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Kalidou Koulibaly, during a match in Serie A. AFP7 via Europa Press (AFP7 via Europa Press)
Kalidou Koulibaly, African champion with Senegal on February 6, was born 30 years ago in France.
He grew up in Saint-Dié, 90 kilometers from Strasbourg.
“We were black, white, African, Muslim and Christian, yes;
but we were all French”, explains the Napoli defender.
Koulibaly, however, after going through the youth of the bleus decided to represent the country of his parents.
His choice had nothing to do with his parents, nor with his neighborhood, nor with his education in France;
she was much more pure, naive if you will: he chose the ball.
The first time he touched a ball was in Senegal.
She did not find, then, a better homeland.
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"I was six years old.
He was scared.
He was going to meet my grandparents, my uncles and my cousins.
It was a shock to see how they lived and how the children played soccer without shoes.
My mother told me: 'take them off and go play'.
That's how my story in football began."
From Senegal to the SR Saint-Dié academy, to land in the Metz subsidiary.
Koulibaly's breakthrough, in any case, came at KRC Genk in the Belgian league;
but his popularity was achieved in Naples.
He arrived in Italy in the summer of 2014 in exchange for 7.7 million euros.
He found his place in the south of Italy, learned the language quickly – he speaks a bit of the Neapolitan dialect –, became fond of spaghetti vongole and became one of the faces of the fight against racism.
But Koulibaly is, above all, a central defender, chosen in the ideal team of the African Cup, leader of the Neapolitan defense.
The Commander, his technician calls him, Luciano Spalletti.
After his frustrated stint at Inter (he finished fourth twice), Spalletti built a combative Napoli based on defensive solidity, with Koulibaly as a symbol.
Despite the fact that in the group stage of the Europa League he conceded 10 goals in six games, in Serie A, the Neapolitan team is the team with the fewest goals: 17 in 25 games.
Napoli are grouped in a 4-4-2 when they don't have the ball, while in attack they open up in a 4-2-3-1, with Osimhen in attack -the striker is doubtful-.
The Nigerian's partner is the historic Insigne, who has already announced that he will continue his career at Toronto in the MLS.
Napoles, also Andalusian team Fabián, is encouraged to fight for the title with Inter and Milan —they are separated by two points—, clinging to Comandante Koulibaly's bolt.
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