Young Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori has revealed the mental pressure he experienced while playing for his childhood club, AS Roma. The 22-year-old admitted that he felt free from anxiety after joining Arsenal.
Calafiori, who is a product of the Roma academy, had a serious knee injury at the age of 16. Doctors even predicted that his career was over, but his strong determination brought him back to the green field.
“They said after the first operation that I would never be able to play football again. I didn’t want to accept that at all,” Calafiori told Sky Sport Italia.
“If this had happened three or four years later, I probably wouldn’t have been able to return to football. But the stubbornness of a young man and the desire to prove people wrong made me keep fighting.”
Calafiori’s debut for Roma at the age of 18 should have been a happy moment. However, for Calafiori, it was a stressful experience.
“Playing for Roma was a dream come true. But I felt too much pressure. I was too young and too emotionally involved,” he recalled.
“I was only happy when the referee blew the final whistle. Now, I can’t wait for the game to start. That anxiety is gone,” he continued.
After playing for Basel, Calafiori found his happiness at Bologna. Under the tutelage of Thiago Motta, the young defender developed rapidly.
“Basel was my only option at that time. I wasn’t completely sure, but I was finally able to play calmly without anxiety,” said Calafiori.
“Everything I experienced at Bologna was magical and unexpected. At first I was just a secondary player, but Lucumi’s injury changed everything. The coach saw me as a central defender,” he added.
His success at Bologna brought him to Arsenal with a transfer worth €45 million plus bonuses. Although not yet a first-choice, Calafiori is convinced that he made the right choice at the London club.
“I don’t feel like I made the wrong choice coming here. Playing in the Premier League is another dream of mine,” he said.
“How could I turn down Arsenal? It’s also a personal challenge considering the reputation of Italian players in this league,” he said.
Calafiori experienced a heartbreaking moment when his close friend, Edoardo Bove, collapsed on the pitch. The incident occurred while he was already in London.
“He was one of my best friends in football. I didn’t watch the game, I just turned on the TV and saw the game was stopped,” said Calafiori.
“My mother immediately called me crying. She was good friends with Bove’s mother. At that time I didn’t understand what happened, it was a very hard blow.”
