Kalidou Koulibaly did not believe that Napoli really wanted to sign him when they first made contact to discuss a transfer and the defender has confessed that he even hung up on Rafael Benitez as he thought he was being pranked.
Then of Genk, Koulibaly says that the move to Serie A came at a great time and has allowed him to become the defender that he now is.
“I hung up on Benitez two or three times,” he told Oranje Blog. “I thought it was a friend of mine pulling a prank.
“I didn’t believe he would call me, but it was true. I was so embarrassed and kept apologising.
“That transfer was exactly what I needed. For a defender, there is no better place than Italy to develop tactically. I have made enormous progress in that area.”
Napoli legend Diego Maradona is a keen admirer of the defender and recently reached out to request his shirt but again, Koulibaly was unsure whether or not to believe the sincerity of the offer until he received a photo of the World Cup winner.
“Maradona sent me a picture three days later of him with the shirt,” he added. “I was thrilled. It proves everything is possible in life.”
