Koulibaly: I knew Higuain was set to join Juventus | OneFootball

Kalidou Koulibaly, former Napoli defender, recounted a now-legendary episode related to Gonzalo Higuain’s transfer to Juventus during an interview on the podcast Zack en Roue Libre. That summer marked one of the most controversial moves in the history of Italian football, with Napoli fans furious over the sale of their idol to their historic rival. Koulibaly explained that he contacted Higuain before the pre-season training camp, asking him if he would stay at Napoli: “I wrote to him: ‘Are you staying or leaving? There are a lot of rumors going around…’” The Argentine’s reply seemed reassuring: “No, no… I’ll be there tomorrow.” However, the reality was quite different.

The Pipita Backstory: Koulibaly Reveals the Lie Before the Move to Juve

The former Napoli defender recalls that his suspicions were confirmed when he received a photo from a friend: Higuain was wearing a wristband from a clinic in Barcelona, a sign that he was undergoing medical tests for his transfer to Juventus. “At first it seemed strange to me, but then I realized he was signing with Juve,” Koulibaly recounted, highlighting how Pipita had acted in great secrecy. Despite the transfer, Koulibaly spoke with great respect about Higuain’s technical qualities: “He was an incredible striker. All he needed was a ball in the middle of the pitch to score. Out of the 30 shots he took in training, he’d score 28, an absolute phenomenon. I never understood why Real Madrid let him go.”

Andrea Alati

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.