45 Facts About Salomon Kalou

Salomon Kalou previously played for Feyenoord from 2003 to 2006 and Chelsea from 2006 to 2012.

Salomon Kalou played 172 games and scored 53 goals in six seasons in the German capital.

Salomon Kalou was part of their teams that won the continental title in 2015 and came runners-up in 2012.

Salomon Kalou signed for Feyenoord in 2003 and in 2004, he was loaned to Feyenoord's "satellite club", Excelsior.

Salomon Kalou then returned to Feyenoord and played in the Dutch top flight Eredivisie for two seasons from 2004 to 2006.

Salomon Kalou was linked to several other clubs, including Auxerre, the French team his brother played for.

Under contract with Chelsea until 2009, Salomon Kalou was handed the number 21 shirt.

Salomon Kalou admitted that he brought a camera with him to his first training session at Chelsea's training centre at Cobham because he could not believe that he was going to be rubbing shoulders with famous footballers like Michael Ballack, John Terry and Didier Drogba.

At Chelsea, Salomon Kalou played with his compatriot and Ivory Coast captain, Didier Drogba.

Salomon Kalou scored his first senior goal for Chelsea in a two-goal win over Blackburn Rovers in the third round of the League Cup.

Salomon Kalou came on as a substitute in the FA Cup Final win over Manchester United for his second trophy in England, having earlier come on as a substitute for Chelsea in the league Cup Final victory over Arsenal.

Salomon Kalou scored with Chelsea's sixth penalty in the Champions League final in Moscow, where Chelsea lost to Manchester United.

Salomon Kalou did not feature much under Avram Grant's successor, Luiz Felipe Scolari, except during pre-season, because of his participation in the 2008 Beijing Olympics as part of the Ivory Coast national under-23 football team.

Salomon Kalou celebrated the goals by making a "handcuff" gesture, but denied he was supporting an Ivorian convictionist.

Chelsea beat Manchester United to lift the 2009 FA Community Shield, with Salomon Kalou scoring the winning penalty.

On 12 October 2009, Salomon Kalou signed a three-year contract extension with Chelsea, keeping him at the club until the summer of 2012.

Salomon Kalou celebrated his new contract with an brace against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, helping Chelsea maintain their perfect record in the competition.

Salomon Kalou scored Chelsea's third of eight goals on the last day of the season against Wigan, as the Blues were crowned champions.

For Chelsea's crucial game against Tottenham Hotspur, Salomon Kalou was not included in the starting lineup, as Carlo Ancelotti preferred a striking partnership of Drogba and Torres.

Salomon Kalou started the season with Chelsea playing in the club's second league game, against West Brom; he was substituted off after only 34 minutes.

Salomon Kalou was an unused substitute against Sunderland and Bayer Leverkusen, but he started in Chelsea's first League Cup match of the season against Fulham.

On 28 September 2011, Salomon Kalou came on for Frank Lampard in the 83rd minute.

Salomon Kalou then netted a vital away goal in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final clash with Benfica after some great work from strike partner Fernando Torres.

Salomon Kalou started both the 2012 FA Cup Final and Champions League final, both of which were Chelsea victories.

On 1 July 2012, Chelsea officially announced that Salomon Kalou's contract had come to an end along with Jose Bosingwa, after spending six years at the London side.

Salomon Kalou had made 254 appearances for the club, including 147 starts, and scored 60 goals.

New manager Rudi Garcia was pleased to see Salomon Kalou join Lille, but admitted that it was not easy to convince him to join the French side.

Salomon Kalou scored his first competitive goal for Lille in his second appearance, a header to equalize the scoreline against Nancy.

Salomon Kalou scored 16 goals, making him one of five runners-up to Zlatan Ibrahimovic for top scorer.

On 31 August 2014, Salomon Kalou joined Bundesliga side Hertha BSC on a three-year contract.

Salomon Kalou scored again the next weekend against Mainz 05, bringing his season tally to nine heading into the Christmas break, explaining that having "time to set up with the team" was important to his success in the first half while setting a goal of reaching the Champions League for his club.

Salomon Kalou scored 14 goals in the Bundesliga that year, finishing as Hertha's top scorer.

Salomon Kalou greeted players and coaches, who were unaware of the live broadcast, with a handshake, disregarded social distancing regulations and filmed a conversation about the Hertha professionals' salary cuts.

Salomon Kalou was then released from training and playing duties.

On 9 July 2020, Salomon Kalou joined Botafogo in the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A on an 18-month contract.

Salomon Kalou left by mutual consent at the start of April 2021.

Salomon Kalou's application was supported by national team manager Marco van Basten, and Dutch football icon Johan Cruyff.

Salomon Kalou's application was rejected in August 2005 by Minister of Immigration Rita Verdonk, who believed that he would soon move to a bigger foreign club.

Salomon Kalou took legal action for use of his image and name in the film.

Salomon Kalou's failure to acquire Dutch citizenship was a factor in his decision to leave Feyenoord for Chelsea.

Salomon Kalou was called up for the Ivory Coast several times in 2006 but rejected them all.

Salomon Kalou was called up for the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana.

Salomon Kalou has two brothers and eight sisters from the same mother.

Salomon Kalou joined Feyenoord during the time his brother Bonaventure was playing for the club.

In 2010, Salomon Kalou set up The Salomon Kalou Foundation, dedicated to providing facilities for social welfare and recreation of those who have need of such facilities by reason of youth, age, infirmity or disability, financial hardship or social circumstances and for the relief of sickness worldwide.