Kalidou Koulibaly says Francesco Calzona helped his during his time at Chelsea
Former Chelsea centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly recalls his time with Francesco Calzona and says he helped him during his difficult tenure in West London. The Senegalese joined the Blues in 2022 but endured a poor time here.
He was signed as an Antonio Rudiger replacement but failed to fill his shoes with inconsistent performance and frequent injuries. The centre-back spent only a season at Chelsea before he was sold to Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal.
His time at Napoli convinced the Blues to move for the defender in the summer, but Koulibaly’s entire at Chelsea didn’t last long. During his short spell, the centre-back explained how Francesco Calzona (the current Napoli coach) helped him during his time at Chelsea. Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, he said via Football Italia:
“Ciccio arrived at the right moment. He’s the coach Napoli needs. His tactic is the same as Sarri’s, and everyone [at Napoli] knows it. Calzona has left his mark, and I am happy because he’s helped me even during difficult moments at Chelsea.”
Calzona has primarily served as an assistant coach. He joined Napoli in 2018 as their assistant coach under Maurizio Sarri who limited Senegalese playing time since other defenders were selected higher on the team’s priority list. Although Calzona undoubtedly played a significant role in keeping the 32-year-old at Napoli, Koulibaly was bent on leaving, and Chelsea made an approach at that point.
However, the centre-back wasn’t always at his most effective and had a string of injuries, so his transfer to Chelsea wasn’t all sunshine and roses. Little did he know that he would only play at Chelsea for one season before being traded back.
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It’s a pity that things didn’t work out here, as he was certainly a top defender we needed to continue for another season. But the Blues decided to revamp their squad, and Koulibaly was one of them who was part of the squad that was cleared out last summer.