Talking Balls: Drogba To Shanghai Special

Jonathan White | Jun 23, 2012 8:00 pm | 3 comments | 1501 reads

You've just ended the season by lifting your club's first Champions' League. Weeks before that you'd scored the winning goal in the FA Cup final. You're out of contract but even at 34 there a host of top European clubs vying for your signature. So how is it that Didier Drogba has signed for Shanghai Shenhua in the Chinese Super League? Apparently there are 200,000 reasons that the Ivorian opted for China's second city, that's his reported weekly wage, and he may have been swayed by the presence of former teammate Nicolas Anelka in Shanghai.

Maybe the move is for footballing reasons. Perhaps Drogba has a long-held desire to lift the CSL crown, or he may want to spearhead China's football revolution but it seems to the outside eye that he's the most high-profile in a lengthening line of footballers lured here for lucrative paydays at the end of their playing days. The biggest question is whether this a good thing for Chinese football. Will it lead to the grassroots development that the game needs? Will it make more kids want to play?

Drogba, to his credit, has made all of the right noises about his decision:

"I have considered all the offers I have received in the past few weeks, but feel that Shanghai Shenhua FC is the right move for me at this time.

"I am looking forward to a new challenge, to experiencing a new culture, and am excited about the new developments in the Chinese Super League.

"When Chelsea went to China last year, we had a great time and I met some amazing fans.

"I hope to help promote Chinese football around the world and further improve the links between China and Africa.’”

Drogba might not further international relations but he should stir up more interest in the CSL - something that won't be harmed by his presence when Shanghai Shenhua take on Manchester United in a friendly next month. We will have to wait and see who's the next star player to arrive in China but there's smart money on Clarence Seedorf. The Dutchman has left AC Milan and has been rumored to have attracted several Chinese suitors. Watch this space.

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JWhite's picture JWhite Submitted by Guest on Tue, 06/26/2012 - 13:10

Lord_Snooty,
We might not get chance. The latest turn of events is that Drogba is in Barcelona to discuss joining them next season. Apparently his Shanghai contract allows him to walk away to join Barcelona, but only them. There's more at the Daily Mail.

This would have to be among the most shocking transfer turnarounds in the game.

In better news for the CSL, there's talk on Soccerway that Fredi Kanoute is mulling over an offer to join Beijing Guoan.

Jonathan White, Managing Editor the Beijinger/TheBeijinger.com

Lord_Snooty's picture Lord_Snooty Submitted by Guest on Sun, 06/24/2012 - 04:18

I can’t see how this is anything other than a major coup for the CSL.

It might be different if Chinese football wasn’t perpetually stuck in the doldrums, given the nationalism here, one could imagine hard-fought arguments that this type of signing hinders the development of local players, but given the amount of times I've heard young Chinese bemoan the state of Chinese football this can’t but help be a positive step.

Whether he’s more a Pele/ Best or a Beckham in terms of successfully influencing a foreign league remains to be seen.

And let’s hope the Drog doesn’t get pissed off by what is going to be a considerable comedown in footballing standards, given his bullying performances in the Champions league last season he’s still a cut above.

Anyway, I for one, would pay money to see him mixing it with Seedorf.

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