(CNN) -- China is a football backwater. A country where the domestic league is plagued by corruption and the huge population is largely indifferent towards the "beautiful game." The sport in the nation has been rocked by a bribery investigation which resulted in two former high-ranking officials being handed 10-and-a-half-year prison sentences, while four former national team players are serving shorter terms. So why would Didier Drogba, a soccer star who recently scored the penalty which crowned Chelsea champions of Europe, swap the bright lights of the English Premier League for mid-table mediocrity with Shanghai Shenhua? It seems strange, but the Ivory Coast striker is the latest in a line of high-profile football figures to take advantage of the attractive salaries on offer in the Chinese Super League (CSL). He will reportedly be paid $315,000 a week -- the highest in the CSL.
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Veteran Didier Drogba is the latest star name to join the Chinese Super League
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Striker will be reunite with former Chelsea teammate Nicolas Anelka at Shanghai
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Italy's World Cup-winning coach Marcello Lippi is in charge at Guangzhou Evergrande
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Guangzhou boasts star players such as Dario Conca and Lucas Barrios
Europe
Despite luring stars such as Drogba and Anelka away from @placeholder's finest competitions, the CSL is yet to truly capture the public's imagination.
Chinese Super League
CSL
CSL
Chinese Super League
Despite luring stars such as Drogba and Anelka away from Europe's finest competitions, the @placeholder is yet to truly capture the public's imagination.