Premier League: Where next for Chelsea's exiting icon?

Whether or not it was written in the stars I shall leave Gary Neville to decide, but Drogba's parting gift to Chelsea will take some beating. And in the wake of Champions League redemption, the Ivorian has wisely decided to bow out now rather than wait to be forced out.

Needless to say, Drogba won't be short of prospective suitors, many of whom appear to be in Nicolas Anelka's vicinity in the Far East. The path to China's Super League is becoming increasingly attractive for high-profile veterans and coaches, and few at Chelsea would begrudge him one final pay day.

Alternatively, he could of course opt to stay in Europe, with a possible return to Marseille being mooted. Elsewhere, Russia's Anzhi - coached by former Blues boss Guus Hiddink - are still finding inventive ways to spend their untold millions and Drogba would fit their ambitious blueprint.

Drogba's departure will also have repercussions for Fernando Torres, the only person connected with Chelsea who was unhappy with how events unfolded on Saturday night. The Spaniard is not prepared to accept anything less than a starring role and is set to hold talks with the club regarding his future.

Torres, who joined the fray in Munich with six minutes of the 90 to play, said: "I have been through the worst moments of my career during the season. I felt they have treated me in a way I was not expecting.

"It's contradictory because I feel like I'm at a peak moment in my career, with more desire and hunger than I've felt in a long time, but I've had to spend the final on the bench. It was a huge disappointment when I saw the line-up, perhaps the biggest disappointment in my life. I thought I would play in this game and I couldn't imagine not doing so."

Torres, who only has six league goals to his name this season, is hardly in a position to start making demands, but is seemingly poised to do just that. One suspects he'll insist Chelsea either play him or sell him, neither of which appear particularly appealing at this stage. Torres is currently 1.21/5 to stay with Chelsea.