Didier Drogba, the Montreal Impact's new soccer star, is packing the stadium already, and it's only a press conference!

Didier Drogba, the Montreal Impact's new soccer star, is packing the stadium already, and it's only a press conference! The July 30th event was open to the public.
Photo Credit: PC / Paul Chiasson

Drogba debut for Montreal Impact, soon

Didier Drogba got a hero’s welcome when he arrived at Trudeau International airport in Montreal last Wednesday. Hundreds of fans and well-wishers cheered and surrounded him. Several members of the city’s Ivory Coast community sang and danced in jubilation.

The 37 year-old striker, formerly with legendary Chelsea United, will now be playing with the Montreal Impact in Major League Soccer. Nick Sabetti, a Montreal soccer writer for Sportsnet and Goal.ca, says Drogba is “adored in Chelsea.” And he said, “I don’t think that there’s been this much excitement and attention for the Impact really ever”.

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“I don’t think that there’s been this much excitement and attention for the Impact really ever”

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Didier Drogba kicks a few balls out to fans as team owner Joey Saputo looks on following a news conference Thursday, July 30, 2015 in Montreal. © PC/Paul Chiasson

In an interview with CBC Sports last week, The Impact president, Joey Saputo, said it was an honour to have one of the top stars of international soccer in his club.

“From the first conversation I had with him, I sensed he really wanted to play in Montreal,” Saputo said. “It’s a great day in the history of the club and his arrival will help us at every level.”

One of his new teammates, Impact defender Laurent Ciman, tweeted: “All class. I can’t wait to work with him.”

Now fans are getting restless. He was not at the team practice yesterday in preparation for tomorrow’s game against the New York Red Bulls at Saputo Stadium.

Drogba is expected back in Montreal today after returning to London, England to take care of some personal matters.  The family is moving to Montreal, and according to Sabetti, this French-speaking city appealled to the francophone native of Ivory Coast, and a bilingual environment for his children was a draw.

“We should expect sell-out crowds until the end of the season”  

Lasr year was a dreadful year for the Impact.  They finished last in the league. They made sweeping changes in the off-season. bringing in 12 new players, and built a solid roster.  Sabetti says they’re in a good position right now, after a difficult start to the season. The Impact are in sixth place in the Eastern Conference, in the last play-off position. He says now they have a chance to go up the standings.

Sabetti says ESPN roported a salary in excess of $4.5 million for an 18-week deal. But already games are selling out with reports of tickets selling at a rate of 2000 a day. Sabetti decsribes Drogba as, “obviously a star for Ivory Coast but also just a star for African soccer in general, one of the great players of African soccer.

There are two other Canadian teams in MLS, the Toronto FC, and the Vancouver Whitecaps. Sabetti says Canadian teams have struggled in the MLS but this year look promising.

Toronto just ahead of The Imapct, with one point advantage, and Vancouver is in first-place in the western conference. “This year we could very well see 3 Canadian teams in the play-offs for the very first time and potentially one or two of them making a strong run, maybe gong all the way so it’s certainly an exciting time for fans of Canadian teams in MLS.”

Drogba, a great scorer provides the Impact with the star power to match recent signings in MLS that include Kaka in Orlando, David Villa and Frank Lampard with New York City and Steven Gerrard with the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Didier Drogba will make an appearance at tomorrow night’s game, and he is expected on the picth sometime in the next two weeks, in an effort to give him the time to get back into in top shape. His last game was on May 24, 2015 with Chelsea.

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