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‘Ever since I was punished they put me with the youngsters’ - Nicolas Anelka describes final days at Chelsea
The Frenchman was forced to train with the youth team, use separate changing rooms from the first-team players and park his car with the reserves after refusing new contract
08-Feb-2012 5:21:35 PM
By Joel Lamy
Shanghai Shenhua
Nicolas Anelka has described the manner in which he was frozen out at Chelsea after refusing to sign a new contract.
The Frenchman was forced to train with the youth squad and kept away from the rest of the first team before eventually moving to Chinese side Shanghai Shenhua in January.
The 32-year-old, who moved from Bolton for £15 million in January 2008, had been a key man for the Blues having finished as the Premier League top scorer with 19 goals as they did the double under Carlo Ancelotti in 2008-09.
Anelka had been linked with a move to Ancelotti’s new team PSG, a move he denies was a possibility, but he talked about the end of his time at Chelsea and the treatment which he was subjected to by Andre Villas-Boas.
"Ever since I was punished they put me with the youngsters,” he told the Sun.
"I've got all the kit and equipment that professionals have but they put me in a separate changing room — that's football for you.
"One day, you can be there scoring goals and doing all you have to do for your club but the day you leave there is no pity.
"That's why the day you do decide to leave you have to do what you have to do and have no sadness either, because there are no friends in football.
"That's the truth. It's sad to say but that's the truth. It's a collective sport but it's also very individual.
"It's true that I could have had a better career but I know I've succeeded and I'm proud of that when I go back to France, back to the suburbs I came from, the guys there are proud of me.
"They know I never gave up. I took plenty of knocks but I'm still here."
Anelka also described his treatment by the French media and said he had hoped that his goal against the Republic of Ireland in the 2010 World Cup qualifier might have endeared him more to journalists from his home country.
"After all the ups and downs I've had with the France team I had the impression that I had done something good for my country for once - something positive. I was pleased with myself,” he said.
"But, no — it wasn't enough. The press didn't want it to be me and that hurt. It really hurt. After that I thought 'OK, World Cup or no World Cup, I couldn't care less'.
"That will stay with me for the rest of my life. When you know you've done your duty and accomplished your task and yet they come along and stick a knife in your back, well, frankly, that hurt a great deal."
The Frenchman was forced to train with the youth squad and kept away from the rest of the first team before eventually moving to Chinese side Shanghai Shenhua in January.
The 32-year-old, who moved from Bolton for £15 million in January 2008, had been a key man for the Blues having finished as the Premier League top scorer with 19 goals as they did the double under Carlo Ancelotti in 2008-09.
Anelka had been linked with a move to Ancelotti’s new team PSG, a move he denies was a possibility, but he talked about the end of his time at Chelsea and the treatment which he was subjected to by Andre Villas-Boas.
"Ever since I was punished they put me with the youngsters,” he told the Sun.
"I've got all the kit and equipment that professionals have but they put me in a separate changing room — that's football for you.
"One day, you can be there scoring goals and doing all you have to do for your club but the day you leave there is no pity.
"That's why the day you do decide to leave you have to do what you have to do and have no sadness either, because there are no friends in football.
"That's the truth. It's sad to say but that's the truth. It's a collective sport but it's also very individual.
"It's true that I could have had a better career but I know I've succeeded and I'm proud of that when I go back to France, back to the suburbs I came from, the guys there are proud of me.
"They know I never gave up. I took plenty of knocks but I'm still here."
Anelka also described his treatment by the French media and said he had hoped that his goal against the Republic of Ireland in the 2010 World Cup qualifier might have endeared him more to journalists from his home country.
"After all the ups and downs I've had with the France team I had the impression that I had done something good for my country for once - something positive. I was pleased with myself,” he said.
"But, no — it wasn't enough. The press didn't want it to be me and that hurt. It really hurt. After that I thought 'OK, World Cup or no World Cup, I couldn't care less'.
"That will stay with me for the rest of my life. When you know you've done your duty and accomplished your task and yet they come along and stick a knife in your back, well, frankly, that hurt a great deal."
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