The millions earned by the West Brom football player have not been enough to immunise him from hate.
After signing Nicolas Anelka and rumours Shanghai Shenhua would target Didier Drogba next, the Chinese club confirmed it was looking for more players.
Chelsea star Nicolas Anelka is to join Shanghai Shenhua on a two-year contract in a huge boost for China’s scandal-hit Super League.
Chelsea’s bid to give Andre Villas-Boas a winning start in his first Premier League match was scuppered by some excellent goalkeeping by Stoke City.
Carlo Ancelotti must solve the riddle of misfit Fernando Torres as his Chelsea side face Manchester United in a second leg quarterfinal on Tuesday.
Chelsea booked their place in the Champions League quarterfinals despite wasting chances in Wednesday’s 0-0 draw against Copenhagen.
Nicolas Anelka and Thierry Henry are the only players from the France squad that have yet to agree to relinquish their World Cup bonuses.
Striker Nicolas Anelka has been banned for 18 games by the French team after a players’ Soccer World Cup revolt.
Nicolas Anelka said former France coach Raymond Domenech made him feel disgusted by forcing him to play out of position during the World Cup.
Nicolas Anelka on Thursday said that all his teammates decided to go on strike at the World Cup after he was sent home for verbally abusing his coach.
Brazil reached the Soccer World Cup’s last 16 with a 3-1 win over Côte d’Ivoire on Sunday which was soured by a controversial red card for Kaka.
Chelsea seized control of the Premier League title race as Nicolas Anelka’s goal clinched a 1-0 win over Bolton on Tuesday.
Tottenham and Chelsea stayed neck and neck at the top of the English Premier League with away victories on Sunday.
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/ 15 December 2008
Nicolas Anelka scored his 14th goal of the season on Sunday to save Chelsea from an embarrassing home defeat to West Ham and earned a 1-1 draw.
Manchester United were crowned kings of Europe for the third time on Wednesday when they beat Chelsea 6-5 on penalties after a breathless all-English Champions League final had finished 1-1 after extra time. United’s 37-year-old goalkeeper, Edwin van der Sar, saved the decisive spot kick from substitute Nicolas Anelka.
They are the men who will reap the plaudits and milk the applause — the goal poachers who can grab glory for their nation in an instant. And they will deserve the adulation if they can rise above the increasingly defensive fare of the modern international game and the fear of losing, which hung heavy over the finals of both Euro 2004 and the 2006 World Cup.
Chelsea may be playing their first Champions League final and Manchester United appearing in the showpiece event only after a nine-year absence, but there will be no shortage of experience when the two sides line up at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow on Wednesday.
Didier Drogba sent Chelsea to their first Champions League final and got revenge on Rafa Benitez as his double strike clinched a 3-2 win against Liverpool in Wednesday’s semifinal second leg. Drogba had given Chelsea the lead in the first half at Stamford Bridge before Fernando Torres sent the tie into extra-time.
Chelsea boss Avram Grant refused to concede defeat to Manchester United in the English Premier League title race, insisting his players still believed they could win it. He admitted the Blues simply had to win Thursday’s clash at fifth-placed Everton, otherwise United could seal the title.
The Netherlands staged a remarkable comeback to win 4-3 in Austria while European champions Greece beat Portugal 2-1 as all 16 Euro 2008 finalists contested friendlies on Wednesday. England midfielder David Beckham will not have happy memories of his 100th international appearance after Fabio Capello’s side suffered a 1-0 defeat to France in Paris.
Manchester United beat old rivals Liverpool 3-0 at Old Trafford on Sunday as the reigning champions were left five points clear at the top of the Premier League table. But it was Chelsea who became United’s nearest challengers after a double from Didier Drogba saw them come from a goal behind to beat Arsenal 2-1.
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/ 24 January 2008
Chelsea will face London rivals Tottenham in next month’s League Cup final after crushing Everton’s dream of a first domestic final appearance in eight years on Wednesday. Joe Cole’s well-taken strike left Everton with little prospect of overturning their 2-1 first-leg deficit at Goodison Park.
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/ 18 January 2008
There has been much debate about whether the African Cup of Nations should be held at the end of the European season so that there is not a club-versus-country clash. Two football experts discuss the pros and cons. The continental showpiece kicks off in Ghana on Sunday.
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/ 14 January 2008
Jason Roberts’s last-minute winner secured a 2-1 win for Blackburn Rovers away to local rivals Bolton Wanderers as they battled back from going a goal down in dramatic fashion on Sunday. The Lancashire derby appeared destined for a draw when the striker burst clear from the halfway line and left several defenders behind him at the Reebok Stadium.
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/ 11 January 2008
French striker Nicolas Anelka has joined Chelsea from English Premier League rivals Bolton, the clubs announced on Friday. A statement on Chelsea’s website said: ”Chelsea Football Club and Bolton Wanderers can confirm that terms have been agreed between the clubs for the transfer of Nicolas Anelka.”
High-flying Everton were knocked out of the FA Cup 1-0 by third division Oldham Athletic in the third round on Saturday, becoming one of four Premier League sides to go out to lower league opposition. Birmingham City, Blackburn Rovers and Bolton Wanderers were the other upset victims.
Premier League clubs are waiting for Tuesday’s opening of the month-long January transfer window, some seeking to tweak their squad as they press for the title and others hoping to add players in the fight to stay in England’s most lucrative competition.
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/ 31 December 2007
The turn of the year can be both an inspiring and a daunting time for English Premier League clubs as they reach the end of a congested holiday-fixture programme and contemplate the challenges that lie ahead in the second half of the season. Someone who opts for the positive outlook is Sir Alex Ferguson, the Manchester United manager.
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/ 3 December 2007
Fernando Torres scored his third goal in two games as Liverpool crushed Bolton Wanderers 4-0 at Anfield on Sunday to climb to third place in the English Premier League. The Spain striker scored the second of Liverpool’s goals — his 11th of the season — after Sami Hyypia had headed them in front.
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/ 25 November 2007
Arsenal extended their lead at the top of the English Premier League with a dramatic 2-0 win over Wigan, while Manchester United slumped to a shock 1-0 defeat at Bolton on Saturday. Steven Gerrard’s stunning strike put Liverpool on course for a stylish 3-0 win against Newcastle.
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/ 16 October 2007
England have received a welcome boost, France have injury setbacks while Scotland manager Alex McLeish claimed his team were up against it to go through in the run-up to Wednesday night’s Euro 2008 qualifiers. England negotiate a tricky tie on an artificial pitch in Russia, France host Lithuania after a horrendous journey to the Faroe Islands and Scotland have an important trip to Georgia.
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/ 9 September 2007
Italy drew 0-0 with France in their World Cup final repeat, Germany and England notched easy wins and 10-man Spain were frustrated by a 1-1 draw in Iceland in Saturday’s Euro 2008 qualifiers. The battle to reach the finals in Austria and Switzerland also saw The Netherlands beat Bulgaria 2-0, while the day’s other upset left Turkey with only a 2-2 draw in Malta.