Bacary Sagna said Didier Drogba played a central role in convincing him to join the Montreal Impact last week.
Drogba spent two seasons in Montreal, helping the MLS franchise to the Eastern Conference semifinals in 2015.
The former Chelsea forward is a close friend of Sagna, who, after leaving Benevento at the end of last season, welcomed the challenge after listening to what Drogba had to say about his former club.
“He talked to me about the city and the club,” Sagna, the former Arsenal and Manchester City full-back, told the MLS website. “I intend to stay here with my family. He told me that I was going to be just fine. He liked it here a lot. He told me the club was a family environment and that he made the right choice by coming here, that he felt good about it. Coming from a big brother, that means there is no problem.”
Sagna, 35, said he is very happy to have made the decision because he already feels comfortable in Montreal.
“It’s all about the feeling, and I’m all about family,” Sagna said. “I think this club is a family. As soon as I spoke to the coach, I realized that’s where I needed to continue my career. I listened to my heart and I am here today.”
If Drogba had a hand in convincing him to make the switch, Rod Fanni, a former international teammate who moved to Montreal in March, and coach Remi Garde also helped.
“I was very clear with Bacary when I spoke to him on the phone,” Garde said. “I told him how things were going from my point of view, but I told him to call Rod, because he knows him, and he will tell you whether it’s good or not, what’s good, what isn’t.
“I think it’s important that he called Didier, that he got real information, why it’s good here, what we can improve, and what he could expect when he arrived here. And it’s important that the team is able to attract players who have had a great career like that.”
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