LONDON: New Chelsea signing Kalidou Koulibaly has insisted he will never let anyone stop him playing football for Senegal.
The Senegal captain said African nations deserved more respect after the president of his former club, Napoli, said he would only sign African or South American players willing to miss competitions with their national teams.
“Don’t talk to me about Africans anymore,” Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis told business website Wall Street Italia.
“I wish them well, but either they sign a waiver for the African Cup or else...”
“Between that tournament and the World Cup qualifiers in South America, these players are never available!“
But Senegal captain Koulibaly, who led his country to the Africa Cup of Nations title earlier this year before joining Chelsea in a reported £34 million ($41 million) move from Serie A side Napoli was unimpressed.
“Nobody ever told me not to go to AFCON or something like this,” said Koulibaly during a news conference Wednesday.
“Maybe sometimes they try to ask my manager or something like this.
“But me, now as captain of Senegal, when AFCON comes I have to be the first one there, the first one in Senegal.”
Koulibaly, who has signed a four-year contract with Chelsea following the purchase of the club by US businessman Todd Boehly’s consortium, added: “Nobody can tell me not to go to my national team. I have a lot of love for my national team, the team that I play for.
“So, if someone told me to do that, it would be the only time that I can fight with somebody.
“The way we feel all the time with my national team, we are all respectful, we wait for players to come from the Premier League, and everybody is happy to be here.
“Everybody thinks the same as me in the national team. If someone told them not to come they would always fight to come.
“This is the most important thing. Everybody has to give us respect.”
Koulibaly will bolster a defense now without Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen after they each left Stamford Bridge.
He will wear the number 26 shirt made famous by Chelsea great John Terry having sought permission from the Blues legend.
“I called John and at the beginning he didn’t believe it was me, he thought it was a joke,” Koulibaly explained. “So he called the team manager to ask if it was really me.
“I know that it’s a very important number for John, but it’s also a very important number for me too, because I took it at Napoli.
“And when he said yes I was very happy, because I know what he did for the club and for the supporters here.
“I wanted to tell everybody that I asked him before, because I didn’t want to disrespect a legend of the club.”
Chelsea’s Koulibaly says no one can stop him representing Senegal
https://arab.news/vsum7
Chelsea’s Koulibaly says no one can stop him representing Senegal
- "Nobody ever told me not to go to AFCON or something like this," said Koulibaly
- "But me, now as captain of Senegal, when AFCON comes I have to be the first one there"
Liverpool on the up as new signings hit form, says Slot
- Hopes of retaining the Premier League title were high at the start of the season after Liverpool splashed out nearly $605 million on new signings
- But bar some bright moments from Hugo Ekitike, the new faces struggled in the opening months of the season
LIVERPOOL: Liverpool boss Arne Slot believes the Reds will only get better in the years to come as a huge outlay on young talent in the transfer market begins to bear fruit.
Hopes of retaining the Premier League title were high at the start of the season after Liverpool splashed out nearly £450 million ($605 million) on new signings.
But bar some bright moments from Hugo Ekitike, the new faces struggled in the opening months of the season.
Alexander Isak has been beset by injuries since his British transfer record £125 million move from Newcastle and will miss most of the rest of the campaign with a broken leg.
But Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong have recently hit the form that saw them earn a move to Anfield during a 13-game unbeaten run for Slot’s men.
“If you look at the age of the signings, they will be better next season and the season after,” Slot said at his pre-match press conference ahead of Saturday’s trip to Bournemouth.
“We’ve spoken about Florian that he lacked goals and assists in the beginning but he was so close and even now he could almost double it with the chances he’s having or giving to his teammates.
“I can only see positives in this team in terms of progress but we have to adapt so many times in the season.
“We are already in a good place but this club will be a good place tomorrow and the day after and the day after.”
Liverpool’s chances of retaining the title are long gone with a 14-point gap to leaders Arsenal and their target switching to securing Champions League football next season.
Slot’s side sit fourth but only six points separate them from Brighton in 12th.
Liverpool also took a giant stride toward the Champions League last 16 with a 3-0 win at Marseille on Wednesday.
But the Dutchman does not expect to add to his squad in what remains of the January transfer window.
“That’s what I expect, yes,” he added on the prospect of no new signings this month.
“But as I always say, if there’s an opportunity in the market or we think we can strengthen, this club will try to do so, but at this moment in time I expect it to stay mainly the same.”
