Kalidou Koulibaly puts Napoli behind him

Kalidou Koulibaly’s words.

First words as a Chelsea player for Kalidou Koulibaly: “In Naples everyone knew me, I was happy there. But after eight years I needed a new challenge.”

“I wanted to pass the medical examinations and go on the pre-season tour in America as soon as possible, but these things take some time,” he added to the London club’s official website. “There was a lot of paperwork and documents to sort out first, so I walked around the hotel a lot by myself to kill time while I waited for the green light to come! I talked a lot with the coach and my family and I am really happy because I made an important decision. I wanted to test myself in the biggest league in the world, and I want to thank everyone for giving me this chance.”

Closing remark on Thomas Tuchel: “For me it’s important that he called me, he told me what he wants from me and everything he anticipated turned out to be ideal for me to come to Chelsea. I am really happy to work with him. I knew him from his days in Paris and he called me directly to ask me if I wanted to come to Chelsea, and of course the answer was yes. I am really happy to work with him and to work with his staff. He is a good man, a great coach, and I look forward to working with him.”