Sport
Soccer star Didier Drogba arrives in China
“I was moved by them,” Drogba said of Shenhua’s high-level officials. “They are very ambitious, and that’s a tremendous challenge.”
Zhu is an online gambling magnate whose fortune has already facilitated the hiring of former Argentina coach Sergio Batista and Anelka.
The club has not revealed the details of Drogba’s contract, although local media reported the club was willing to pay as much as US$15 million per year.
Shangahi sits in 13th place in the 16-team Chinese Super League, 20 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.
Chinese soccer has long been dogged by mismanagement and corruption, with the level of performance trailing well behind that of neighbors South Korea and Japan. But rapidly escalating salaries are beginning to attract big-name players while authorities have ramped up measures to stamp out match fixing.
