Didier Drogba Is The First Footballer To Play In A Club He Owns

Aside from the fact that he scored more goals at Chelsea than any other foreign player, there are one million other reasons why we love Didier Drogba. Now, after a flawless 18-month stay at Montreal Impact in Canada, the Ivorian striker has given us another reason to keep falling in love with him: He has joined American club, Phoenix Rising FC, as a player and co-owner.

We’ve heard of player-managers, but, by this arrangement, Drogba has become football’s first player-owner He turned down offers from big clubs in
England, China, Brazil, and Mexico. His reason for not going back to England is that he couldn’t play for any other club there except Chelsea. Such loyalty to the Blues...

Well, by joining Phoenix Rising FC, he hopes to build on Americans’ growing interest in football and to guide the club into America’s Major League Soccer by 2020. Mirror UK reports that he said:

“I don’t think there’s been another player and co-owner, but this shows you how things are changing, how the league is changing and how football is becoming attractive. And I’m really happy to have chosen this.”

Of course, we don’t think that a footballer could make such a business/career decision alone. Russian football entrepreneur, Roman Abramovich, is in the picture. Drogba revealed he spoke many times with Abramovich, and the billionaire is supportive.

While we’re excited about all this, we hope the business doesn’t cover his shining football career.