Furious Didier Drogba resigns as vice-president of Ivory Coast Footballers Association

The 43-year-old said he does not believe the AFI is currently living up to its mandate of defending the rights and interests of players in the country.

He said the organisation has shown a “flagrant lack of coherence” and has let down their constituents, hence his decision to step down.

“To all Ivorian football players … I hereby announce that a few weeks ago, I took the decision to resign from my position as vice-president of the AFI and at the same time from its Steering Committee,” a section of the letter said.

“We are all aware of the financial difficulties you are facing in the face of the inaction of the majority of the leaders of the AFI, which is supposed to represent you and defend your rights and interests.

“The AFI is at a standstill. It no longer meets your needs or expectations. The bad decisions that have followed one another have led to the deterioration of the very fundamentals of the organisation.”

Drogba was on a collision course with the AFI last year, when members of the body openly refused to support his bid to become FA President.

Rather, the group decided to back incumbent vice-president of the FA, Idriss Diallo, for the presidential seat.

The former Chelsea striker eventually got support from the International Federation of Professional Footballers (FIFPro), who indefinitely suspended the AFI over their decision to reject one of their own.

However, Drogba could not contest in the elections for the Ivory Coast FA Presidency due to the AFI’s reluctance to sponsor his candidature.