It all started in the Vosges, on land in the Kellermann district of Saint-Dié-des-Vosges. This is where Kalidou Koulibaly made his mark, in a city that saw him grow up before letting him go international. Now a Senegalese international, the central defender has just signed a 4-year contract with Chelsea, one of the best clubs in the world, winner of the Champions League in 2021. The British club had to pay 40 million euros to offer his services.
An immense pride for the training club
On the side of Saint-Dié, we never forgot the child of the country, the one who passed 3 years at the Kellermann club from 2006 to 2009, long before the merger between the two Déodatiennes entities in 2019. Now united under the same banner, it is therefore a whole city that celebrates its champion. “We have a room in Kellermann where we already followed all his matches in Naples, it is likely to continue for a long time with Chelsea“, smiles Mohamadou Ndiaye, the president of SR Saint-Dié-Kellermann.
The latter has been with Kalidou Koulibaly since he was 3-4 years old, “before our careers obviously take different paths“, he quips. “He is truly an example for all the young people who go through our football school.“With an interesting financial perspective as well. As a training club, the Déodatienne team should receive a small part of the 40 million euros put on the table by Chelsea. For the moment, no amount communicated, but the staff awaits news from UEFA in the next few days. Several hundred thousand euros could thus return to Saint-Dié. “Even if after 30 years, the percentages are a little lower“, concedes Mohamadou Ndiaye.