Pierre Kazeye Rommel Kalulu Kyatengwa (pronounced [ka.lu.lu]; born 5 June 2000) is a French professional footballer who plays as a defender for Serie A club Juventus, on loan from AC Milan. Having played for most of his youth career as a right-back, he began to play in central defense as his career progressed to the senior level.
 Kalulu with AC Milan in 2022 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Pierre Kazeye Rommel Kalulu Kyatengwa[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 5 June 2000 | ||
| Place of birth | Lyon, France | ||
| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | |||
| Team information | |||
Current team |
Juventus (on loan from AC Milan) | ||
| Number | 15 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2007–2010 | Saint-Priest | ||
| 2010–2018 | Lyon | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2018–2020 | Lyon B | 36 | (0) |
| 2020– | AC Milan | 84 | (3) |
| 2024– | → Juventus (loan) | 14 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2018 | France U18 | 5 | (0) |
| 2018–2019 | France U19 | 12 | (23) |
| 2019 | France U20 | 3 | (0) |
| 2021–2023 | France U21 | 19 | (2) |
| 2021 | France Olympic | 4 | (0) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:37, 22 December 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 2 July 2023 | |||
Early life
editKalulu was born in the 8th arrondissement of Lyon, France, and is Congolese by descent.[3] His father was born in Kabimba, Belgian Congo, and his mother in Likasi, Congo-Léopoldville. He acquired French nationality on 26 December 2000 through the collective effect of his parents' naturalization.[4]
Club career
editLyon
editKalulu moved from his youth club Saint-Priest to the youth academy of Olympique Lyon in the summer of 2010. In Lyon, he passed through the different youth departments from 2010 to 2018, and was elevated to their reserve team in June 2018. Ahead of the home game against Amiens played on 5 March 2020, Kalulu received his first ever call-up to the senior team. However, he remained on the bench for the entire game.[5]
AC Milan
editIn the summer of 2020, Kalulu moved to Italy to join AC Milan, and signed a contract until 2025.[6] On 10 December, he made his professional debut, playing the entire Europa League game against Sparta Prague as a left-sided centre-back; as Milan won 1–0, he was praised for helping the team keep a clean sheet.[7] Three days later, on 13 December, Kalulu made his debut in Serie A, replacing the injured Matteo Gabbia in the fifth minute of a home game against Parma.[8] In the following away league game against Genoa played on 16 December, he made his first-ever start in Serie A and scored a debut goal in his senior career, equalizing the score in the eventual 2–2 draw.[9]
During the 2021–22 season, after an injury to Alessio Romagnoli, Kalulu started the match against Napoli on 6 March 2022, partnering in central defence with Fikayo Tomori; he helped Milan to clinch a 1–0 win, impressing against Napoli's striker Victor Osimhen.[10] On 12 March against Empoli, Kalulu scored his first goal of the season, a powerful curling shot from outside the box, as Milan managed to win 1–0 and stay top of the league.[11] With him and Tomori again in central defence, Milan kept clean sheets in two consecutive Serie A games for the first time in 2022.[12]
In the 2022–23 season, Kalulu played in several different positions all throughout the season such as a right-sided centre-back next to Fikayo Tomori, on the right of a back-three with Malick Thiaw in the middle and Tomori on the left, and as a right full-back in a back-four. However, towards the season's end, as manager Stefano Pioli switched back to 4–2–3–1 formation, Kalulu began to lose his place in the starting XI as a centre-back to Thiaw, the summer signing who emerged in the second half of the season, and team captain Davide Calabria as a right full-back.
The 2023–24 season further undermined Kalulu's career at Milan, with him limited to just 11 appearances in all competitions, mainly due to several injuries requiring months of rehabilitation. However, he managed to return to fitness by May 2024 and made three appearances during that month.[13][14]
Loan to Juventus
editOn 21 August 2024, fellow Serie A side Juventus announced the signing of Kalulu on a one-year loan, worth €3.3 million, with an option to buy at the end of the loan for a further €14 million.[15]
International career
editSince June 2018, he has played through the various national junior teams of France, taking part in the 2019 UEFA European Under-19 Championship.[citation needed]
Personal life
editPierre Kalulu is the younger brother of footballers Aldo Kalulu and Gédéon Kalulu.[16] He is the older brother of Joseph Kalulu.
Career statistics
edit- As of match played 22 December 2024[17]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Lyon B | 2018–19 | Championnat National 2 | 17 | 0 | — | — | — | 17 | 0 | |||
| 2019–20 | Championnat National 2 | 19 | 0 | — | — | — | 19 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 36 | 0 | — | — | — | 36 | 0 | |||||
| AC Milan | 2020–21 | Serie A | 13 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4[b] | 0 | — | 18 | 1 | |
| 2021–22 | Serie A | 28 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 5[c] | 0 | — | 37 | 1 | ||
| 2022–23 | Serie A | 34 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 10[c] | 0 | 1[d] | 0 | 46 | 1 | |
| 2023–24 | Serie A | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2[e] | 0 | — | 11 | 0 | ||
| Total | 84 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 112 | 3 | ||
| Juventus (loan) | 2024–25 | Serie A | 14 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6[c] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | 0 |
| Career total | 134 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 27 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 169 | 3 | ||
- ^ Includes Coppa Italia
- ^ Appearances in UEFA Europa League
- ^ a b c Appearances in UEFA Champions League
- ^ Appearance in Supercoppa Italiana
- ^ One appearance in UEFA Champions League, one appearance in UEFA Europa League
Honours
editAC Milan
References
edit- ^ "Squad List: Men's Olympic Football Tournament Tokyo 2020: France (FRA)" (PDF). FIFA. 22 July 2021. p. 6. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
- ^ "Player Biography: Pierre Kalulu". AC Milan. Retrieved 14 December 2020.
- ^ "Kalulu Kyatengwa: le prodige congolais de l'OL débarque au Milan AC". Orange Football Club. Retrieved 22 October 2020.
- ^ "Journal officiel de la Républiquex française n° 0303 du 31 décembre 2000 - Légifrance" (PDF). legifrance.gouv.fr (in French). Retrieved 2 November 2023.
- ^ Paul, Sumeet (14 June 2020). "Who is Pierre Kalulu? Analysis of talented young ace set for Milan switch". Milan Talk. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
- ^ "Official Statement: Pierre Kalulu". AC Milan. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
- ^ "Sparta Praha-Milan | UEFA Europa League". UEFA.com.
- ^ "AC Milan vs. Parma - Football Match Line-Ups - December 13, 2020 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
- ^ "Genoa vs AC Milan - December 16, 2020". FOX Sports. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
- ^ Fisher, Oliver (11 March 2022). "GdS: Kalulu will keep his place against Empoli - Milan are working to secure him". sempremilan. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- ^ Campanale, Susy (12 March 2022). "SERIE A : MILAN 1-0 EMPOLI: KALULU ENOUGH TO CONSOLIDATE TOP SPOT". Football Italia. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
- ^ "AC MILAN V EMPOLI: THE NUMBERS FROM THE GAME". ACMILAN. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
- ^ "Official Statement: Pierre Kalulu".
- ^ "GDS: Kalulu's miserable season continues - summer sale a concrete possibility". 19 March 2024.
- ^ "Pierre Kalulu joins Juventus on loan". 21 August 2024. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
- ^ "Aldo Kalulu: Rwanda's first football superstar?". ESPN.com. 10 September 2016.
- ^ Pierre Kalulu at Soccerway. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
External links
edit
- Profile at the AC Milan website
- Pierre Kalulu at the French Football Federation (in French)
- Pierre Kalulu – UEFA competition record (archive)
