Drogba arrives in China to rousing reception
July 14th, 2012 - 10:33 pm ICT by IANSShanghai, July 14 (IANS) Former Chelsea star Didier Drogba arrived here Saturday to a rousing welcome from Chinese fans and insisted it was not money but the challenge in an unfamiliar land that lured him to China.
Hundreds of fans gathered to welcome the Ivorian striker as he joins Chinese Super League club Shanghai Shenhua, the Daily Mail reported.
Drogba, after winning the Champions League with Chelsea, signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with the big-spending Chinese club for a reported weekly salary of 270,000 pounds.
“I decided to come here because when the club and the president approached me, I looked at the project and it came with ambitious ideas. He wants to help football develop in China.
“I know China is a great sports country. So for me it was also a big challenge because it could have been easy for me to stay in Europe and go to another team, another big team,” Drogba was quoted as saying.
“Really, I didn’t come here with the idea of making a lot of money. I come here because it is a completely different challenge from what I have seen in Europe before.”
Drogba, who scored 157 goals in 341 appearances for Chelsea making him the club’s fourth all-time leading scorer, will join former teammate Nicolas Anelka.
- Drogba confirms Chelsea exit - May 22, 2012
- Drogba signs with Shanghai Shenhua - Jun 20, 2012
- Shanghai Shenhua confirms contract with Drogba - Jun 19, 2012
- Chinese football pinning hopes on Seedorf and Drogba - May 22, 2012
- Nicolas Anelka signs with China's Shanghai Shenhua - Dec 12, 2011
- Champions League win my greatest achievement: Didier Drogba - Jun 17, 2012
- Drogba makes immediate impact in China - Jul 23, 2012
- Kalou, Bosingwa leave Chelsea - Jul 01, 2012
- Won't play for another English club: Drogba - May 23, 2012
- Yakubu set to join Chinese club - Jun 29, 2012
- Chinese club prepares huge offer for Kaka? - Jun 28, 2012
- Anelka's Chinese league debut ends in loss - Mar 17, 2012
- Chlesea has best strike force in Europe: Ancelotti - Feb 23, 2011
- Don't want to leave Chelsea: Anelka - Jul 21, 2011
- Bookies favour Manchester City to win EPL - Aug 17, 2012
Tags: ambitious ideas, champions league, chelsea star, china hundreds, chinese club, chinese fans, club shanghai, daily mail, didier drogba, europe, former teammate, great sports, half year, july 14, nicolas anelka, rousing reception, rousing welcome, salary, striker, unfamiliar land