Shanghai Shenhua to file appeal against Drogba

Beijing: Shanghai Shenhua will file a counter charge against Didier Droga, the former Chelsea player who had a brief spell with the Chinese club, to FIFA for accusations that he was owed three months salary by the club.

Drogba signed a 2 1/2-year contract with Shenhua but left the club well before that to join the Turkish Club Galatasaray late last month.

The player has been embroiled in a pay dispute with the Chinese club, which denied the accusations, saying it will present proof to show Drogba was well informed that he would be paid later than scheduled and that he had accepted the proposal.

Shanghai's Youth Daily has reported that Shenhua has hired two top-level international law firms and will deliver their submissions to FIFA on Wednesday against Drogba who walked out on the club to sign with Galatasaray.

"Shenhua will deliver the material to defend itself on Feb 20. And, on the same day, Shenhua will also send related documents for a counter charge against Drogba and the Turkish club Galatasaray," the newspaper quoted an unidentified member of Shenhua's law team as saying on Monday.

"The proof we hold now can assure Shenhua a 99-percent likelihood of winning the dispute," the member said. "What Shenhua aims to gain is not the penalty related to the breach of contract, but to defend its dignity, something highly related to the face of Chinese soccer, he added"

Meanwhile, Shenhau has been stripped of its 2003 league title and fined $160,000 as part of a new round of sanctions aimed at rooting out match fixing in the Chinese Super League.

The Chinese Football Association also banned 33 officials and players for life at the conclusion of a three-year investigation into corruption in the CSL, the Xinhua News Agency and other state media reported Tuesday.

Among those banned were former association chiefs NanYong and Xie Yalong, who were sentenced last year to 10 ½ years in prison each. Shenhua were also docked six points for the coming season as part of their punishment for fixing the result of a game against Shanxi Guoli on their way to the 2003 title.

Another 11 clubs were also fined up to $160,000 and docked from three to six points for bribery and match fixing.