Kalidou Koulibaly

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Napoli star Kalidou Koulibaly at centre of racism storm rocking Italian football after abusive chants at San Siro... and it could push him to move to England

* Napoli defender Kalidou Koulibaly subjected to racial abuse during the game
* Inter Milan are set to play their next two home games behind closed doors
* Napoli defender is one of Europe's most talented and sought after centre-backs

Kalidou Koulibaly, the powerhouse Napoli central defender pursued by Manchester United and Chelsea, is at the centre of a racism storm that has rocked Italian football and threatens to push the player closer to the Premier League.

Koulibaly alleged that he endured racial abuse and monkey chants during Napoli’s 1-0 defeat at Inter Milan on Boxing Day.

Koulibaly and his manager Carlo Ancelotti were furious after persistent racist chanting. The 27-year-old central defender, a nominee for African Player of the Year and one of Europe’s finest centre backs, was sent off late in the game, shown a second yellow card when he sarcastically applauded a decision by the referee.

Former Chelsea boss Ancelotti claimed he asked for the game to be stopped and, despite announcements urging supporters to behave, the monkey chants are said to have persisted.

It follows hot on the heels of the alleged racist abuse suffered by Raheem Sterling during Manchester City’s defeat at Chelsea earlier this month, which triggered a police investigation.

Ancelotti said: ‘It’s a shame because twice we asked for the match to be suspended for the racist chanting towards Koulibaly. It shook him. He’s a good-mannered player and he was bombarded by the stadium.

‘Despite our requests and the chanting, the game wasn’t suspended. I think it should have been. Next time we’ll stop playing ourselves.

‘It was impossible for him to be calm. He cares a lot about the issue of racism and he commits a lot of time to the matter, including in society. What happened is unacceptable — not just for us but for Italian football as a whole.’


Inter Milan will play two games behind closed doors following racist abuse of Kalidou Koulibaly. Senegal international defender Koulibaly was subjected to racial abuse during the game

This is not the first time the 6ft 5in centre half has endured racism in Italy. He was racially abused at Lazio’s Stadio Olimpico in 2016. The chants started every time Koulibaly touched the ball and the match was stopped for three minutes. Napoli fans brought a banner to the club’s training ground in the following days that read: ‘Honour your colour, Koulibaly.’

Racism continues to undermine Italian football. Former Manchester City forward Mario Balotelli was aghast this year when, as a contender for the vice-captaincy role for the national team, fans unfurled a banner that insisted Italy captains should have ‘Italian blood.’

Chelsea defender Antonio Rudiger has previously accused the Italian authorities of being unwilling to take steps to fix the problem and pleaded for FIFA to take the lead.

In 2013, Manchester United’s Paul Pogba and West Ham’s Angelo Ogbonna suffered racist abuse while playing for Juventus against Lazio. Pogba said: ‘We heard it. They’re ignorant. What can I do? I’m alone against 30,000 fans. They do that even though there are black guys in their team.’

Koulibaly posted on Twitter after Wednesday’s game: ‘I’m sorry about the defeat and especially to have let my brothers down. But I’m proud of the colour of my skin. To be French, Senegalese, Neapolitan and a man.’

Koulibaly’s agent is understood to have held talks with Napoli at a hotel earlier this month. It remains to be seen whether this latest episode will lead Koulibaly to seek a career outside Italy. Maurizio Sarri is keen to be reunited with the defender at Chelsea, while Jose Mourinho wanted to sign him for Manchester United. Napoli would demand a transfer fee over £70million.

On a dreadful evening in Milan, an Inter supporter was killed following violence between supporters. The 35-year-old was reported to have been struck by a van. Four Napoli supporters were injured and one was stabbed. Rival fans were said to have been armed with chains and hammers during pre-match scuffles.

Serie A took action on Thursday by ordering Inter to play their next two home games behind closed doors. A third game will see their crowd partially reduced.

The Italian football federation briefly considered suspending Serie A football entirely this weekend before president Gabriele Gravina said: ‘Saturday will be played, there will be regular matches. The championship will not stop. We do not stop against those who want to contaminate our world.’

The mayor of Milan, Giuseppe Sala, apologised to Koulibaly on his Facebook page, calling the abuse ‘a shameful act against a respected athlete’.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6533151/Inter-play-two-Serie-matches-closed-doors-racism.html

ada kans Koulibaly pindah nih terkait kasus rasial walaupun di Inggris juga masih terjadi, baru2 ini menimpa Sterling & Auba namun 'tidak separah' di Seri A

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Manchester United are determined 'to land top target Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli this summer' regardless of the manager in charge

* Manchester United want to bolster their defence with Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly
* The club are said to be determined to get the 27-year-old in the summer window
* Koulibaly is wanted by Old Trafford chiefs 'regardless of the manager in charge'

Manchester United are 'determined to bring in top target Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli this summer' regardless of the manager in charge.

Keen to strengthen their options at the back, the 27-year-old Napoli centre back has long been admired behind the scenes at Old Trafford since the days of Jose Mourinho.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is in charge on an interim basis until the end of the season but the club, according to the Sun, are ready to make a move for Koulibaly while the manager for next season remains up in the air.


Manchester United are keen to land 'top target Kalidou Koulibaly' in the summer window. The Senegalese has established himself in recent seasons as one of Europe's finest defenders

Koulibaly has 31 caps for his country and has carved out a reputation in recent years as one of the best defenders in European football.

United have shown a remarkable improvement since Solskjaer took charge, winning all eight of his matches in charge.

But the defence is still a real area of concern with Chris Smalling, Phil Jones, Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof yet to show long-standing consistency since arriving at the club.

Solskjaer's side have shown a verve and desire in attack but that has come at a cost with just three clean sheets from eight.

Koulibaly has seen Premier League interest rejected before by Napoli and should he leave Naples it would not come cheap with the Senegalese valued at around £90m.

Before Mourinho was given the axe in December, he was left frustrated at a failure by bosses last summer not to land a new central defender.

United were believed to be tracking Englishman Harry Maguire at Leicester City and Diego Godin at Atletico Madrid but it now appears Koulibaly is the No 1 priority to bolster the squad for the 2019-20 season.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6642239/Manchester-United-determined-land-target-Kalidou-Koulibaly-Napoli-summer.html

[Andi Istiabudi]

Pas nonton videonya ternyata bagus juga mainnya, mungkin tipikal permainannya agak mirip Jaap Stam dulu...

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'Koulibaly will not leave here': Carlo Ancelotti insists Napoli will not sell £130m-rated centre-back amid interest from Manchester United

* Carlo Ancelotti insists Kalidou Koulibaly is not for sale this summer
* Manchester United have been strongly linked with the centre-back
* Reports in Italy last week suggested it would take a £130m bid to sign him

Carlo Ancelotti insists that Napoli will not be forced to sell their £130m-rated defender Kalidou Kouliably.

It deals a huge blow to Manchester United, who had made the Senegalese centre-back a top priority for their summer transfer plans.

They have been keeping tabs for months as they aim to solve the defensive deficiencies that plagued their early-season form.


Kalidou Koulibaly has been strongly linked with a move away from Napoli this summer. Manager Carlo Ancelotti insists that the £130m-rated Senegalese defender is not for sale

The Italian said on Thursday: 'Napoli will not be forced to sell. Koulibaly will not leave here.'

Real Madrid, Barcelona and Chelsea are in the race for the 27-year-old, according to reports in Italy last week.

One man who is sure to be at Old Trafford next season is Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who has signed a three-year deal to be the permanent boss.

United's defence has shored up under his stewardship, with Victor Lindelof showing his best form in England.

Long-serving defenders Chris Smalling and Phil Jones have recent signed new long-term deals at the club.

'From the first day I arrived, I felt at home at this special club,' said Solskjaer in a statement on the club website.

'It was an honour to be a Manchester United player, and then to start my coaching career here. The last few months have been a fantastic experience and I want to thank all of the coaches, players and staff for the work we've done so far.

'This is the job that I always dreamed of doing and I'm beyond excited to have the chance to lead the club long term and hopefully deliver the continued success that our amazing fans deserve.'

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6861803/Man-United-target-Koulibaly-not-sale-insists-Ancelotti.html

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Madrid Incar Koulibaly kalau Varane Pergi
Novitasari Dewi Salusi - detikSport


Madrid - Real Madrid sudah menentukan target transfer jika Raphael Varane benar-benar hengkang. Madrid akan berupaya merekrut bek Napoli, Kalidou Koulibaly.

Varane dikabarkan mulai mempertimbangkan masa depannya di Santiago Bernabeu. Bek berusia 25 tahun itu disebut memikirkan opsi hengkang pada bursa transfer musim panas nanti.

Jika Varane benar-benar pergi, Madrid membidik Koulibaly sebagai pengganti. Zinedine Zidane kabarnya menilai Koulibaly sebagai pengganti ideal untuk Varane.

Dikabarkan oleh AS, Zidane sudah lama mengagumi Koulibaly, sejak bek asal Senegal itu belum pindah ke Napoli. Koulibaly gabung Napoli pada 2014 dari klub Belgia, Genk.

Koulibaly saat ini terikat kontrak dengan Napoli sampai 2023. Dalam kontrak tersebut kabarnya terdapat klausul rilis sebesar 150 juta euro (Rp 2,3 triliun) yang hanya berlaku untuk klub di luar Italia.

Untuk mendapatkan Koulibaly, Madrid harus bersaing dengan Manchester United dan Juventus yang juga tertarik kepada bek berusia 27 tahun itu.

https://sport.detik.com/sepakbola/liga-spanyol/d-4489366/madrid-incar-koulibaly-kalau-varane-pergi

Toby diincar Juve, Koulibaly diincar Madrid, United beli bek siapa jadinya?

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Kalidou Koulibaly is Europe's in-demand centre back but errors in Napoli's Europa League loss to Arsenal show he is not a £75million cure-all

* Kalidou Koulibaly, linked to Premier League clubs, played for Napoli at Arsenal
* He scored an own goal as he deflected Lucas Torreira's shot past Alex Meret
* Koulibaly started brilliantly but errors for both goals showed he is fallible
* He is wanted by Man United and could cost £75m, but is not a miracle cure

Andy Warhol used to say that in the future, everyone will be famous for 15 minutes. Kalidou Koulibaly experienced that at the Emirates. Then his celebrity status was revoked.

For the first quarter of an hour he could do no wrong. Standing tall, he nipped the ball out from Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's feet without any effort at all.

A pair of blocks from Aaron Ramsey and Ainsley Maitland-Niles made it seem as though he had tampered with the ball pre-match, installing a magnet in it and his boots.


Kalidou Koulibaly, often linked to Premier League clubs, played for Napoli at Arsenal. Koulibaly scored an own goal as he deflected Lucas Torreira's shot past goalkeeper Alex Meret

It seemed as though he was living up to the pre-match billing. Eyes were inevitably on him because he has dominated English gossip columns for years like the strikers he has faced in Italy.

Chelsea constantly pursued him when Antonio Conte was in charge. He is now, supposedly, the man to fix Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's defence. Manchester United are thought to be plotting a £75million swoop for him in the summer. He is meant to be the defender to take them back to the top level.

Even if United do not move for him, there is a suggestion in Spain he could be Real Madrid's replacement for Raphael Varane.

The 27-year-old is very much the in-vogue centre-back in Europe. As John Hartson said pre-match: 'If he is allowed to leave Napoli in the summer, some of the biggest clubs in Europe will want to sign him.

'He's been there since 2014. You can see the pace, the timing of his tackles and he backs himself. He doesn't mind getting in a footrace with strikers because he knows he's quick.'

Just before the clock hit 15 minutes, the thought came – this could be United's Virgil van Dijk. The way he calmly dealt with everything that came his way suggested they could finally consign Phil Jones to the history books. It was not just that. Like Van Dijk, it seemed like he was a one-man defence. A fee of £75m seemed cheap.

Then a counter-attack happened. With the mildest dragging apart of the Napoli defence, he lost his way. Going over to cover Lacazette on the Napoli left, he opened his legs and got brutally nutmegged – the sort of megging that ends a game in a playground, sees parents called in, and is mentioned for the rest of the year. A pass or two later and Ramsey was firing past his goalkeeper.

Then, minutes later, he attempted to block Lucas Torreira's shot. Sort of. It was almost an apology of a block. He got a knee to it. All that did was send it bouncing into the turf and past Alex Meret in the Napoli net.


Koulibaly started brilliantly but errors for both goals showed he is fallible and imperfect. Koulibaly is wanted by Manchester United and could cost £75million, but is not a miracle cure

It is not often that deflections can be considered genuine errors but watching this one back, it felt like a mistake.

Suddenly, Koulibaly was flawed reality rather than reputation. For that early spell he had seemed like a YouTube defending highlights reel brought to life in north London. Now the truth was here – look beyond the social media snippets and, like everyone else, he is imperfect.

This is to be slightly harsh. A 10-minute spell does not a career make, in the same way as the 15 minutes prior was not the whole package. There are caveats too. Koulibaly is missing his usual defensive partner Raul Albiol.

Further forward, Napoli had possibly the smallest strike partnership of all time in Dries Mertens and Lorenzo Insigne. We are beyond the point where height alone matters in football, but Napoli's lack of out-ball meant that, in the first-half at least, they were facing wave after wave of Arsenal attacks.

What it does say, though, is that simply splashing £75m on Koulibaly will not cure all that ails United. In the same way that Jones can go from being compared to Duncan Edwards to a defender gurning his way to a slow motion meme in a heartbeat, the Senegalese defender will have his ups and downs.

United will hope that those 10 difficult minutes are just a rare blot on his record if he is their big hope for the summer. What preceded and followed it – an hour or so of untroubled defensive play – suggested it could be.

Which is to say, in a roundabout way, Koulibaly seemed great and then fine. You know, apart from the goals.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-6913391/Kalidou-Koulibaly-demand-costly-errors-against-Arsenal.html

apalagi dinihari tadi bikin own goal, United harus mikir2 lagi nih buat beli