has scored 10 goals in 22 MLS appearances for the Canadian club this season but had started the previous two games on the bench due to the encouraging form of fellow front man Matteo Mancosu.
The team had been on a four-match winless run prior to his benching, putting their playoff hopes in the balance, but subsequent victories over the San Jose Earthquakes and Orlando City SC meant that Sunday’s draw with Toronto was enough to clinch a spot in the postseason for a second straight year.
It was initially announced that Drogba was forced to sit out the game because of a stiff back, but Biello acknowledged afterwards that he had been fit enough to face their Eastern Conference rivals.
“There was tightness in his back, yes, but he was capable of playing,” the Montreal boss added to MLSSoccer.com. “The organization will have to handle this. There needs to be respect between the club and its players. It’s a shame this happened before such a crucial game.
“If you see the performance by Matteo, I decided to give a different look to the team, to add a little bit of an edge up front, the ability to transition more quickly. For me, this is the decision. He puts a little more pressure on the back line. To bring Didier off the bench is an excellent tool to have.”
Sunday’s events have unsurprisingly led to suggestions that Drogba has played his last game for the Impact. The Chelsea legend’s contract is set to expire at the end of the 2016 campaign and recent reports have already linked him with a potential move to Serie A side Napoli this coming winter [h/t Sport].
However, with the club now preparing for next Sunday’s final regular season game at the New England Revolution before the playoffs get underway, Biello believes there is still a chance the veteran forward could return to the side.
“I need him,” the former Canadian international told MLSSoccer.com. “Coming off the bench, he can help this team. He has to help this team, not the other way around.”
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