Kalidou Koulibaly was not impressed with Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis’ suggestions that he wouldn’t sign African players due to the Africa Cup of Nations.
The Napoli president said in an interview yesterday that he doesn’t want to sign any more African players due to the interruption brought about by the AFCON schedule. The tournament takes place every two years between January and February, and players leave their clubs mid-season to compete, something which De Laurentiis is seemingly tired of.
Speaking at a press conference today, Koulibaly first spoke about his long links with Chelsea and why the move finally happened this summer.
“It’s true for a long time the Premier League wanted me to come. But I believe in God and I think the moment was now. Maybe before, nobody was ready, maybe Napoli didn’t want me to come.
“I’m not a player who wants to go fighting with the club to leave. I have a lot of respect for the owner and the supporters and I never fight with the club to go.
“I think this time was the good time to leave Napoli. I had eight years over there and I had a lot of good moments with the supporters, teammates and staff, I learned a lot about football but I think I was at the end of my story with Napoli. So I decided with my family and friends to come to Chelsea.
“Why Chelsea? I think it was because they were the only club that really wanted me to come. We had the first link back in 2015 when Antonio Conte came, they wanted me to come here.
“It didn’t happen but I was always linked to Chelsea and this time was the right time. The stars were in a good line so I’ve come here and I am very happy to join Chelsea and the Premier League.”
He reflected on the fact that he’s been popular at his previous clubs, and commented on if that’ll happen again at Chelsea.
“I don’t know, I’ll see. I’ll discover everything in London. I am trying to visit the city, think about football, feel the atmosphere of the city. It is different from Napoli because at Napoli, everybody was talking about football all the time. When I was taking my children to school, I was speaking about football with the other parents.
“I am discovering everything here. I want to take my time. I want to visit everything with my family and friends to feel the atmosphere.”
Koulibaly then gave his thoughts on the De Laurentiis controversy.
“It’s up to him. For me, the most important thing is to respect everybody. I always respect everybody. When I played there I was playing also for Senegal, and I won AFCON when I was playing at Napoli.
“It’s true it was a difficult moment for them when we went to AFCON, but we won it and I’m really happy today. We have to respect the national teams also. You cannot speak about an African national team like this, I think.
“You have to have respect as you have for the other national teams. As captain of Senegal, I think it’s not a good way to speak about an African national team, but I respect what he thinks. If he thinks the team can play without African players, it’s up to him.
“But I think not everyone in the club has the same idea as him. I know everybody over there, I know the supporters and the supporters don’t think like this.
“It’s up to him, but it’s not an idea of the society of the city, because the city is really respectful. This is what he thinks, not what the city is thinking or the society is thinking.”
Finally, Koulibaly discussed if he was ever asked to miss out on AFCON whilst at Napoli.
“No, never. Nobody ever told me not to go to AFCON. Maybe sometimes they tried to ask my agent, but with me as captain as Senegal, even as a player of Senegal, when AFCON comes I want to be the first one there.
“In December I was injured, so I came to Senegal early to start my training with the team. I was really happy and excited to start the AFCON. Nobody can tell me not to go to my national team.
“I have a lot of love for my national team, for my country, for the people I play for. If somebody tells me not to go there, it’s the only time I will fight with somebody.
“We are all respectful. We waited for everyone to come from the Premier League a bit late, but when everybody came everybody was happy to be there.
“I think in Africa we all think like this. We have respect for everybody, but it someone tells them to not come they will all fight to come.
“It’s the most important thing, and everybody has to give us respect like we give respect to everybody.”
How would he know he quit and left
ADL is absolutely right here because it is a huge disadvantage to have an eligible AFCON player you know will lose almost two months in the Serie A. FIFA should change the moment of the tournament and if the players want to sacrifice their holiday season, so be it. But don’t take away time from the club that pays him to play
It is dumb thing for him as a major player in the game, why would you wanna stop a player playing for his nation ? .
However, every major European competitions are played during the end of the seasons later in the years, why cant we do the same in Africa?
70% of our players plays in Europe, why should we expect them to leave their clubs at the middle of the season to come play AFCON
These guys running African football should have some sense too.
Check this:
The 2023 edition of the Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) has been delayed until early 2024, amid fears of a washout during host nation Ivory Coast’s rainy season.
Can you imagine? This was supposed to be played in June -July 2003 when all season are on break, then postponed to Feb 2024 when the season is begin to hit up across the globe, is this not stupidity ?
You guys are just running your mouth for nothing, why must African tournament be changed because of European clubs? You guys are selfish to the core we are Africans and that is our convenient time to play our game. More of the reason why I like Jose Mourinho he will never agree to such crazy ideas. Your so called Leagues are nothing without African talents.