Shenhua take their fury over Didier Drogba exit to FIFA

Shanghai Shenhua are set to lodge a complaint with FIFA about Didier Drogba’s transfer to Galatasaray.

Drogba agreed an 18-month contract to join the Turkish club yesterday and intends to join up with his new club when Ivory Coast’s participation in the Africa Cup of Nations is over.

However, Shanghai are adamant the 34-year-old, who signed a two-and-a-half year contract after leaving Chelsea last summer, is still one of their players.

A statement on their website read: “The club is deeply shocked. Drogba is still a Shanghai Shenhua member as the contract between the two parties is still within its period of validity. Shanghai Shenhua is ready to gather evidence and submit the findings to FIFA in order to protect its interests.”

Zhu Jun, Shenhua’s chief investor, added: “Everything about Shenhua will be handled according to the rules of FIFA and Drogba’s case will be the same.”

There has been speculation since Drogba moved to China that the club have struggled to pay his £220,000-a-week salary but Zhu

is adamant that the club paid Drogba and said: “We have never violated the contract.”

Drogba is believed to be confident that his move to Turkey will go ahead.