Drogba confirms Chelsea exit

Posted Tuesday, May 22, 2012 by YAHOO Sport

Didier Drogba has announced that he will leave Chelsea when his contract expires next month.

Following a disappointing start to the season, the trust shown in the 34-year-old by Roberto Di Matteo has seen him become key in the revival of the team’s season, scoring in both the club's FA Cup and Champions League final victories.

The 34-year-old has been reportedly looking for a two-year deal, whereas the club are only willing to offer a 12-month extension, and it appears Drogba has decided on his future.

"We [Drogba and his Chelsea team-mates] will not be together next season," he was quoted saying in France Football magazine. "As I have decided to leave, I wanted to tell them to their faces. They made me break down. I found it hard to admit that it was finished with me and the club.

Fellow striker Fernando Torres recently complained of having to start Saturday’s victory over Bayern Munich on the bench with the Ivorian starting, and Drogba believes the pair’s roles will soon swap.

"I don't envisage sitting on the bench watching others play at a time when the club is looking at putting together a new team," he said. "So there we go, I am readying myself for a great leap into the unknown. It will be another adventure."

Earlier this month, reports surfaced linking Drogba with a move to Shanghai Shenua on an estimated 250,000 pounds-per-week. The Ivorian would join former teammate Nicolas Anelka in China should he make the move to the far east.