I am Not Toni Rudiger—Koulibaly begs

I am not Toni Rudiger, Chelsea defender, Koulibaly begs the media and fans to lower expectations or the comparisons that may arise in the coming season.

New Chelsea signing, Kalidou Koulibaly ever since his move to London has been quite nervous about his reception by the fans.

And in his actions, he has tried everything possible to avoid unnecessary comparisons with former Chelsea players or Legends.

He recently took the phone to call on John Terry to ask for his permission to pick up his number that prior to Koulibaly’s arrival was retired and refused to be picked by other players.

According to the Senegalese, he and Toni Rudiger are of different personalities in terms of playing style as he hopes to deter any future comparisons or expectations.

Speaking during his presentation, he acknowledges the kind of player Rudiger is, saying:

“Antonio is a really good player,

“I know what he did for Chelsea. I used to play against him when he was at Roma. He did a lot at Chelsea and I’m happy for him when he joined Real Madrid, but for me it’s not pressure.

“I don’t want to be the guy who is replacing Rudiger. I am Koulibaly, another player, not the same player, I don’t play like him. I have different skills, another style, another idea of football, so I will try to do my best to give solidity to the team.”

On his style of play, Koulibaly admits he is a fan of challenges and duels with opposition players stating:

“I like duels, I like one against ones, to give solidity, to defend, so it’s the right place for me. There are a lot of good attackers in the Premier League, some of the best in the world, so it will be difficult, but I’m easy and I want to show I can be the defender everybody thinks.

“My first idea is to not let a goal in,

“If we do that, we have a lot of talent, a lot of big players who can score every time, everywhere. If we give this solidity to the back, in front they will have no worries and they will score a lot.

“I come from Italy, it will be difficult, but I’m ready because I’m really motivated. I want to show everybody I’m ready to play in the Premier League.”

On the difference between the pattern of play in England and in the Italian Serie A, Koulibaly admits the pace is much faster hence he states he needs to do things a lot more faster in order to keep up.

“Everything is faster. I have to think faster, my head has to go faster, my eyes have to go faster. This is the most difficult thing for a player coming to the Premier League. In Serie A everything is more with the brain, more calm. That’s the first thing I have to change.

“It’s a new system for me, 3-5-2, so I have to adapt. I’m thankful to the staff because they have helped me understand everything and talked a lot with me, and the other players like Thiago Silva and Azpi.

“The most important thing is to have good behaviour to understand everything fast.

“I need time, for sure. I cannot be the player everybody is waiting for in the first game, but I will take my time, give everything I can, and I know in two or three months I will be the player everybody is waiting for.

“For the moment I’m really calm, I am thinking game after game, and preparing to help the team on Saturday if the coach gives me the opportunity to start.

“I want to give everything for the club. They have a lot of confidence in me, so I want to show them on the pitch they made a good choice with me.

It’s a good thing that the defender has set the record straight that he is not Toni Rudiger, that way he can do things to his own pace and without having to live up to the shoes of the German.