Didier Drogba, the Ivory Coast striker, has hung his boot as he put an end to his impressive football career.
Drogba, a former Chelsea legend, decided to retire from the sport after his club, Phoenix Rising, which he part-owned lost to Louisville City in the USL Cup final, the final of US football’s second tier.
Berke Bakay, the co-owner of the club commended Drogba for his “amazing contributions to the beautiful sport” after Friday’s loss.
The 40-year-old Drogba scored a goal in each of the club’s three play-off matches en route to their first ever USL Cup final.
“You have laid the foundation of something really special that we are all going to enjoy for many years to come,” tweeted Bakay.
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.”
He scored 65 goals in 104 appearances for the Ivory Coast and was named African Footballer of the Year twice.
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.
He has also featured for Shanghai Shenhua of China and Turkish side Galatasaray, where he won the Super Lig and Turkish Cup, Drogba returned to the Blues for the 2014-15 season, scoring seven goals in 40 appearances and helping Jose Mourinho’s side to the title.
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
