Football: Drogba pledges better times ahead

Drogba appears committed to the Chinese Super League when he spoke of making a fresh start with the club next season.

SHANGHAI: Three coaches, boardroom upheaval and a reported players’ strike — Didier Drogba’s first season in China has not exactly been smooth, but it looks like he will stick around next year. Speculation about Drogba’s future has been intense but the Ivorian striker appeared committed to the Chinese Super League when he spoke of making a fresh start with the club next season. “Because I joined Shenhua relatively late, I didn’t prepare with the team early in the season, so our results this year were not very good,” said Drogba. “But I hope next season I can start again from the beginning with Shenhua.” Drogba has scored eight goals in 11 games since joining former Chelsea colleague Nicolas Anelka in Shanghai mid-term, earning the nickname “Devil Beast” as he terrorised Chinese defences. But despite his prolific record, Shenhua finished a lowly ninth out of 16 teams.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 8^th, 2012.