Schalke accuses Drogba transfer of being illegal
German side Schalke 04 have protested against the inclusion of Galatasaray striker Didier Drogba in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie, saying the Ivorian striker is ineligible to play.
After the first leg on February 20 ended in a 1-1 draw at Galatasaray, Schalke claimed that Drogba's transfer from Shanghai Shenhua was only completed after the player registration deadline.
Chief financial officer Peter Peters told Schalke's website: "Media reports have raised questions about Drogba's situation. It seems that he will only officially join Galatasaray after the deadline for registering players for the Champions League has passed."
“UEFA makes it clear before every match that clubs are responsible for the eligibility of each player. They do not usually investigate on their own initiative, but rely on reports from clubs and national federations. UEFA only intervenes – as in our case – when a club files a complaint.”
Last season, Drogba led Chelsea to the top of the Champions League, then moved to play in China. But after only half a year, this striker returned to Europe to play for Galatasaray.
Information about Drogba's transfer was available before January 31, the deadline of the winter transfer window. However, it was not until early February that he made his debut for his new team, after returning from the 2013 African Cup of Nations./.
According to (Vietnam+) - DT
