Former Chelsea winger Salomon Kalou has joined a second-tier club in Ivory Coast SC Gagnoa after a legendary career spell in Europe.
The winger, who was part of Chelsea’s 2011/12 Champions League winning side, recently agreed on a deal that will see him move to SC Gagnoa as a player and director.
His former club Chairman Tommy Tayoro Nyckoss is said to be one of the main factors that influenced his decision. Also, the SC Gagnoa boss was able to convince the 39-year-old to join the club after being paraded by the club. The pair previously worked at Djibouti club Arta Solar before being reunited at Ivorian club SC Gagnoa.The southern club were relegated from the Ivory Coast’s elite division last season.
Kalou said: “I am going to get a player’s licence so that I can be part of coach Bernard Casoni’s squad.
“And maybe if SC Gagnoa plays against ASEC Mimosas or Africa Sports in the Ivorian Cup, I will take part in the game.”
Salomon Kalou career
Kalou kickstarted his professional career with local club ASEC Mimosas before moving to Europe to join Dutch side Feyenoord.
Shortly after joining the team, he was loaned to Feyenoord satellite club, Excelsior.
He returned to Feyenoord shortly and spent two seasons upon his return, scoring 35 times in 67 appearances for the Rotterdam-based club. His performances for the Dutch side saw him claim the Johan Cruyff Award in 2005 as the most promising young talent of the season. He also formed a deadly partnership with Dirk Kuyt, with the pair being referred to as ‘K2’ by fans.
Salomon Kalou Chelsea career
Kalou moved to Chelsea during the 2006/07 season, with the Blues reportedly parting with £9m for his services. The young Ivorian was starstruck during his first training session with the team, describing the experiment as a dream.
He said: “This was the dream moment of my life and I did not want to wake up and find that it was not real.”
The winger ended his first season in England with two trophies, winning the FA Cup and Leagues Cup, coming on as a substitute in both matches. After six years at the club.
His stay at the London club was the most successful spell of his career. He won eight titles in six years including four FA Cups and a league title. He appeared 254 times for the club and scored a total of 60 times.
On 7 July 2012, it was confirmed that Kalou will sign for Lille on a free transfer after being released by Chelsea at the end of his contract. Former Lille manager Rudi Garcia played a huge part in convincing the player to join the club, stating that he was happy to see the player in Lille.
Kalou scored on his second appearance for the club. His time with the French outfit saw him score 37 times in 80 appearances.
Spell in the German Bundesliga
On 31 August 2014, Kalou joined Bundesliga side Hertha BSC on a three-year contract. The transfer fee paid to Lille was reported as €3 million.
In his first full season at the Berlin-based club, he played 27 times in the league, scoring six goals and helping Hertha avoid relegation. His time at Germany also didn’t see him win any silverware, although he scored 53 times in 172 outings for them.
After six years in Germany, he moved to Brazilian side Botafogo, spending just a year there before moving to Arta Solar. He also spent just a season with the Djibouti club before moving on.
Solomon Kalou international career
Solomon Kalou featured in multiple international tournaments with the Ivorian national team including the World Cup and AFCON. He won the latter once in 2015.
The Ivorian star scored 27 times in 93 appearances for the team before calling time on his career in 2018.
