New Chelsea signing Kalidou Koulibaly has appeared to hit back at his former Napoli boss over remarks about not signing African players if they plan to play in the Africa Cup of Nations.
Koulibaly, who captained Senegal to their first Afcon title in February, spent eight years at Napoli before joining Chelsea last month in a deal reported to be worth £34 million ($40.6m).
Shortly before Koulibaly's first press conference as a Chelsea player on Wednesday, Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis said he would think twice about recruiting any more African players, unless they committed to not playing at Afcon.
"Don't talk to me about Africans anymore," Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis told 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!"
Koulibaly hit back by saying African nations deserved more respect, telling reporters: "Nobody will ever tell me not to go to Afcon or something like this.
"Maybe sometimes they try to ask my manager, but me, now as captain of Senegal, when Afcon comes I have to be the first one there, the first one in Senegal."
"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's move to Chelsea has bolstered a defence now without Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen after they left Stamford Bridge for Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively this summer.
The 31-year-old centre-back will wear the No 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 said. "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."
Koulibaly also revealed he was close to signing for Chelsea in 2015 but Napoli did not allow him to leave the Serie A side at that time.
Koulibaly said Antonio Conte – now at the helm of Tottenham Hotspur but manager at Chelsea at that time – had tried to sign him after his first year with Napoli.
"I asked respectfully to the owner that I wanted to leave for Chelsea but he told me that it wouldn't be possible," he said. "So I waited a bit and continued my conversation with them but they really didn't want me to leave the club so I decided to renew my contract to stay in Napoli.
"For me it was a bit hard to say no because it was my dream to play in the Premier League since I was a child."
After realising his childhood dream, Koulibaly's position at Chelsea meant his prospects of being in a trophy-winning team were stronger. Although Napoli came close to clinching the Serie A title under Maurizio Sarri, Koulibaly lifted only one Italian Cup while at the club.
"With my personal experience, I know you don't have to give a limit to your dream and my dream is to win everything with Chelsea," he said.
"I know it will be difficult. I don't come with arrogant behaviour. I come with respect, a lot of respect for everybody, but I know Chelsea is a big team and a team that has to win, that's used to winning."
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
If you go:
Getting there:
Flying to Guyana requires first reaching New York with either Emirates or Etihad, then connecting with JetBlue or Caribbean Air at JFK airport. Prices start from around Dh7,000.
Getting around:
Wildlife Worldwide offers a range of Guyana itineraries, such as its small group tour, the 15-day ‘Ultimate Guyana Nature Experience’ which features Georgetown, the Iwokrama Rainforest (one of the world’s four remaining pristine tropical rainforests left in the world), the Amerindian village of Surama and the Rupununi Savannah, known for its giant anteaters and river otters; wildlifeworldwide.com
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More from Neighbourhood Watch
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
if you go
The flights
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
List of alleged parties
May 12, 2020: PM and his wife Carrie attend 'work meeting' with at least 17 staff
May 20, 2020: They attend 'bring your own booze party'
Nov 27, 2020: PM gives speech at leaving party for his staff
Dec 10, 2020: Staff party held by then-education secretary Gavin Williamson
Dec 13, 2020: PM and his wife throw a party
Dec 14, 2020: London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey holds staff event at Conservative Party headquarters
Dec 15, 2020: PM takes part in a staff quiz
Dec 18, 2020: Downing Street Christmas party
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
PROFILE OF STARZPLAY
Date started: 2014
Founders: Maaz Sheikh, Danny Bates
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment/Streaming Video On Demand
Number of employees: 125
Investors/Investment amount: $125 million. Major investors include Starz/Lionsgate, State Street, SEQ and Delta Partners
The years Ramadan fell in May
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Match info:
Wolves 1
Boly (57')
Manchester City 1
Laporte (69')
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
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RESULTS
6.30pm: Maiden Dh 165,000 1,600m
Winner: Superior, Connor Beasley (jockey), Ahmad bin Harmash (trainer)
7.05pm: Handicap Dh 185,000 2,000m
Winner: Tried And True, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
7.40pm: Maiden Dh 165,000 1,600m
Winner: Roy Orbison, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
8.15pm
Handicap Dh 190,000 1,400m
Winner: Taamol, Dane O’Neill, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
8.50pm
Handicap Dh 175,000 1,600m
Winner: Welford, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
9.25pm: Handicap Dh 175,000 1,200m
Winner: Lavaspin, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
10pm: Handicap Dh 165,000 1,600m
Winner: Untold Secret, Xavier Ziani, Sandeep Jadhav
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
