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Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori has lifted the lid on the turbulent early years that shaped him long before the Gunners.<\/strong><\/p>\n Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, the 23-year-old detailed how he went from praise to nothing under Jose Mourinho, to relegation battles and a crisis of confidence that nearly pushed him out of to-level football.<\/p>\n The defender was just 19 years old when Mourinho posted a video of himself studying Calafiori\u2019s profile on his computer. That clip when viral instantly.<\/p>\n \u201c(It was) crazy. I\u2019d turned off my phone for a couple of hours, and when I turned it on, I had 300 notifications to read,\u201d<\/em> Calafiori said. \u201cPeople were sending me the video with my stats that Mourinho had posted. I was so happy.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n But that high didn\u2019t last long. After Roma\u2019s 6-1 collapse \u00a0against Bodo\/Glimt in the Europa League, Mourinho publicly labelled several players, including Calafiori, as \u201cinadequate to the team\u2019s level\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cI probably disappointed him, and after Bodo, everything changed,\u201d<\/em> he admitted. \u201cIt had to be this way; it was a blow, but it helped me grow.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n His next stop was Genoa, where things deteriorated further. Former teammate Federico Marchetti later revealed that coach Alexander Blessin had treated Calafiori harshly, calling him an \u201cItalian (redacted)\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cI always tend to justify other people\u2019s behaviours, and I\u2019ve definitely got something wrong,\u201d<\/em> the Arsenal player said.<\/p>\n \u201cEven after years, though, I have no positive feelings about him. Genoa relegated and we fought: I think that, even if he had made me play a little more, my career would not have changed.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n By then, the defender had slipped off the radar entirely. Roma didn\u2019t want him, something he discovered via text.<\/p>\n \u201cI went back to Roma and learned from an SMS that I was out of the squad. I was wondering if my fate was in the minor leagues, but I was confident: I never dreamed of being a normal footballer, I wanted to work to get to where I am now.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Asked whether he felt misunderstood in Serie A, Arsenal star Calafiori didn\u2019t hide from the truth.<\/p>\n \u201cWith Roma and Genoa, it didn\u2019t go well, but I made a reason for it, because I was really very young. The choice to start from Basel was perfect. As soon as I got there, I realised it was the right place for me. The teammates weren\u2019t seen off the field, there was little to do in the city. It was the ideal context to find continuity and mature quickly. Back in Italy, I think I redeemed myself with Bologna.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n That redemption paved the way for his move to Arsenal, and the transformation has been remarkable.<\/p>\n In Mikel Arteta\u2019s system, Calafiori has become one of the Premier League\u2019s standout defenders, mostly while playing out of position at left-back.<\/p>\n From viral praise to public humiliation, from relegation to reinvention, Calafiori\u2019s journey has been anything but linear. But at Arsenal, he has finally become the player he always believed he could be.<\/p>\n The defender is a target for Inter Milan this summer, but he appears happy in London.<\/p>\n 🇩🇰 Dar\u00edo Osorio | Bournemouth take lead in youngster chase ➡️ Trying to beat Liverpool, Arsenal and othershttps:\/\/t.co\/8JsTRDaWcI #afcb<\/a> #lfc<\/a> #afc<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Sport Witness (@Sport_Witness) March 21, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \n <\/div>\nMourinho\u2019s public criticism<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\nRedemption abroad and a fresh start<\/h2>\n
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