Chelsea’s Kalidou Koulibaly reveals his challenges ahead of debut
Chelsea’s prized summer signing Kalidou Koulibaly had a lot to say when he addressed the media for the first time since his move from Napoli.
The defender discussed how his phone conversation with former club captain John Terry transpired, revealed his philosophy, goals and above all, the challenges the Premier League poses in front of him. He underlined the speed of English football and integrating into a different system under Thomas Tuchel as his main challenges.
After eight long years at Napoli that encompassed 317 appearances, Koulibaly decided to take another step and join long-term admirers Chelsea.
Predominantly deployed on the left-side of a double centre-back pairing, he was signed as a replacement for Antonio Rudiger and made his debut in the club’s opener against Everton on August 5 at Goodison Park.
Koulibaly strengthens the Chelsea defense in several ways. He’s got a great mindset off the pitch and is a very lovable character. On the pitch it’s quite the opposite – the Senegalese footballer is sturdy, robust and experienced. He brings a voice at the back too, and is a real leader.
But Koulibaly was realistic in admitting that the Premier League is a seismic shift in his career. He told reporters “I come from Italy, it will be difficult, but I’m ready because I’m really motivated. I want to show everybody I’m ready to play in the Premier League… Everything is faster. I have to think faster, my head has to go faster, my eyes have to go faster. This is the most difficult thing for a player coming to the Premier League. In Serie A everything is more with the brain, more calm. That’s the first thing I have to change.”
Stressing the importance of fellow senior players, he added “It’s a new system for me, 3-5-2, so I have to adapt. I’m thankful to the staff because they have helped me understand everything and talked a lot with me, and the other players like Thiago Silva and Azpi.”
Koulibaly certainly hit the ground running in his debut, drawing into the opening lineup in Chelsea’s 1-0 win to help guide the Blues to their first league win at Goodison Park since April 2017.
-Akarshak Roy
Twitter: @RoyAkarshak
Photo: Happiraphael. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.