Pierre Kalulu has again become Juventus’ constant presence, carrying into the new campaign the same endurance that defined his previous season in Turin. After six matches across Serie A and the Europa League, the French defender is the only Juventus player to have completed every available minute.
Kalulu sets the early Juventus standard
His record places him among a very small group of outfield players at clubs involved in European competition who have not yet been given a rest. Milan’s Koni De Winter and Strahinja Pavlovic, Napoli pair Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Amir Rrahmani, and Como’s Ramon are the other players to have managed it.
For Luciano Spalletti, that reliability matters. Juventus have begun the season with Kalulu as a fixed point in the defensive department, even if his individual performances have not yet reached the level he established over the full course of last year.
- Last season, Kalulu was on the pitch for 34 consecutive Juventus matches before a disputed dismissal in the 42nd minute of the away game against Inter.
- The red card followed an incident involving Alessandro Bastoni, whose reaction was seen as exaggerated.
- After serving that interruption, Kalulu returned to play every minute in another 12 straight fixtures.
- He finished the campaign having appeared in 49 of Juventus’ 50 matches, accumulating 4,381 minutes.
- Lloyd Kelly, the nearest Juventus player in terms of appearances, played at least five fewer games.
A personal disappointment with France
Such consistency did not bring the reward Kalulu wanted at international level. He was left out of France’s World Cup squad despite being called up by Didier Deschamps in March for friendlies against Brazil and Colombia. Deschamps ultimately selected Malo Gusto and Jules Koundé ahead of him.
The omission was a significant personal blow. Before Juventus’ Europa League match with NEC, Kalulu suggested that returning to the France setup was among his objectives for the season, although he chose not to state it directly.
“I have goals that I will keep to myself for now. Perhaps I will speak about them later, but I know I am still far from my limits and I want to keep improving,” he said.
Room to grow, but no question over his role
Kalulu’s opening six matches have not produced the same attacking contribution as last season. His current average rating stands at 5.75, while he has yet to register either a goal or an assist. In the previous campaign, he contributed two goals and seven assists.
Yet his importance has not diminished. He is expected to return from Clairefontaine refreshed, with another demanding season ahead and a role that remains increasingly difficult for Juventus to imagine without him.
