Kalidou Koulibaly ( hold 20 June 1991 ) is a professional football player who plays as centre-back for Serie A club Napoli and captains the Senegal national team. Koulibaly began his professional club career with french team Metz in 2010, before moving to Belgian golf club Genk in 2012, winning the belgian Cup in his first season. He joined italian team Napoli in 2014, where he won the Supercoppa Italiana championship ; he besides won the Coppa Italia in 2020.
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As Koulibaly was born in France to senegalese parents, he was eligible to represent both nations at international level, and initially played for the France national under-20 football team. He later made his elder debut with Senegal in 2015 and was a penis of the Senegal police squad that took share at the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations. He was named to the side that represented Senegal at the 2018 FIFA World Cup the follow year, and subsequently helped his team to the final of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations .
early life [edit ]
Koulibaly was born on 20 June 1991, to senegalese parents in Saint-Dié-des-Vosges, France. [ 5 ] His don worked in a fabric grind in Senegal for seven days a week and never took weekends off for five years before he saved enough money to bring his mother to France. [ 5 ] He grew up in Saint-Dié-des-Vosges, revealing that : “ When you grow up in this environment, you see everyone as your brother. We are black, white, Arab, African, Muslim, Christian, yes — but we are all french. We are all hungry, so lashkar-e-taiba ’ south go have a turkish meal together. Or tonight, let ’ s all go to my house and corrode senegalese food. Yes, we have differences, but we are all equal. ” [ 5 ] Koulibaly says his breeding was “ heavily influenced by the multi-cultural nature ” growing up. [ 6 ] Koulibaly revealed that he first started playing football, saying : “ All the kids were running about playing football with no shoes, and I was in truth upset by this, I guess. My ma says that I was begging her to go to the store and buy shoes for everybody, so I could play football with them. But my mother said, “ Kalidou, good take your shoes off. Go play like they do. ” In the end, I threw off my shoes and went to play barefoot with my cousins — and this is where my football floor begins. When we got back to France, I was playing every day in the little park by our house. ” [ 5 ] His footballing career began with local club SR Saint-Dié. [ 7 ] He then joined FC Metz in his first spell but when was released at fifteen, which according to the club ‘s Academy Manager, Denis Schaeffer, Koulibaly was let go “ because he was excessively introvert, and his horizontal surface was a fiddling below our expectations. ” [ 8 ]
Club career [edit ]
early career [edit ]
Koulibaly began his career play for his hometown club SR Saint-Dié ‘s youth team ; he spent two seasons playing for the club ‘s team in the Championnat de France Amateur 2, before joining the youth academy of professional golf club Metz on 1 July 2009. [ 9 ] While at Metz, Koulibaly helped the club ‘s under-19 team win the 2009–10 Coupe Gambardella after the team defeated Sochaux 5–4 on penalties in the final examination. [ 10 ] He besides played for the club ‘s amateur team in the Championnat de France Amateur appearing in 15 matches as Metz were crowned champions of the league finishing with 107 points. [ 11 ]
Metz [edit ]
2010–11 : Development and discovery [edit ]
anterior to the start of the 2010–11 season, Koulibaly signed his first professional contract agreeing to a annual hand. He was, subsequently, promoted to the senior team by new coach Dominique Bijotat. Koulibaly made his professional introduction on 20 August 2010 in a league catch against Vannes. He appeared as a alternate in a 1–0 victory. [ 12 ] Following this, Kouliably became a beginning team regular for the side after dispatching the place from Nuno Frechaut. [ 13 ] On 15 April 2011, he scored his first goal for FC Metz, as they drew 3–3 against Clermont. [ 14 ] Three days subsequently, Koulibaly signed a three–year shrink extension with the club, keeping him until 2014. [ 7 ] At the end of the 2010–11 season, he went on to make nineteen appearances and scoring once in all competitions. Reflecting on his first temper at FC Metz, Manager Bijotat said of him, quoting : “ Kalidou Koulibaly is possibly the one who surprised the most people, while being the matchless who surprised me the least personally. I knew that it would come to him because it was already showing a good maturity. He ‘s always in the right climate and does not catch ardor, it ‘s important to the caper he ‘s doing. He besides knows how to analyze his own matches, which brings him to a certain regularity in his performances. conversely, we thought Yeni Ngbakoto was the closest to the group, but it took longer to come. He had a difficult get down, between pause and wound. It took him longer to settle on the team. His game was not settled, in this area he has progressed in holocene weeks and must distillery win in consistency. ” [ 15 ]
2011–12 season [edit ]
however, at the get down of the 2011–12 season, Koulibaly missed the beginning five league matches of the season, due to external commitments. [ 16 ] His first gear appearance of the 2011–12 season came on 9 September 2011, coming as a substitute in the sixtieth minutes, in a 2–2 drawing card against Stade Lavallois. [ 17 ] however, he served a two equal suspension after being sent–off for an unprofessional impart on Guillaume Moullec, as FC Metz lost 1–0 on 30 September 2011. [ 18 ] Despite this, Koulibaly returned to the first team and then captained the side for the inaugural fourth dimension on 2 December 2011, in a 2–0 acquire over AS Monaco. [ 19 ] He continued to regain his inaugural team place until suspension and injury, which finally kept him out for the lie of the 2011–12 season. [ 20 ] At the end of the 2011–12 season, Koulibaly went on to make 23 appearances in all competitions, including 10 alongside his future international teammate Sadio Mané. [ 21 ]
Genk [edit ]
2012–13 : belgian Cup [edit ]
Koulibaly in 2014 Koulibaly joined belgian club Genk on 29 June 2012 after agreeing a four-year narrow. [ 22 ] Among interest parties was Anderlecht but Genk won the rush to sign him. [ 23 ] On 23 August 2012, Koulibaly made his Genk debut in a UEFA Europa League play-off qualifying round, in which they were defeated by Swiss team Luzern 2–1 in the first leg of two. [ 24 ] [ 25 ] Since joining the golf club, he became a first team regular for the side, playing by and large in the centre–back position. [ 26 ] In a match against OH Leuven on 25 November 2012, Koulibaly made a foul in the penalty box at the last minute of the game, which was successfully converted by Ibou, as Genk drew 1–1. [ 27 ] On 23 December 2012, Koulibaly scored his inaugural Racing Genk finish in a 4–2 home kill to Anderlecht, [ 24 ] in which he scored a absolve heading from a corner, to make amends for his err. [ 28 ] He belated helped Genk win the 2012–13 belgian Cup after starting the whole game to beat Cercle Brugge. [ 29 ] At the end of the 2012–13 season, Koulibaly went on to make 46 appearances and scoring once in all competitions .
2013–14 season [edit ]
The 2013–14 temper saw Koulibaly began playing in the centre–back put, where he continued to form a partnership with Kara Mbodji. [ 30 ] He then scored two goals in two matches between 6 October 2013 and 19 October 2013. [ 31 ] Koulibaly started in every meet since the start of the season until he suffered a stifle injury during a 2–0 loss against Lokeren on 8 December 2013. [ 32 ] A calendar month late on 19 January 2014, Koulibaly returned to the starting batting order from injury, starting the solid game, in a 1–0 passing against Zulte Waregem. [ 33 ] Koulibaly kept his place in the inaugural team for the rest of the season. [ 34 ] however, he missed the remaining three league matches of the season, due to his at hand transfer move to Napoli. [ 35 ] Despite this, Koulibaly went on to make 46 appearances and scored two times in all competitions .
naples [edit ]
2014–15 : debut campaign [edit ]
Koulibaly joined Serie A golf club S.S.C. Napoli on 2 July 2014 on a five-year compress, for a fee around £6.5 million. [ 36 ] He made his debut on 19 August 2014 in a UEFA Champions League play-off turn qualifier, in which Napoli drew 1–1 with athletic Bilbao. [ 24 ] [ 37 ] Napoli went on to lose the second leg 3–1, frankincense sending them out of the rival. [ 24 ] [ 38 ] Koulibaly made his Serie A introduction in the opening game of the season against Genoa, playing the wholly peer as Napoli won 2–1. [ 39 ] He scored his first goal for the side on 24 September in a 3–3 draw with Palermo. [ 24 ] [ 40 ] Koulibaly played in every equal from the originate of the season, before being sent off for a second bookable crime in a 1–1 draw against Sampdoria on 1 December 2014. [ 41 ] In the 2014 Supercoppa Italiana against Juventus in Doha, Qatar, on 22 December, Koulibaly scored the winning penalty in the gunfight to secure Napoli victory. [ 42 ] Towards the end of the 2014–15 season, Koulibaly found himself placed in and out of the starting football team for the side, as director Rafael Benítez preferred Raúl Albiol and Miguel Britos in the central defense positions. [ 43 ] In his first gear season at Napoli, Koulibaly went on to make 39 appearances and scored one goal in all competitions .
Koulibaly playing during the friendly match between Napoli and Barcelona in the summer of 2014 .
2015–16 season [edit ]
ahead of the 2015–16 season, Koulibaly was linked with a move to Premier League side Southampton, but he finally stayed at the club. [ 44 ] Despite this, Koulibaly became a regular starter for Napoli under passenger car Maurizio Sarri, and saw an improvement in his performances for the side in the count of matches. [ 45 ] During a 2–0 win over Lazio on 3 February 2016, Koulibaly was subjected to racist mistreat from Lazio supporters, prompting referee Massimiliano Irrati to suspend the match temporally ; Koulibaly late reflected on this as “ the first clock time that he in truth experienced any racism in football ”. [ 5 ] [ 46 ] After the match, Lazio would go on to be sanctioned €50,000 by the league for these racist chants, and were ordered to play two dwelling matches behind close doors. [ 47 ] In a follow-up match against Carpi, Napoli supporters wore masks of Koulibaly in accompaniment of him ; he played a vital character during the game as he set up Gonzalo Higuaín to score the only goal of the peer in a Napoli victory. [ 48 ] The matches against Lazio and Carpi saw Napoli keep two straight clean sheets for the second base time during the temper, having previously achieved this in matches between 20 and 23 September 2015. [ 49 ] Koulibaly made 42 appearances in the 2015–16 season in all competitions.
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2016–17 season [edit ]
In the 2016–17 season, Koulibaly continued to be a regular newcomer for Napoli under coach Maurizio Sarri and helped the side start the season well, earning four wins from their first six league matches. [ 50 ] On 19 September 2016, he signed a five–year abridge with the golf club, keeping him at Napoli until 2021. [ 51 ] It was not until 15 October 2016 that Koulibaly scored his inaugural goal of the season, in a 3–1 passing against A.S. Roma. [ 52 ] Koulibaly continued to start every match of the season, until he sustained a stifle injury during a 5–0 win over Cagliari on 11 December 2016, resulting in him being sidelined for a calendar month. [ 53 ] After spending two months aside from Napoli ‘s inaugural team, due to both injury and international commitment, Koulibaly made his return to the starting lineup, playing the full 90 minutes, in a 2–0 acquire over Genoa on 10 February 2017. [ 54 ] Koulibaly regained his first team place for the side towards the end of the 2016–17 temper. [ 55 ] He belated scored his second goal of the season, in a 4–1 succeed over Fiorentina, on 20 May 2017. [ 56 ] By the end of the 2016–17 season, Koulibaly had made 38 appearances and scored two times in all competitions .
2017–18 temper [edit ]
In the 2017–18 season, Koulibaly played an integral role as Napoli won their beginning eight matches of the Serie A campaign. [ 57 ] During this streak, he scored two goals for the side, netting against Lazio and Cagliari on 20 September and 1 October 2017 respectively. [ 58 ] Koulibaly then helped Napoli go on a ten-spot match winning mottle in the league between 16 December 2017 and 26 February 2018. [ 59 ] During this mottle, he scored two goals for the side against Torino and Hellas Verona on 16 December 2017 and 6 January 2018 respectively. [ 60 ] Napoli continued to close challenge for the 2017–18 Serie A title. On 22 April 2018, Koulibaly scored a 90th-minute header against league leaders Juventus at the Allianz Stadium to seal a 1–0 win for the visitors and move Napoli within one point of Juventus with four games remaining. [ 61 ] however, in their next match against Fiorentina, Koulibaly was sent off within 10 minutes for a rash disgusting as Napoli lost 3–0. [ 62 ] Napoli would go on to achieve a club record 91 points, but finished the season 4 points behind league winners Juventus. By the end of the 2017–18 season, Koulibaly had made 45 appearances and scored five times in all competitions, his highest-scoring temper for the club .
2018–19 season [edit ]
At the beginning of the 2018–19 season, Koulibaly signed a sign propagation with Napoli, keeping him at the clubhouse until 2023. [ 63 ] He continued to be a even starter for Napoli under coach Carlo Ancelotti and spoke positively about playing under him. [ 64 ] Koulibaly helped the side win thirteen matches in the league to stay near the higher positions and challenge for the league title once again. [ 65 ] He then captained Napoli for the first time in his career, helping the side beat Cagliari 1–0 on 16 December 2018. [ 66 ] however, on 26 December 2018, Koulibaly received two yellow cards in immediate sequence for a clog and for sarcastically applauding the referee and was sent off, as Napoli lost 1–0 to Inter Milan at the San Siro. According to Ancelotti, Koulibaly was the target of racist chants from the Inter fans and his team asked for the match to be suspended three times. Posting on social media after the match, Koulibaly wrote, “ I ‘m blue about the frustration and particularly to have let my brothers down. But I ‘m gallant of the color of my hide. To be french, senegalese, Neapolitan, and a man. ” [ 67 ] Inter would go on to be sanctioned by the league for these racist chants, and was ordered to play two home matches behind shut doors. [ 68 ] After serving a two match suspension, Koulibaly returned to the starting lineup, playing the whole game and keeping a clean sheet, in a 2–0 acquire over Sassuolo Calcio in the rung of 16 of the Coppa Italia. [ 69 ] He helped the side keep five consecutive clean sheets in the league between 26 January and 24 February 2019, including matches against A.C. Milan, Sampdoria and Parma. [ 70 ] [ 71 ] On 12 April 2019, Koulibaly was involved in another racial incidental, after reportedly suffering racist abuse from an Arsenal sports fan during a Europa League pit between the two teams. [ 72 ] Two days late on 14 April 2019, he scored doubly for the side, in a 3–1 winnings over Chievo. [ 73 ] Napoli once again finished the season as runner-up to Juventus, with Koulibaly earning the inaugural Serie A Best Defender award for the season. [ 74 ] By the end of the 2018–19 season, he had made 48 appearances and scored two goals in all competitions .
2019–20 : Coppa Italia [edit ]
On 17 June 2020, Koulibaly started in the Coppa Italia Final against Juventus ; Napoli won the match 4–2 on penalties after a scoreless withdraw. [ 75 ] Koulibaly has on a numeral of occasions talked about his desire to retire at Napoli, and that a deviation would lone occur due to an economic decisiveness made by the club. [ 76 ]
International career [edit ]
Koulibaly was born and raised in France by senegalese parents, and was therefore eligible for both nations. He played for the french under-20 team starting in 2011 and played six times during the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Colombia. [ 77 ] however, in early September 2015, Koulibaly changed federations and joined the Senegal home football team, despite the interest to call him for Les Bleus from Didier Deschamps. [ 78 ] [ 79 ] He later explained his decision, saying : “ I do n’t have any regrets because I want to write the fib of the future of Senegal football and I hope I ‘ll be able to do that. ” [ 6 ] Koulibaly made his introduction on 5 September 2015 in an AFCON qualifier against Namibia in a 2–0 victory. [ 80 ] He was a penis of the Senegal police squad that took separate at the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations. [ 81 ] In May 2018, he was named in Senegal ‘s 23-man team for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. [ 82 ] Koulibaly played all three matches, as Senegal were knocked out in the group phase of the tournament after becoming the foremost team in FIFA World Cup history to be eliminated due to fair play tiebreaker rules. [ 83 ]
expressive style of play [edit ]
Koulibaly marking Hwang Hee-chan in a UEFA Champions League match in 2019 A big, aggressive, quick and physically strong even elegant musician, Koulibaly is recognised for his antenna art, prediction, aligning, tackling, character, proficiency and passing ability as a defender. He has besides been praised by pundits for his overall solidity as a player and his ability to make interceptions ; however, he has besides drawn criticism for giving aside excessively many fouls. due to his versatility, he can play both in his common function as a cardinal defender, or as a full-back on either the right or left flank, in both a three or four-man defense ; he has flush been deployed as a defensive midfielder. During his fourth dimension at Napoli, his ability to play the ball out from the spinal column saw him function as a ball-playing centre-back in director Maurizio Sarri ‘s attack, possession based-system. [ 84 ] [ 85 ] [ 86 ] [ 87 ] [ 88 ] [ 89 ] [ 90 ] [ 91 ] [ 92 ] [ 93 ] presently considered to be one of the best and most arrant defenders in populace football in the media, [ 88 ] [ 90 ] [ 94 ] [ 95 ] his ability, playing stylus, tall stature, and imposing physique have earned him the nicknames K2 [ 86 ] [ 88 ] [ 78 ] and The Wall from his fans. [ 96 ]
personal life [edit ]
In May 2019, it was announced that Koulibaly was named as an honorary citizen of Naples. [ 97 ] In April 2015, he was previously named as an honorary citizen of Saint-Dié-des-Vosges. [ 98 ] He is so democratic in Naples that an entrepreneur created a pizza after him and Koulibaly himself has spoken of his affection for the city. [ 99 ] [ 6 ] Koulibaly and his wife, Charline Oudenot, have a son together named Seni on 16 January 2016. [ 100 ] He became a second time don when his daughter Nessa was born on 28 August 2019. [ 101 ] He is a Muslim and states that his list derived from the Quran. [ 5 ] In addition to speaking french, Koulibaly besides speaks english and italian. [ 5 ] [ 102 ] [ 103 ] Throughout his time at Napoli, Koulibaly spoke out about racism in italian football. [ 5 ] In October 2019, Koulibaly called on the italian football authorities to tackle racism by giving offenders a life bachelor of arts in nursing from entering the stadium. [ 104 ] He had previously criticised the italian football authorities for their miss of feat to tackle racism in January of that class. [ 105 ] [ 106 ] He has been involved in respective activities to help inadequate people both in Naples and his fatherland : in June 2021, while he was spending a vacation in Senegal, Koulibaly collaborated with several local organizations to assist underprivileged children and coordinated the arrival of a ship carrying sanitary tools and all-important needs from the port of Naples. [ 107 ]
career statistics [edit ]
golf club [edit ]
- As of match played 21 November 2021
International [edit ]
- As of match played 14 November 2021[109]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team
Year
Apps
Goals
Senegal
2015
5
0
2016
7
0
2017
10
0
2018
9
0
2019
11
0
2020
2
0
2021
9
0
Total
53
0
Honours [edit ]
Genk
Napoli
Senegal
Individual
References [edit ]
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