Shenhua fans celebrate as Drogba confirms contract
By Ni Yinbin |
June 21, 2012, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
After months of anticipation, Shanghai Shenhua fans were celebrating last night after Chelsea striker Didier Drogba confirmed he will be joining the soccer club next month.
The 34-year-old has signed a contract and will be reunited with his former teammate and forward line partner Nicolas Anelka, both Drogba and Shenhua announced yesterday via their official websites.
"I've signed a contract for a period of two years (until December 31, 2014) and I will join the team during the month of July," the Ivory Coast player said on his website. "I studied all the offers I've received in recent weeks and I feel that going to Shanghai Shenhua is the right direction for me now."
The Shenhua offer was one that Drogba would have found hard to refuse. Although his official salary remains a secret, insiders told local media that the contract, which includes promoting two online games for Zhu Jun, the club's chief investor, is likely to earn Drogba an annual salary of some 12 million euros (US$15.2 million). Zhu has also promised to build hospitals in Cote D'Ivoire as part of the deal.
"I'm looking forward to this new challenge, to discover a new culture and I am very enthusiastic about the development of the Chinese football league. When we came to China with Chelsea last season, we had a great time and we met exceptional fans," Drogba said. "I hope to help promote Chinese football around the world and improve links between China and Africa."
Drogba, whose Chinese nickname is moshou, or "monster," capped his Chelsea career by scoring the equalizing goal and then the penalty shootout winner in the London club's victory over Bayern Munich in last month's European Champions League final.
Thousands of Chinese fans were constantly refreshing Drogba's website yesterday waiting for confirmation he was on his way to Shanghai.
Minutes after Drogba's announcement, Shenhua updated its official website with a picture of the player holding a Shenhua jersey.
Drogba's deal with Shenhua resulted in more than 5 million posts on Weibo.com within the next few hours, becoming one of the hottest topics in the Chinese cyber world.
Some people, however, questioned the wisdom of bringing in such soccer celebrities to the Chinese game.
"Yesterday it was Anelka, today comes Drogba, who will be the next? Chinese soccer is facing a serious polarization. The rich become richer while the poor become poorer. I really don't know whether it's good or bad, which could only judged by time," commented Li Weifeng, a former Chinese internationalist.
"Fans are happy that the Chinese league will finally have world-class players and coaches but will there be more if these people leave one day?"
Zhang Lu, a goalkeeper with Liaoning Whowin, said: "For players it's a good opportunity to play with world-class players. Of course more fans will be attracted. But does that mean that the CSL is a game for the rich?"
Shanghai sits in 12th place in the 16-team Chinese Super League, 15 points behind leader Guangzhou Evergrande, which itself broke the Chinese transfer spending record to sign Argentine playmaker Dario Conca for US$10 million from Fluminense, reportedly making him the third-highest paid player in the world.
The 34-year-old has signed a contract and will be reunited with his former teammate and forward line partner Nicolas Anelka, both Drogba and Shenhua announced yesterday via their official websites.
"I've signed a contract for a period of two years (until December 31, 2014) and I will join the team during the month of July," the Ivory Coast player said on his website. "I studied all the offers I've received in recent weeks and I feel that going to Shanghai Shenhua is the right direction for me now."
The Shenhua offer was one that Drogba would have found hard to refuse. Although his official salary remains a secret, insiders told local media that the contract, which includes promoting two online games for Zhu Jun, the club's chief investor, is likely to earn Drogba an annual salary of some 12 million euros (US$15.2 million). Zhu has also promised to build hospitals in Cote D'Ivoire as part of the deal.
"I'm looking forward to this new challenge, to discover a new culture and I am very enthusiastic about the development of the Chinese football league. When we came to China with Chelsea last season, we had a great time and we met exceptional fans," Drogba said. "I hope to help promote Chinese football around the world and improve links between China and Africa."
Drogba, whose Chinese nickname is moshou, or "monster," capped his Chelsea career by scoring the equalizing goal and then the penalty shootout winner in the London club's victory over Bayern Munich in last month's European Champions League final.
Thousands of Chinese fans were constantly refreshing Drogba's website yesterday waiting for confirmation he was on his way to Shanghai.
Minutes after Drogba's announcement, Shenhua updated its official website with a picture of the player holding a Shenhua jersey.
Drogba's deal with Shenhua resulted in more than 5 million posts on Weibo.com within the next few hours, becoming one of the hottest topics in the Chinese cyber world.
Some people, however, questioned the wisdom of bringing in such soccer celebrities to the Chinese game.
"Yesterday it was Anelka, today comes Drogba, who will be the next? Chinese soccer is facing a serious polarization. The rich become richer while the poor become poorer. I really don't know whether it's good or bad, which could only judged by time," commented Li Weifeng, a former Chinese internationalist.
"Fans are happy that the Chinese league will finally have world-class players and coaches but will there be more if these people leave one day?"
Zhang Lu, a goalkeeper with Liaoning Whowin, said: "For players it's a good opportunity to play with world-class players. Of course more fans will be attracted. But does that mean that the CSL is a game for the rich?"
Shanghai sits in 12th place in the 16-team Chinese Super League, 15 points behind leader Guangzhou Evergrande, which itself broke the Chinese transfer spending record to sign Argentine playmaker Dario Conca for US$10 million from Fluminense, reportedly making him the third-highest paid player in the world.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
