Didier Drogba

Didier Drogba is a soccer player for the Chelsea Fc of the Premier League. He was born on March 11, 1978 in Abidjan, Ivori Coast. Drogba started his career in 1998 with Le Mans. He also played for Guingamp and Marseille until 2004 when he joined Chelsea Fc. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/players/profile?id=18727&cc=5901 Through the 2008 season, Drogba played in 169 matches and scored 61 goals.http://www.didierdrogba.com/en/biographie/index.asp In the 2008-2009 season, he played in 30 matches and scored 16 goals.http://soccernet.espn.go.com/players/stats?id=18727&cc=5901

Didier Drogba has won several individual and team awards during his career. He was the Ligue 1 Player of the Year and UEFA Cup Top Scorer in 2004. In April, 2005 Drogba was named Barclays Player of the Month.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Didier_Drogba He was a member of the Premier League championship team with Chelsea in 2005 and 2006. Didier Drogba obtained the individual honor of African Footballer of the Year in 2006. In 2007, he won the Carling Cup with Chelsea and was semi finalist of the African Cup of Nations with Ivory Coast in 2008.http://www.didierdrogba.com/en/biographie/index.asp At the end of the 2009 season there were rumors that Drogba wanted to move to Serie A. He quickly downplayed that, citing his recent three year contract renewal with Chelsea.http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=706506&sec=england&cc=5901 On January 4, 2010 the Nigerian Compass reported that Drogba will have round the clock security for protection from gun gangs in Angola while he's in the coutry for the African Cup.http://www.compassnews.net/Ng/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=37776:angola-2010-chelsea-get-drogba-armed-protection&catid=41:football&Itemid=673

On November 28, 2009, Didier Drogba announced his plans of building a hospital in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. He donated is sponsorship money with Pepsi towards the project and is raising 2.5 millions pounds. A charity ball is scheduled to take place at Dorchester Hotel in London, England on November 30, in attempts to raise 500,000 pounds. Drogba decided on building the hospital after witnessing 22 deaths and 132 injuries when a gate at Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium in the Ivory Coast collapsed, killing 22 people and injuring 132.http://www.dnaindia.com/sport/report_emotional-drogba-aims-to-give-back-to-ivory-coast-all-the-kindness-he-got_1317641 He recently teamed with Bono to help fight AIDS by launching a initiative selling red bottlecaps.

"This wasn't easy because we had to win the game to qualify. The pressure was enormous on me, but even with 10 players we managed to control the match. A great team is in the process of being born. This win will give the players a lot of confidence. We've come here to go right to the finish line." - Didier Drogba, on Ivory Coast becoming a threat in the World Cuphttp://football.fanhouse.co.uk/2010/01/18/ivory-coast-are-primed-for-the-next-stage-in-africa-says-didier/

"Just imagine what it would mean to the people in our country and to the whole of Africa if we won the World Cup. It would be one of the greatest sporting moments of them all and we can be the heroes who make it happen. This is our chance of a lifetime." - Didier Drogbahttp://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=723352&sec=global&root=global&cc=5901

"Every team wants Didier, he is for me the best striker in the world when he is fit." - Deco, on teammate Didier Drogbahttp://goal.com/en/news/9/england/2010/02/03/1774690/chelsea-playmaker-deco-warns-arsenal-didier-drogba-is-worlds

"I have heard the talk about Torres maybe coming in and I would welcome it, of course. Every time there is a new player coming here it's making the club bigger and giving us a lot of strength. If there is a chance for him to come he will be welcome because any help is welcome!" - Didier Drogba, on the possibility of having Fernando Torres as a teammatehttp://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=785901&sec=transfers&cc=5901

• 2002-2003: Games started: 26, Total appearances: 33, Goals: 16
• 2003-2004: Games started: 43, Total appearances: 50, Goals: 30
• 2004-2005: Games started: 30, Total appearances: 41, Goals: 16, Assists: 5
• 2005-2006: Games started: 31, Total appearances: 43, Goals: 17, Assists: 11
• 2006-2007: Games started: 64, Total appearances: 71, Goals: 39, Assists: 9
• 2007-2008: Games started: 28, Total appearances: 31, Goals: 8, Assists: 8
• 2008-2009: Games started: 30, Total appearances: 43, Goals: 16, Assists: 5
• 2009-2010: Games started: 41, Total appearances: 45, Goals: 38, Assists: 8
• 2010-2011: Games started: 4, Total appearances: 4, Goals: 1, Assists: 0 (season in progress)

• 2004: Lige One Goal, Team and Player of The Year
• 2005: Won the Premier League, Carling Cup and Community Shield with Chelseahttp://www.didierdrogba.com/en/biographie/index.asp
• 2006: African Footballer of the Year, Community Shield finalist and won the Premier Leaguehttp://www.didierdrogba.com/en/biographie/index.asp
• 2007: Finalist of the Community Shield and vice champion of the Premier Leaguehttp://www.didierdrogba.com/en/biographie/index.asp
• 2008: Semifinast of the African Cup of Nations and vice champion of the Premier Leaguehttp://www.didierdrogba.com/en/biographie/index.asp
• 2009: Won the Community Shield with Chelsea