Salomon Kalou reflects on life after football, cherishes Chelsea memories, and family time

Former Côte d’Ivoire international Salomon Kalou, 40, has opened up about life after retirement, describing his current chapter away from football as “amazing” while reflecting on a decorated career that took him from West Africa to some of Europe’s biggest clubs.

Kalou, who came through ASEC Mimosas before making his mark at Feyenoord with 35 goals in 67 appearances, earned a high-profile move to Chelsea in 2006, where he spent six successful seasons at Stamford Bridge.

During his time in London, he lifted the UEFA Champions League in 2012, the Premier League title, four FA Cups and the League Cup, establishing himself as a key figure in one of the club’s most successful eras.

He later went on to feature for Lille and Hertha Berlin, before concluding his playing days with spells at Botafogo and Arta/Solar7.

On the international stage, Kalou earned 93 caps and scored 27 goals for Côte d’Ivoire. He represented the Elephants at both the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups and was part of the squad that secured the country’s long-awaited Africa Cup of Nations triumph in 2015.

Now retired, the former winger says he has fully embraced life outside professional football and is spending more time back home in Ivory Coast.

“I’ve been in Ivory Coast for a while now, and it’s good to be back home. I’m not playing, not coaching, and I’m done with football — the retired life is amazing. I don’t even follow football as I used to,” he said in an interview with SuperSport.

Family life has become central to his daily routine, particularly raising his two young sons, aged three and two.

“They have a lot of energy. I cannot tell if they are going to be footballers. They are both so young, and they never saw me play,” Kalou said.

Despite their age, he has begun sharing moments from his career with them through memorabilia, including medals and photographs from his playing days.

“I have shown them the medals I won at Chelsea — many, many medals. The other day I was looking at the 2012 Champions League album with one of my kids, and every time he saw my picture, he was saying, ‘This is Daddy!’ It’s really nice,” he said.

Kalou added that he often reflects on his time in London, particularly the bond he shared with teammates during Chelsea’s golden period.

“I’ve got lots of stories to tell them about what was the best time of my career — the dressing-room life, all the amazing people I played with. I played for many clubs and had many good times, but my time at Chelsea was one of the greatest,” he said.

For Kalou, retirement has brought a slower pace, but also a deeper appreciation of both family life and the legacy he built on the pitch.