SALOMON KALOU: LILLE CAREER EXAMINED

Ivorian forward Salomon Kaloujoined Lille from Premier League heavyweights Chelsea on a free transfer in July 2012. His last act as a Chelsea player was winning the Champions League via the penalty shootout success at the expense of host team Bayern Munich.

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Salomon Kalou became a free agent in the summer of 2012 after his Chelsea contract ended. The Ivorian attacker became a Lille player afterwards and he was handed the number 8 jersey. New Lille manager Rudi Garcia confirmed that it was not easy to convince that the French club is team to take his career to the next level. It was not easy to convince Kalou to join him at Lille according to the former AS Roma tactician.

Kalou scored his first goal for Lille in his second appearance as he hit the ground running for his new club. His debut goal for Lille came in the league clash with Nancy. His first goal for Lille in the Champions League came during the heavy defeat to German Bundesliga outfit Bayern Munich. Salomon Kalou scored the lone goal during the 6-1 defeat to the Bavarian giants in November 2012.

In his second season in the French league, Kalou played all but two of the league games for Lille. He ended that season with 16 goals in the league to finish second alongside four others in the race for the Golden Boot which was won by Zlatan Ibrahimovic at Paris Saint Germain (PSG).His 16 goals included a treble in the 3-2 win over Ajaccio on March 2, 2014. Two of his goals against Ajaccio were from the penalty spot. He scored 30 goals in 67 games for Lille in the league during his two seasons with the club before signing for German team Hertha Berlin in a £3m deal in 2014.

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