Jan 22, 2016
Drogba: An absence of accountability
As a now entrenched vagueness surrounds - the old adage, ‘no news is good news’ does not appear to be holding very much water in regards to Didier Drogba’s future. Added to this, the Montreal Impact breaking bread for their pre-season training camp is upon us. With player medicals slated to commence on Saturday.
By Noel Butler
As a now entrenched vagueness surrounds - the old adage, ‘no news is good news’ does not appear to be holding very much water in regards to Didier Drogba’s future. Added to this, the Montreal Impact breaking bread for their pre-season training camp is upon us. With player medicals slated to commence on Saturday the 23rd.
Speaking to the extreme delicacy of all right now, the last we officially heard anything regarding was well over a week ago. When after keeping quiet on the affair for the best part of a month MLS commissioner Don Garber finally went on the record at the SuperDraft.
On the one hand in Baltimore, January 15 Garber expressed the hope echoed by just everyone in Major League Soccer, apart from Toronto FC's defence, that the Impact striker would suit and boot in Impact blue this season. On the other the commissioner also discussed the possibility Drogba could opt to hang up his boots.
"Didier was just incredibly exciting and did a lot of great things for the Impact. But he's 38 years old and so if he decides to retire, we'll manage through what that means.” The key to me in those remarks, more so when reading between the lines, occurs right at the end of Garber’s thoughts. “So if he decides to retire, we’ll manage through what that means.”
I’m of the belief a footballer retires it heralds the end of their career. Plain and simple, no? However it’s not what someone says, it’s what they mean by what they say which is relevant. As my old high school English teacher was always want to remind his class of aspiring writers.
Whilst also in Baltimore, Garber gave a very candid interview on a number of league matters to SI.com’s Planet Futbol podcast. Part of which, the commissioner discussed ‘l’affaire Drogba’ - as it has become distinctly known in these parts.
"The real question is in the word "pursue," Garber told SI.com. Adding, "We don't know whether or not–nobody knows that–Chelsea is pursuing him versus Didier deciding that he might retire and pursue a coaching career. Right now he's under contract. He just tweeted out the other day he hasn't decided to retire. Our view is if he's under contract and somebody was to pursue him, that would be tampering, but we're not at that point yet. We'll have to see how this plays out."
Although Garber’s words are carefully chosen, they provide hint an impasse quite likely exists.
There has after all been an almost complete radio silence type approach from all the parties involved since Impact management and supporters alike would have taken in those infamous images from Stamford Bridge all the way back on December 19 last year.
Heaven forbid this ultimately finds itself going through possible legal channels all parties will have been firmly counselled to not make any comment. With the caveat, if certain pressures make that implausible, then to be extremely considerate and cautious with what is stated. ‘Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law,’ is how the old mantra goes.
Let there though be no doubting, Drogba has placed the Montreal Impact in an impossible position and situation. No one needs telling the Impact one should always have a Plan B then almost in the same breath whisper in the other ear, hope must remain.
However slim it would appear Drogba actually does move into that rented home the Impact are on the hook for in 2016 and one which you can be assured was rented at lavish expense to the club - how about this scenario then.
On the day Impact open camp, and meet with media at Olympic Stadium January 25 the club announce as ‘Drogba’s replacement’ they have signed a third DP in the considerable might and expense for arguments sake say, Karim Benzema.
Then when everyone re-gathers but 24 hours later, as the Impact are about to jump on their charter to Orlando up steps, none other than, yes you’ve guessed it, Didier Drogba.
Now what?
Drogba is holding the Impact in a football equivalent of a hostage taking. We’re just not sure what the ransom demand is.
It is now well over two weeks since the 37-year old Impact striker tweeted he had not retired and was in discussions with the club.
Who knows for sure today if those discussions are still ongoing? Or maybe for all we know they have now collapsed into a heap, akin to the manner Drogba is occasionally infamous for on football pitches the world over.
Looking at this on the much wider scope, the macro scale as an economist would say - as we are undeniably located in one of world football’s largest growth markets like in all underdeveloped economies, football is a global business after all, MLS is rife for exploitation.
MLS’s honest, open and transparent policies around its desire to bring in Grade A talent leaves it further vulnerable. As does the league’s disclosure on the eve of MLS Cup that the distinct possibility for further expansion lies ahead. Agents the world over must be licking their chops each and every time the commissioner utters the word, expansion.
Just think of the astronomical combined salaries of Villa, Lampard, Kaka and Pirlo for our two expansion clubs in 2015. Then throw in a Gerrard and the last, and certainly not the least of that Olympic Rings type 2015 Top 5, Didier Drogba. Who only made his starting debut in early September.
As much it was admirable of the always optimistic sound bite sounding Don Garber to go on the record a few seasons back speaking of a strong intention of MLS to be mentioned in the same breath as the likes of the Bundesliga, La Liga and Serie ‘A’. Add of course the Barclays Premier League, let’s analyze the devil of the current detail.
The precursor to optimism is one has to be realistic first. Realistically speaking it’s not so much we’re in a different time zone from the BPL, Major League Soccer inhabits an entirely separate soccer orbit.
Next season’s global broadcast deal for the BPL, when all the numbers are added up, is expected to total close to $6 billion a season for each of the next three seasons. You do the math when divided by twenty, the number of clubs in the league.
Then when looking at Europe’s Elite Twenty their combined annual global revenue, according to Deloitte’s latest Football Money League released in midweek, tops out at a quite staggering £5.1 billion [$10.3 billion].
Hardly surprising then when it’s accepted well over 50 per cent of that revenue goes into the pockets of players – that on leaving Stamford Bridge an hour or so after last Saturday’s pulsating Everton match Willian, with the de rigeur WAG in the passenger seat, cruised passed me in a brand new silver Bentley. Likely not his sole vehicle, this one though must have set the young Brazilian midfielder back far more than what a DP costs an MLS club when measured against the salary cap. I wonder if Willian paid cash?
As long as MLS is seen as weak and vulnerable more Drogba type scenarios are sure to manifest. No manner of shuttle diplomacy will prevent.
This accepted, MLS and the Impact will have drawn their line in the sand regarding their entrenched position just around the same time the rest of us were busy setting about last minute Christmas shopping.
Fast forward to today, and as those famous white lines are been painted, and repainted as MLS welcomes this weekend soccer’s equivalent of Spring Training, over the interim the only movement in that line in the sand is the sound of it getting deeper.
As I tweeted in the week always wanting to remain optimistic, from what I understand, realistically speaking it seems quite unlikely Drogba returns to the Impact.
A club late last summer, which not only believed in Drogba but also placed their entire trust in him, to lead by example through the entire 2016 season. We likely won’t ever know the high price the investment cost Joey Saputo and by extension his entire family as equal stakeholders.
Whatever that figure is, and as a graduate of Economics from a local Montreal university, the Impact President well knows that the real and absolute figure the Opportunity Cost must be added in. When all the figures are added up almost certainly to be included will be the price of Drogba’s replacement.
Speaking of investments, and he certainly had some almighty offers to return home, how refreshing for NYC FC and by extension all MLS stakeholders, that this time last week Andrea Pirlo quashed all rumors that have plagued him this off season that the Italian footballing talisman was exiting the league.
Pirlo simply citing his want, need and desire to respect those who had believed and made such a considerable investment to bring him to football’s new frontier.
Drogba has the biggest ever decision of his career to make.
What is not clear or certain is the potential dire consequences of that decision. Who can truly say if a Stamford Bridge return in a coaching or mentoring role will be successful or does it end in tears.
History, the sporting world over, tells us very few, if any of our very best professional athletes, successfully make the quantum leap from the pitch, field, hard court or ice to the success and safety of the dug out or bench.
If so, no matter what, in the fullness of time and well after all the emotions currently swirling around fade away - Drogba’s legacy as a player will have forever ingrained on it; walked out on the final season of his contract.
Not only that but directly underneath that part about been a UEFA Champions League winner, Drogba left his club completely up the creek, with no paddle.
Some write about commitments, others do commit.