Didier Drogba has revealed that he will leave Chelsea just days after netting the decisive penalty in their Champions League triumph.
The Ivorian, who joined the Blues from Marseille eight years ago for a reported fee of £24m, is out of contract in the summer.
Both parties were reportedly keen for him to stay in London, but Chelsea are apparently reluctant to offer him a long-term contract.
Now Drogba has decided that his future lies away from Stamford Bridge, according to reports in France.
"We will not be together next season. As I have decided to leave, I wanted to tell [my teammates] straight to their faces. Except that I could not do it. They made me break down," Drogba told France Football magazine.
"Even though it's been three years since I said I wanted to leave, I found it hard to admit that it was finished with me and the club. But 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.
"So there we go, I am readying myself for a great leap into the unknown. It will be another adventure."
Drogba has won three Premier League titles, four FA Cups, two League Cups and the Champions League during his time with Chelsea.
Joe Fish
