Al-Hilal defender Kalidou Koulibaly left Chelsea last summer after just one season at the club.
Kalidou Koulibaly really struggled at Chelsea following his move from Napoli and has now told La Gazzetta dello Sport which coach helped him during his difficult moments at Stamford Bridge.
The centre-back worked with Francesco Calzona at Napoli and revealed that the Italian was still supporting him even after he had left the club for Chelsea.
Calzona is currently in charge of Gli Azzurri and is slowly helping them to climb up the table after a disastrous first half of the season.
As for Koulibaly, he is still in Saudi Arabia following his £20m (Daily Mail) move from Chelsea to Al-Hilal. One football agent claimed it was the best sale of the last summer transfer window, with the Blues able to make back a good amount of money for a player with no resale value.
Table of Contents
Francesco Calzona helped Kalidou Koulibaly amid Chelsea struggles
Koulibaly says Calzona, Maurizio Sarri’s former assistant manager at Napoli, was there to help him during the difficult moments at Chelsea.
Discussing the 55-year-old, he said: “He deserved this chance for many years. He did a great job at Slovakia as they qualified for the Euros. He dared to ask if he could help Napoli, given his bond. He has the quality to do well.
“Ciccio arrived at the right moment. He’s the coach Napoli needed. 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.”
MORE CHELSEA STORIES
Kalidou Koulibaly’s difficult moments at Chelsea
Things really did not go to plan for Koulibaly at Chelsea. Much was expected of the Senegal international when he arrived at Stamford Bridge, with many feeling that he was one of the best central defenders in Europe.
However, it took Koulibaly just three games to receive his first red card, while he only started 20 matches in the Premier League in total.
He did arrive in England a bit late in his career, though. Perhaps things would have turned out differently if he joined Chelsea a bit earlier.
