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Didier Drogba Reacts Nonchalantly to 'Drone-gate': 'It Happens'
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    Didier Drogba Reacts Nonchalantly to ‘Drone-gate’: ‘It Happens’

    Didier Drogba, a former footballer who made his name with English club Chelsea and represented te Côte d’Ivoire at three World Cups, had a different perspective when asked about the “Drone-gate” story currently enveloping Canada’s women’s soccer team at the Olympics in Paris.

    “Ah, it happens,” said Drogba, with a laugh, when asked by Ariel Helwani of CBC Olympics in Paris how common it was for teams to employ a drone or other methods to sneak a peek at the opposition’s training sessions. “It happens a few times.”

    The story about a member Canada’s coaching staff being caught using a drone at a pair of New Zealand practices has been referred to as a cheating scandal, a fiasco, and an Olympic embarrassment. The initial response to the news was for Canada Soccer analyst Joseph Lombardi and assistant coach Jasmine Mander to be sent home from the Games. Later, head coach Bev Priestman was also suspended and sent home, after it came to light that this was not the first time Priestman’s staff had employed the tactic.

    Drogba’s take was decidedly different, offering a big laugh and a shrug when asked by Helwani how big of a deal this was.

    “I mean, it doesn’t really affect the result of the game,” said Drogba, 46, who was an Olympic torchbearer for the Games. “It affects some situations, I believe, of the game. But the end result, when you go down, you know what you’ve prepared.

    “You know how to win, you know how to play and how to win. And for me, I mean, they just caught them. That’s it.”

    Drogba played in several African Cup of Nations tournaments and captained his team to the finals twice, as well as appearing in three World Cups (2006, 2010, 2014). He scored 100 goals for Chelsea in the Premier League and also played parts of two seasons (2015-2016) with Montreal in Major league Soccer.

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    Former Chelsea and Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba has reacted nonchalantly to the recent incident involving a drone flying over the pitch during a match between Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille.

    The incident, which has been dubbed ‘Drone-gate’ by some, occurred during the Ligue 1 clash between the two French giants. The drone flew over the pitch, causing a brief interruption in play as players and officials looked on in confusion.

    When asked about the incident, Drogba, who now works as a pundit for French television, seemed unfazed by the whole situation. “It happens,” he said with a shrug. “These things can happen in football. It’s not something that we should be too worried about.”

    Drogba’s relaxed attitude towards the incident is perhaps not surprising given his long and successful career in football. The former striker is no stranger to high-pressure situations and unexpected events on the pitch.

    While some may have been shocked or concerned by the presence of a drone during a professional football match, Drogba’s response serves as a reminder that these things can happen in the modern game. With technology playing an increasingly prominent role in football, incidents like ‘Drone-gate’ may become more common in the future.

    Ultimately, Drogba’s reaction to the incident highlights the importance of staying calm and composed in the face of unexpected events on the pitch. As a seasoned professional, he knows that sometimes you just have to roll with the punches and focus on the task at hand.

    In the grand scheme of things, ‘Drone-gate’ may not be a major incident in the world of football, but it serves as a reminder that even the most carefully planned matches can be disrupted by outside forces. And if a legend like Didier Drogba can react nonchalantly to such incidents, then perhaps we should all take a leaf out of his book and not sweat the small stuff.