Didier Drogba Trains with Republic FC
In a season filled with international anecdotes for Sacramento Republic FC, such as friendlies against Liverpool U21s and Chivas, legendary striker Didier Drogba training with the club was one of the most curious.
Drogba and his club Montreal Impact reached out to Republic FC about the Ivorian striker training with Republic FC for a few days in March. Due to Montreal having to train on artificial turf while their natural grass training grounds thawed, Drogba and the Impact decided it would be best if the striker trained for part of preseason with Republic FC, who train on a natural surface. The measures were taken in order to prevent swelling to Drogba’s left knee, which has been aggravated by playing on artificial turf.
In total, Drogba spent ten days in Sacramento, taking part in Republic FC’s training exercises under the careful watch of his physiotherapist. Having Drogba in training provided an abundance of top-level experience for Republic FC’s young squad. For players like forward Harry Williams, training alongside Drogba was an opportunity of a lifetime. For Head Coach and Technical Director Paul Buckle, having a player of Drogba’s caliber on the field was a treat for himself and the squad.
“We’re preparing for our season so the focus is on our players which we felt confident would remain in place, and I’ll just say that Didier actually enhanced that,” Buckle told SI.com back in March. “He came in and wanted to be part of the locker room straight away. He didn’t want any sort of super favors. He joined in every single session and thoroughly enjoyed his time.”
Didier Drogba Trains with Republic FC
In a season filled with international anecdotes for Sacramento Republic FC, such as friendlies against Liverpool U21s and Chivas, legendary striker Didier Drogba training with the club was one of the most curious.
Drogba and his club Montreal Impact reached out to Republic FC about the Ivorian striker training with Republic FC for a few days in March. Due to Montreal having to train on artificial turf while their natural grass training grounds thawed, Drogba and the Impact decided it would be best if the striker trained for part of preseason with Republic FC, who train on a natural surface. The measures were taken in order to prevent swelling to Drogba’s left knee, which has been aggravated by playing on artificial turf.
In total, Drogba spent ten days in Sacramento, taking part in Republic FC’s training exercises under the careful watch of his physiotherapist. Having Drogba in training provided an abundance of top-level experience for Republic FC’s young squad. For players like forward Harry Williams, training alongside Drogba was an opportunity of a lifetime. For Head Coach and Technical Director Paul Buckle, having a player of Drogba’s caliber on the field was a treat for himself and the squad.
“We’re preparing for our season so the focus is on our players which we felt confident would remain in place, and I’ll just say that Didier actually enhanced that,” Buckle told SI.com back in March. “He came in and wanted to be part of the locker room straight away. He didn’t want any sort of super favors. He joined in every single session and thoroughly enjoyed his time.”
Drogba took full advantage of his time in the city, attending a King’s game and even celebrating his birthday with his short-term Republic FC teammates.
The Chelsea legend also accommodated fans who flocked to Republic FC’s training sessions to catch a glimpse of Drogba practicing his free kicks and hoping to maybe score an autograph.
“It shows you the measure of the man,” Buckle told SI.com. “We got used to having him around. I tried to lock the dressing room door and shut the gates so he couldn’t escape!”
Drogba took full advantage of his time in the city, attending a King’s game and even celebrating his birthday with his short-term Republic FC teammates.
The Chelsea legend also accommodated fans who flocked to Republic FC’s training sessions to catch a glimpse of Drogba practicing his free kicks and hoping to maybe score an autograph.
“It shows you the measure of the man,” Buckle told SI.com. “We got used to having him around. I tried to lock the dressing room door and shut the gates so he couldn’t escape!”
