Kalidou Koulibaly reflects on his career at Napoli

Kalidou Koulibaly, the former Napoli defender currently playing for Al-Hilal, reflected on his career and his formative years in Italy during an interview with the podcast ‘The Mo Show’.

Koulibaly credited his time in Naples as the best period of his career, noting that the intense pressure of a city of three million people dedicated to a single club forced him to change his professional approach and physical discipline. He recalled being recruited to Napoli by Rafa Benitez while playing in Belgium.

He also addressed his relationship with former manager Maurizio Sarri, describing the initial period as difficult due to language barriers and Sarri’s demanding, strict coaching style. Despite these challenges, Koulibaly expressed gratitude toward Sarri, stating that the manager’s severity was instrumental to his professional growth.