Drogba Still Under Contract With Montreal But Considering Return to Chelsea

Didier Drogba weighs a return to Chelsea. Credit: Reuters

MLS commissioner Don Garber hopes Didier Drogba will complete his contract with Montréal Impact, but he says there is no resolution to the uncertainty surrounding the striker's future yet.

Drogba is currently deciding whether to see out his 18-month contract with the Impact or step away from the game to take a backroom job with Premier League side Chelsea under interim manager Guus Hiddink.

Those talks continue as all parties examine the options available, but Garber reinforced the fact that Drogba remains under contract with MLS and the Impact for the upcoming season.

"There's not much I can update you on," Garber said during the MLS SuperDraft in Baltimore on Thursday. "At this point, he is under contract. The most recent discussions -- as you guys saw on Twitter -- is that he hasn't decided to retire. But it's an ongoing situation. I just don't have an update for you right now. Everybody is entitled to end their career when they are ready to, but he is under contract. We're hopeful that he'll be back in uniform and ready to play."

Garber called Drogba "a great signing" for the Impact and for MLS even he decides to end his spell in the league after one-third of a season. Drogba scored 11 goals in 11 matches and spurred Montréal to the playoffs after signing on a free transfer last summer.

"Didier was just incredibly exciting," Garber said. "He did a lot of great things for the Impact. But, you know, he's [37] years old. If he decides to retire, we'll manage through what that means. He brought some excitement to the league. I'm sure the fans in Montréal will never forget that. If he decides -- with Joey Saputo and the Impact -- that he is going to leave the league, then I'm sure they'll get very focused on bringing in a really exciting player." [Source]