Once upon a time the most expensive man in football, Nicolas Anelka, had some harsh words to say about former employers Chelsea, who sold the former French international to Shanghai Shenhua this winter.
Anelka, who joined the Blues from Bolton in 2008 for £15 million, believes he was “punished” by the Chelsea hierarchy. Speaking to The Sun, Anelka said, “Ever since I was punished they put me with the youngsters…they put me in a separate changing room – that’s football for you.”
Anelka, who played a pivotal role in Chelsea’s, double triumph under Carlo Ancelotti in the 2009-10 season, was forced to play outwide on the right wing for a large period of his time at Chelsea with Didier Drogba being deployed as the lead striker. The arrival of Andre Villas-Boas saw the Frenchman relegated consistently to the bench and after he expressed his displeasure to the treatment, he was told he was welcome to leave in the winter.
Shanghai Shenhua swooped in to sign the 32-year old, and the move was completed on 1st January, the day the transfer window opened. Nicolas though believes he has come a long way since his time as a kid in the suburbs and said his contract at the Shanghai club would be his last.
Excuse me…but where is the “lashes out”? Journalistic licence or pure sensationalistic poo?