Part C:

Arts inspiration
Quotes
"When I was young there were a lot of players more talented than me. They had
pure talent. But my desire was stronger than their talent."
Didier Drogba
Didier Yves Drogba Tbily was born on March 11, 1!", in the #vory Coast city o$
Abid%an& At age ', he was sent to live in (rance with an )ncle, a pro$essional
soccer player, with the hope he wo)ld be e*posed to +ore opport)nities by the
e*perience& ,vent)ally, his parents and siblings %oined hi+ in (rance&
Didier Drogba is a A$rican hero not only in A$rica b)t all over the world, everyone
loo-s )p to hi+, his presence alone as helped b)ild better race relations in $ootball,
as he is a talis+an $or all races which has helped destroy racis+ in the terraces&
Didier is also a $ashion icon and as +odelled $or +any clothing co+pany.s s)ch as
adidas and Calvin /lein& Didier.s +ost $a+o)s photo0shoot $or 1anity (air where
Didier Drogba and Cristiano 2onaldo stripped down to %)st their bo*er shorts
Didier Drogba is now a +)lti0+illionaire and his attit)de to li$e and iss)es on the
world plat$or+, +a-es +e wants to $ollow in his $ootsteps&
Professional Career
Didier Drogba signed his $irst pro contract with 3e Mans when he was 41, b)t he
received his $irst big brea- a$ter trans$erring to 5)inga+p in 4664, where he
helped the cl)b avoid relegation to the second division& 7e trans$erred to Marseille
$or the 4668069 season, scoring 1 goals in 8' ga+es to win the (rench 3eag)e 1
Player o$ the Year& 7aving reached his athletic pri+e, the 4:0year0old was targeted
by +any o$ ,)rope;s top cl)bs, and Chelsea paid a trans$er $ee o$ ro)ghly <8:
+illion $or his services in 4669&
The power$)l :;4= stri-er $inally appeared co+$ortable in his third season, scoring
88 goals to win the Pre+ier 3eag)e 5olden >oot, along with the ga+e winners in
the 3eag)e C)p and (A C)p $inals&
Didier Drogba;s career with Chelsea ended in storyboo- $ashion when he scored
the winning goal in a penalty shooto)t against >ayern M)nich in the 4614
Cha+pions 3eag)e $inal& Altogether, he scored 1'! goals in 891 appearances with
Chelsea, and helped the cl)b to three ,nglish Pre+ier 3eag)e titles, $o)r (A C)ps
and two 3eag)e C)ps&
Didier Drogba signed a deal with ?hanghai ?henh)a in @)ne 4614, b)t his career in
China was short, as he played %)st 11 ga+es with ?hanghai be$ore trans$erring to
the 5alatasaray cl)b in T)r-ey& # li-e Didier Drogba beca)se he co+es $ro+ the
#vory Coast A+y +)+ and +y dad.s co)ntryB and # li-e hi+ beca)se o$ what he
done in his co)ntry he stopped a civil war and he.s helping the+& 7is drive to
s)cceed has given Chelsea the cha+pions. leag)e, 8 pre+ier leag)e 9 (A c)ps, 4
carling c)ps and the charity shield&
Superstar and Statesman
Drogba +ade his $irst international appearances $or the #vory Coast tea+ in 4664
and by 466! had scored 4" goals, a record $or his co)ntry& Drogba catap)lted the
national tea+, nic-na+ed =the ,lephants,= into Corld C)p co+petition $or the $irst
ti+e in 466:, and again in 4616& Altho)gh the ,lephants $ailed to advance past the
gro)p stage both ti+es, their appearance in soccer;s biggest to)rna+ent with the
li-es o$ >raDil and ,ngland thrilled their devoted $ans $ro+ A$rica&
An i++ensely pop)lar $ig)re in his ho+e co)ntry, Drogba has atte+pted to )se his
standing $or good p)rposes& Cith the #vory Coast ravaged by civil war in 466:,
Drogba led the ,lephants in prayers $or peace a$ter Corld C)p E)ali$ying ga+es
and organiDed a tea+ state+ent calling $or an end to the war, e$$orts that were
credited with helping to bring abo)t a cease0$ire&
7e created the Didier Drogba (o)ndation in 466!, which, according to its website,
Fai+s to provide $inancial and +aterial s)pport in both health and ed)cation to the
A$rican people&= (or his h)+anitarian actions, in 4616 Time +agaDine incl)ded
Drogba in its list o$ the 166 +ost in$l)ential people in the world&