Pelle: 'I came to China for money'

By Football Italia staff

Graziano Pellè confessed he “obviously would never have come to China if it wasn’t for all that money” after joining Shandong Luneng.

He spoke to Italia 1 show Emigratis from his new home in China.

“Obviously I would never have come here if it wasn’t for all that money,” said Pellè.

The Italy international made the transfer from Southampton just weeks after his Euro 2016 adventure concluded with a botched penalty in the shoot-out with Germany.

“I wasn’t trying to mock Manuel Neuer. I know he moves around a lot, so I did that gesture to imply I was going to chip him, hoping he’d remain in the centre, when in fact I already had it in my mind to fire to his right.

“Then I saw he had thrown himself down anyway, I sent it too wide.”

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