Aldo Kalulu
Aldo Kalulu | |
|---|---|
| Born | Aldo-Nsawila Kalulu Kyatengwa January 21, 1996 Lyon, France |
| Occupation | Professional footballer |
| Years active | 2015– |
| Known for | Playing as attacking midfielder and striker for FK Partizan and DR Congo national team |
Aldo-Nsawila Kalulu Kyatengwa (born 21 January 1996) is a professional football player who operates primarily as an attacking midfielder and striker for the Serbian outfit Partizan. Although born in France, he represents the DR Congo national team internationally.
Early life
Kalulu was born in Lyon, France, and possesses Congolese heritage. His father originates from Kabimba in the former Belgian Congo, while his mother hails from Likasi, located in Congo-Léopoldville. He acquired French citizenship on 26 December 2000 following the naturalization of his parents.
Lyon
Emerging from the youth academy of Lyon, Kalulu made his debut in Ligue 1 on 12 September 2015 against Lille OSC, coming on as a substitute for Jordan Ferri at the 78th minute in a match that ended goalless. His inaugural goal arrived on 23 September 2015 in a fixture versus Bastia, assisted by Steed Malbranque.
Basel
On 26 June 2018, Kalulu committed to a three-year contract with FC Basel, extending until June 2021. He became part of Basel's senior squad for the 2018–19 campaign under the management of Raphaël Wicky and subsequently Marcel Koller. After participating in three friendly matches, Kalulu made his league debut on 21 July 2018 during a home defeat (1–2) to FC St. Gallen. His first goal for Basel was recorded on 18 August in a Swiss Cup victory over FC Montlingen.
During Koller’s tenure, Basel secured the 2018–19 Swiss Cup title by overcoming FC Montlingen, Echallens Région, Winterthur, Sion, Zürich, and ultimately defeating FC Thun 2–1 in the final. Kalulu contributed one goal across four cup appearances. While he featured regularly in the opening half of the season, his playing time diminished to seven substitute appearances after the winter break, leading the club to explore other options.
- Loan to Swansea City
On 5 August 2019, Kalulu was loaned out to EFL Championship side Swansea City for the duration of the season, with an option for a permanent transfer.
- Return to Basel
Following Swansea’s decision not to activate the purchase clause, Kalulu returned to Basel for the 2020–21 season under new head coach Ciriaco Sforza. However, he was limited to twelve appearances off the bench. At the conclusion of that campaign, his contract expired and he departed from the club. Over his tenure from 2018 to 2021, Kalulu amassed a total of 51 appearances for Basel—27 in the Swiss Super League, five Swiss Cup matches, four UEFA competition games (Champions League and Europa League), and fifteen friendlies—netting three goals (one in cup competition and two in friendlies).
Sochaux
Kalulu returned to French football on 29 June 2021 by signing a three-year contract with Sochaux.
Partizan
On 20 July 2023, Kalulu agreed to a three-year contract with Serbian club FK Partizan. He made his debut on 29 July during the 2023–24 Serbian SuperLiga encounter against TSC, entering play at the 54th minute but receiving a red card late in stoppage time (95th minute). Kalulu recorded his first goal for Partizan versus Napredak, assisting the team in reclaiming first place in the Serbian SuperLiga after an eighteen-month interval. He also opened scoring against Radnički Kragujevac, assisted by teammate Matheus Saldanha. On 9 March 2024, Kalulu scored the second goal in the historic 172nd edition of the Eternal derby, which concluded with a 2–2 draw.
In the course of the 2024–25 season, Kalulu netted his initial SuperLiga goal on 26 October 2024 during a 3–1 triumph over Čukarički.
International career
Kalulu initially played for France at the under-18 level before making his senior international debut for the DR Congo in a 3–1 victory against Mauritania during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification on 24 March 2023.
Personal life
Aldo Kalulu is the eldest sibling among footballers Gédéon Kalulu, Pierre Kalulu, and Joseph Kalulu. Beyond football, he is an avid basketball enthusiast and supports the San Antonio Spurs.
Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | Cup | League Cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Lyon | 2015–16 | Ligue 1 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 2 |
| 2016–17 | Ligue 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | |
| Total | 14 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 3 | ||
| Rennes (loan) | 2016–17 | Ligue 1 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 11 | 0 | ||
| Sochaux (loan) | 2017–18 | Ligue 2 | 31 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 34 | 12 | ||
| Basel | 2018–19 | Super League | 17 | 0 | 4 | 1 | — | 3 | 0 | — | 24 | 1 | ||
| Swansea City (loan) | 2019–20 | Championship | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 11 | 0 | ||
| Basel | 2020–21 | Super League | 10 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | — | 12 | 0 | ||
| Sochaux | 2021–22 | Ligue 2 | 39 | 9 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 39 | 9 | |||
| 2022–23 | 37 | 6 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 38 | 6 | |||||
| Total | 76 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 77 | 15 | ||
| Partizan | 2023–24 | Serbian SuperLiga | 34 | 3 | 3 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | — | 41 | 3 | ||
| 2024–25 | 34 | 6 | 2 | 0 | colspan="2" |— | 5 | 0 | colspan="2" |— | 41 | 6 | ||||
| 2025–26 | Serbian SuperLiga | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | — | 6 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 239 | 38 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 21 | ٠ | ٠ | ٠ | 277 | 40 | ||
Honours
Basel
External links
- 1996 births
- Living people
- Footballers from Lyon
- Democratic Republic of the Congo men's footballers
- Democratic Republic of the Congo men's international footballers
- Naturalized citizens of France
- French men's footballers
- France men's youth international footballers
- Democratic Republic of the Congo people of Rwandan descent
- French sportspeople of Democratic Republic of the Congo descent
- French people of Rwandan descent
- Men's association football midfielders
- Men's association football forwards
- Olympique Lyonnais players
- Stade Rennais FC players
- FC Sochaux-Montbéliard players
- FC Basel players
- Swansea City A.F.C. players
- FK Partizan players
- Serbian SuperLiga players
- Ligue 1 players
- Ligue 2 players
- Swiss Super League players
- English Football League players
- French expatriate men's footballers
- Expatriate men's footballers in England
- Expatriate men's footballers in Switzerland
- French expatriate sportspeople in England
- French expatriate sportspeople in Switzerland
- Black French sportspeople
- 21st-century French sportsmen