Latest news with #RiccardoCalafiori
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Calafiori recalls: 'Playing for Roma gave me anxiety.'
Former Roma defender Riccardo Calafiori looked back on his past in the Italian capital. In a recent interview with Sky Sport, Calafiori discussed his friendship with Edoardo Bove as well as the difficult years at Roma. Advertisement 'I played with Bove, who arrived in my second year and is now one of my best friends in football.' 'When he felt ill I remember that I wasn't watching the game. I turned on the TV just to know the result and I saw that the game was stopped, I thought they had simply postponed it. Right after that my mother called me in tears, she is as good a friend of Bove's mother as we are. I didn't understand what was happening, it was a big blow.' On the surgeries that threatened his career, 'At 16, after the first operation, they told me I would never be able to play football again. I didn't want to hear that. If it had happened 3-4 years later, I probably wouldn't have come back. Instead, the recklessness of being a child, that challenge with myself and against those who thought differently… All this pushed me to go on.' 'For me, Roma was a dream come true. For my age, I didn't think I had done badly, but I lived the games with too much pressure. Games used to give me anxiety. I was too small and too involved, I remember that I was happy only when the referee blew the whistle and the game ended. Now I can't wait for the day of the match to arrive, I'm not anxious anymore.' 'The move to Basel? The truth is that that was the only option. I wasn't convinced, but then I found peace and continuity. I went back to playing with carefreeness.'
Daily Mirror
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Riccardo Calafiori's six-word response to Arsenal exit rumours says it all
Riccardo Calafiori has been linked with a move away from Arsenal this summer and the Italy international has now spoken out about his future, insisting he is "very happy" at the Emirates Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori has delivered a clear response to rumours linking him with a move away from the Emirates. Calafiori joined Arsenal from Bologna last summer, but struggled with injury problems throughout his first season at the club. Reports from Italy have claimed that Arsenal are open to selling the 23-year-old and the likes of AC Milan and Juventus are interested in bringing him back to Serie A. However, Calafiori has now moved to shut down the transfer rumours. "I am very happy at Arsenal," he insisted in an interview with Calafiori also said he has no regrets about his move to north London, adding: "For me personally it was a great experience. "Obviously when you win trophies it's always better. Here I measured myself against the most important and difficult championship in the world. "I saw that I can be there easily, this made me very happy and I am convinced of the choice I made. A regret? None, absolutely. "I always feel good in every position I play, I try to help the team. In my opinion, what was missing was just continuity this year. I will try to be more consistent next year. "When I was good, I always played and I also made the difference. The goal is just to stay in shape all year." Calafiori has previously admitted that he did not find it easy adapting to life at Arsenal, telling Men in Blazers back in January: "I was really excited to join because Mikel showed me his ideas and the plans he had for me. "I couldn't wait to play for him. I think it was the right option for me to develop and improve, to become a top player. That's why I am here and I want to keep going. "It's the details, it's something I've never seen before in a coach. Nothing is casual with him. When I first came here, it was impossible to play because you had so much information to remember. "For sure, you need a month to get used to it. One of my skillsets is my intensity and my mental strength. I don't mind playing left-back or centre back and I want to play on a midfielder if I can. "It depends on the team and the ideas of the coach. For example, Mikel wants me to stay inside so I play as a centre back."
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Riccardo Calafiori has no 'regret' over Arsenal transfer after frustrating injury issues
Riccardo Calafiori has no regrets over his move to Arsenal last summer and is hoping to shine next season by putting his injury woes behind him. Calafiori joined the Gunners last year from Bologna as part of a deal worth in the region of £40million. The defender, however, has endured a disrupted first season in north London due to fitness issues. Calafiori has had five different spells out of the team because of injury and he has started just six games since the turn of the year, with Myles Lewis-Skelly becoming Arsenal's No1 left-back. But, speaking after Sunday's win over Newcastle, the Italian told 'I am very happy at Arsenal. 'For me personally, it (this first season with Arsenal) was a great experience. Obviously when you win trophies it's always better. 'Here I measured myself against the most important and difficult championship in the world. I saw that I can be there easily, this made me very happy and I am convinced of the choice I made. A regret? None, absolutely. 'I always feel good in every position I play, I try to help the team. In my opinion, what was missing was just continuity this year. 'I will try to be more consistent next year. When I was good, I always played and I also made the difference. The goal is just to stay in shape all year.'
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Riccardo Calafiori has no 'regret' over Arsenal transfer after frustrating injury issues
Riccardo Calafiori has no regrets over his move to Arsenal last summer and is hoping to shine next season by putting his injury woes behind him. Calafiori joined the Gunners last year from Bologna as part of a deal worth in the region of £40million. The defender, however, has endured a disrupted first season in north London due to fitness issues. Calafiori has had five different spells out of the team because of injury and he has started just six games since the turn of the year, with Myles Lewis-Skelly becoming Arsenal's No1 left-back. But, speaking after Sunday's win over Newcastle, the Italian told 'I am very happy at Arsenal. 'For me personally, it (this first season with Arsenal) was a great experience. Obviously when you win trophies it's always better. 'Here I measured myself against the most important and difficult championship in the world. I saw that I can be there easily, this made me very happy and I am convinced of the choice I made. A regret? None, absolutely. 'I always feel good in every position I play, I try to help the team. In my opinion, what was missing was just continuity this year. 'I will try to be more consistent next year. When I was good, I always played and I also made the difference. The goal is just to stay in shape all year.'
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Arsenal officially launch 25/26 kit
Arsenal have revealed their new 2025/26 adidas home kit, blending historical elements with modern design. via Arsenal have officially unveiled their 2025/26 adidas home kit, returning to a classic red and white design while introducing a striking new visual identity built around the theme of the human heart. Advertisement With no blue detailing and a re-emphasis on tradition, the club have opted to centre the design on a reimagined crest and symbolism that reflects both heritage and connection with supporters. The shirt prominently features the gothic 'A' from the club's Victoria Concordia Crescit era, used in the 1990/91 league-winning season. It returns now as a repeating print across the shirt, front and back, linking the current squad with a defining moment in the club's history. The full club badge has also been restored, replacing the cannon emblem, albeit in a simplified white outline form. via The launch campaign includes a short film featuring William Saliba, Riccardo Calafiori, and youth product Myles Lewis-Skelly, alongside women's captain Kim Little and members of Arsenal in the Community. Advertisement Set to the sound of players' real heartbeats, the campaign draws on the club's 40th anniversary of community engagement, with children from the Premier League Kicks, Primary Stars and Football Plus programmes all featuring. Lewis-Skelly said: 'I love our new kit, it looks fresh – I'm excited to wear this in front of our incredible supporters. Their energy lifts us and when we step out in the shirt, we feel it more than ever.' Little added: 'Supporters are at the heart of everything we do, and this new kit connects to that so deeply. We carry our supporters with us, and they carry us with them, no matter where they are. They push us forward.' Arsenal's men's team will wear the new strip for the first time in their penultimate league match of the season against Newcastle United at Emirates Stadium on Sunday. The shirt is paired with white shorts and red socks, both featuring the gothic 'A' and adidas's signature Three Stripes. On the technical side, the authentic shirt uses adidas fabric for moisture control and temperature regulation, while the replica version, made from recycled materials, incorporates AEROREADY technology. Structured mesh and 3D engineering provide improved ventilation in key areas.
