AT the age of 31 one of Europe’s best centre-backs is heading to our shores.
Senegalese star Kalidou Koulibaly has agreed terms with Chelsea ahead of a £34million move from Napoli.
Kalidou Koulibaly became one of Europe’s top defendersCredit: Getty Images – GettyKoulibaly credits his parents with helping him achieve his dream of football stardomCredit: Vosges Matin
It’s a move to England that’s been a long time coming, having been linked with Man Utd, Man City, Arsenal and more in the past.
But it’s the Blues who desperately needed the giant defender after losing the aerial prowess of Antonio Rudiger to Real Madrid.
However, Koulibaly’s journey to the top didn’t come without its sacrifice for his parents – who he has to thank for his football career.
“My parents were migrants and I experienced first hand the challenges they had to overcome,” Koulibaly once revealed.
Thomas Tuchel targets Kimpembe & Ake NEXT, Koulibaly MEDICAL in London
“If they hadn’t decided to seek a better life elsewhere, I could never have aspired to become the person I am now.”
Early struggles
Koulibaly was born in the French commune, Saint-Dié-des-Vosges, 50 miles southeast of Nancy to African parents who migrated from Senegal to France in hope of a better life.
His mum was a cleaner, taking on as many jobs as she could to support her family on minimum wage.
While dad cut up logs into lumber in a sawmill, again for a pittance.
Koulibaly attended Vincent Auriol Elementary school, where he excelled as a pupil.
“Kalidou was a good student who was diligent, practical and pleasant,” former teacher Phillippe Pisso told LifeBlogger.
“His success does not surprise me, after all he had always talked about becoming a professional footballer and worked towards achieving it at school.”
At school he fell in love with football and joined local amateur team SR Saint-Die when he was just eight.
“Whenever I got home, I’d hurry to complete my homework and then play football in front of our house,” he revealed.
“I can still remember how my mother would shout my name out of the window because I was playing football late at night and had school to attend the next day.”
FC Metz
By the age of 12, Koulibaly was already drawing attention from professional club’s scouts.
After first getting snubbed by FC Metz, he resigned for the French club in 2009Credit: GettyFrance legend Lilian Thuram was Koulibaly’s inspirationCredit: Getty
FC Metz were the first to offer him youth football – although his gangly frame failed to impress their coaches, who felt he lacked the ability to bring the ball out of defence.
He was released in 2006, heartbroken, but wasn’t going to give up.
Setting himself a target to improve on his distribution out from the back he watched hero Lilian Thuram’s commanding displays for France and tried to copy him.
“He’s the player who inspired me,” Koulibaly said in 2014.
“He gave me a lot of joy, alongside other stars who won the World Cup in 1998. Thuram was an example on and off the pitch, and I hope to reach his level.”
It worked
As fate would have it, FC Metz came back for Koulibaly.
It was at the second division club he cut his chops – helping their U19 team win the 2009–10 Coupe Gambardella after the team defeated Sochaux 5–4 on penalties in the final.
He also appeared 15 times in the Championnat de France Amateur, as Metz were crowned champions.
In 2010, he signed a professional contract and was swiftly handed his first team debut against Vannes.
Across two seasons Koulibaly appeared 46 times for FC Metz, but couldn’t stop their relegation to the third tierCredit: GettyKoulibaly struggled with his confidence at FC MetzCredit: Getty
But, in truth, he struggled with his confidence.
“Every mistake made him lose his focus for the rest of the game,” coach Dominique Bijotat once said.
He appeared 46 times over two seasons, but couldn’t stop Metz from relegation to France’s third tier.
Genk bring the best out of him
In 2012, Koulibaly left France to join Genk for a fresh start.
Within a year, he helped his new club win the Belgium Cup.
A swagger about his play, with his new found confidence, began to emerge.
Off the pitch he may have been shy, but on it he was excelling as a leader.
“We haven’t had such a talented centre-back in our league since Vincent Kompany,” his former team mate Julien Gorius once claimed.
It was that short spell at Genk that allowed him to flourish – alerting scouts from Italian clubs, including Napoli.
In Belgium at Genk Koulibaly began to show his promiseCredit: GettyAmusingly, Koulibaly hung up on Rafa Benitez three times when the ex-Napoli boss rang him to join the clubCredit: AP:Associated Press
Rafa Benitez, who was the Serie A giants’ coach at the time, was suitably impressed.
However, what transpired next could have scuppered a move to Italy for Koulibaly.
Prank call
Spaniard Benitez personally called Koulibaly on the phone – asking him to join him in Naples.
Alas, the player thought he was the victim of a prank call.
“I hung up on Benitez two or three times,” he told Oranje Blog.
“I thought it was a friend of mine pulling a prank. I didn’t believe he would call me, but it was true. I was so embarrassed and kept apologising.”
Napoli paid £6.5million to prise the 6ft1in star away from Genk in 2014, as he began a new adventure in Serie A – where defending is an art form.
Under numerous managers he flourished.
He was indispensable for Maurizio Sarri – appearing 42 times in 2015-16 season as Napoli just missed out on the title.
Koulibaly’s distribution from the back has improved through the yearsCredit: Alamy Live NewsFormer Napoli boss Carlo Ancelotti said Koulibaly is one of the best he’s worked withCredit: AFPKoulibaly will link up with former team mate Jorginho at ChelseaCredit: Getty
His performances earned him a place in the coveted Team of the Year – which he would appear in four years in a row.
Carlo Ancelotti replaced Sarri as manager in 2018 – and he would work with Koulibaly, nicknamed ‘The Wall’ by his adoring Napoli fans, for one season. But that was enough to recognise his qualities.
“Kalidou Koulibaly is one of the best I’ve ever coached, along with the likes of Maldini, Nesta, Cannavaro, Ramos, Thuram and Terry,” he said.
But, despite his loyalty to Napoli and their insistence on keeping him – once rejecting a reported £100million bid from Man Utd – silverware alluded both parties.
