Arsenal and Italy defender Riccardo Calafiori has shared his account of the day that his ‘best friend’ Edoardo Bove suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch during a Serie A match for Fiorentina, and says that if he is allowed to ‘continue living his dream, then why not?’. 

Just over a year ago, at the beginning of December 2024, the Serie A match between Fiorentina and Inter was interrupted during the first-half as Bove, on loan from Roma at the time, collapsed on the pitch. 

It was later confirmed that his heart had briefly stopped beating. Bove was rushed to hospital, was admitted to intensive care and was discharged 12 days later. 

Bove later had a removable defibrillator device fitted. In Italy, players are not permitted to play with a defibrillator, but that is not the case in various other countries across the world, including in England. 

After a long year with no football, Bove has recently joined EFL Championship side Watford, where he is legally allowed to play, and has recently made his first competitive appearance since the unsettling scenes at the Stadio Franchi back in December 2024. 

Calafiori recalls Bove collapse: ‘My mother called me in tears’

Next door to Watford’s training ground is Arsenal’s facility, where Calafiori, one of Bove’s closest friends, is based. 

Calafiori recently appeared on the Supernova podcast, where he discussed the beginning of his career, his move to the Premier League and his daily life living in London. 

Calafiori also discussed his experience of watching the Bove incident unfold. 

“Edo is one of my best friends here. I mean within the football industry.  (We know each other) from Roma, I joined at nine years old, he joined at 10. We’re the same age, actually he was born three days before me,” Calafiori said. 

“I wasn’t watching the game, I remember my mum called me in tears. I turned on the TV and saw that the game had stopped. My mum called me: ‘I think it’s Edo, I think it’s Edo’. My mum wasn’t exactly clear-headed in that moment. It was horrible. 

“I can imagine that for Tanya, his mother, and for his family it was much tougher.” 

Bove is now back in professional football in the English second division with Watford. 

“I have to say that I’ve seen him doing a lot better,” said Calafiori. “Obviously from the outside, you think for the first 10 days you’re just happy to be alive. But I also imagine for him, this was the first time that he was doing really, really well at Fiorentina and was starting to feel like a real player, his first time away from Roma. 

“In the end, we live for football. If you can play football, then why wouldn’t you do it. I’ve seen him looking well, obviously he has to do a lot of tests and everything like that. His whole life changed, obviously, but if he can continue living his dream, then why not? He can play here.” 

Milan legend Demetrio Albertini has praised current Rossoneri star for his stance on the upcoming Derby della Madonnina against rivals and league leaders Inter, suggesting that the Portugal international is beginning to talk and act ‘like a veteran’. 

Albertini praises Leao and warns Milan about Inter clash: ‘Definitely the last call’

The Rossoneri will be the home side for the upcoming derby against Inter in Serie A on Sunday evening. Massimiliano Allegri’s side beat the Nerazzurri 1-0 in the reverse fixture back in November. 

Inter are the current runaway leaders at the top of the Serie A table after 27 matches, with a 10-point advantage over Milan, their next closest challengers. 

Despite the difference between the two sides in the league table, Leao was keen to express the importance of Sunday’s match during his post-match interview following Milan’s 2-0 win over Cremonese in the weekend just gone. The Portugal star described the derby as a matter of ‘life or death’. 

Albertini has since praised Leao for the importance that he has given the derby, and claims that after seven years in San Siro, he is beginning to talk and act like an experienced leader. 

“In my time, there was no need for reminders,” Albertini told La Gazzetta dello Sport. “On one hand, we had Maldini, Baresi, Costacurta, on the other, they had Berhome, Ferri, Berti just to name a few. Those guys didn’t need the meaning of the derby explained to them in public statements. 

“Today, with so many more foreign players and with so much changing in squads, I think Leao wanted to warn his teammates, especially the latest arrivals, about the importance of a game like this. Rafa has been at Milan for nearly seven years and is now rightly speaking like a veteran.” 

Leao also advised his teammates to not go out this week, to stay at home and prepare for the derby as best as possible. 

“Oh, well for a professional, that should always be the case,” Albertini laughed. “Maybe Leao didn’t have the right words, but I endorse the basis of his message.” 

Albertini was asked if the week leading up to the Derby della Madonnina is always a ‘special’ one. 

He said: “For me in training, it wasn’t. But that’s because as a professional, out of respect for your coach and teammates as well, you always maintain a certain standard, week after week. What is different is the fans, the city, you really feel it.

“If we’re talking about tactics and training sessions at Milanello, I really don’t think Allegri will treat the derby any differently to how, for example, he did last week preparing for Cremonese. Or how he will do before going up against Napoli or Juventus. 

Albertini was again asked if Leao was right to label the derby a matter of life or death. 

He said: “Well, it’s definitely the last call. If Inter win on Sunday, they’ll already be able to start sewing the Scudetto on their shirts and prepare for the celebrations. That’s why I think the game is much more important for Milan than for Chivu’s team.” 

Still, even if Milan do win on Sunday, Albertinin feels that it is one step too far to ask them to catch Inter and steal the Scudetto from their grip. 

“For me, now, because seven points is still a lot to make up, especially with this Inter side that is going at 1,000 mph in Serie A. 

“But, the Nerazzurri have to be careful not to have any slip-ups. And in football, never say never. I won a Scudetto from -7 with seven games to go in 1998-99, coming back against a great Lazio side. We won them all, they lost two in a row to Roma and Juventus, and then on the penultimate day of the season, we pulled off the decisive overtake.” 

Inter have no interest in letting go of centre-forward Pio Esposito according to Tuesday’s reports, despite contact between Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta and his Nerazzurro counterpart Piero Ausilio. 

Where Inter and Arsenal stand with Italy talent Esposito

Esposito is enjoying an impressive break-out campaign with the table-topping Inter in 2025-26, and has already established himself as an option in attack for Gennaro Gattuso and the Italy national team at just 20 years of age. 

The Nerazzurro academy graduate has been given an increasingly involved role at club level as well, despite the presence of Lautaro Martinez, Marcus Thuram and summer signing Ange-Yoan Bonny in Cristian Chivu’s squad. 

Esposito’s performances this season have attracted the attention of a number of top clubs across Europe, among whom are Arsenal. 

The 20-year-old left a strong impression on the Gunners supporters following their trip to San Siro in the Champions League earlier this season: “How much do Inter want for Esposito?,” some fans pondered on social media after his impressive showing off the bench that night. 

It is not just the Arsenal supporters who were impressed by Esposito that night. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Mikel Arteta is also a fan and has reportedly discussed the Nerazzurro youngster with Arsenal sporting director Andrea Berta, who is also from Italy. 

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Berta has also been in contact with Inter sporting director Piero Ausilio to inquire after Esposito’s availability and to ask how much it would cost to lure him away from San Siro. 

According to Tuesday’s report, Inter remain firm in their stance that Esposito is a key player in the club’s long-term project, that he is still under contract until 2030, and that ultimately, he is not up for sale to any club. 

Esposito has been handed an even bigger role within the Inter squad over the last few weeks following an injury to captain Martinez and the drop-off in Thuram’s form. 

Bonny has also picked up a minor muscular injury, which means that the attacking reins will be handed over to Esposito when the Nerazzurri take on Como in the first leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final on Tuesday night.

Lazio head coach Maurizio Sarri feels that there is a lot to learn from Wednesday’s Coppa Italia semi-final opponents, Atalanta, and suggests that La Dea are the clear favourites heading into the midweek cup tie. 

Sarri sat down for his pre-match press conference on Tuesday ahead of the first leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final between Lazio and Atalanta. 

Lazio have already defeated Milan and Bologna in order to qualify for the Coppa Italia semi-final, and will now have to take on an in-form Atalanta, who beat them 2-0 in Serie A just over two weeks ago, in order to claim a place in the final. 

Sarri on Lazio vs. Atalanta, need for investment and taking inspiration from La Dea

During his pre-match press conference on Tuesday, Sarri was keen to make it clear that there is a level in quality between the two Coppa Italia semi-final opponents. 

At the beginning of the season, Sarri described this campaign as being ‘year zero’ for Lazio.

Asked if he still thinks that is the case, Sarri said: “It was clear from the beginning that this is how the situation would be. We have to be patient, on everyone’s part. I’ve done that, it would be nice if everyone did the same.” 

And when asked how important tomorrow’s cup clash against Atalanta is, Sarri said: “It’s not massively important in terms of our future. Next year will have to be ‘year one’ and not ‘year zero’. 

“Tomorrow, we will have to play a very difficult game against a strong, Champions League team. We have to have pride, we’ve reached the semi-finals by eliminating last year’s finalists.” 

Asked what needs to change in order for Lazio to see significant improvement next season, Sarri said: “I spoke with the sporting director just half an hour ago. The decisions are made by the club, but nothing changes. We will have to make investments for ‘year one’. It’s difficult to understand which players will be on the market in a few months’ time, so it’s not easy to plan.” 

Sarri was also asked where the differences between Lazio and Atalanta lie, given that Atalanta seem to perform consistently well year-on-year, while Lazio seem to struggle in that respect. 

“Atalanta has been on a long journey that began 10 years ago, which has led to them conquering Europe and making different levels of investment compared to 10 years ago” said Sarri. 

“Now they can afford players of a certain level and the gap increases. Lazio have to take this path and make investments to return to Europe, with consistency, and have a better economic picture.” 

Reports in Italy claim that Juventus will sit down to discuss a new contract for head coach Luciano Spalletti within the next week, and that his future in Turin is not dependent on qualification for next season’s Champions League. 

Spalletti and Juventus set for new contract talks

Spalletti joined Juventus following the departure of Igor Tudor earlier this season and put pen to paper on an initial contract until the end of the 2025-26 campaign. 

Ever since, Spalletti has insisted that sorting out a longer-term deal is not one of his priorities, especially with the season still underway, however, reports from Corriere dello Sport claim that the coach and the club could sit down to discuss a new deal within the next week: Potentially at the beginning of next week, if not before. 

Corriere dello Sport claims that qualification for next season’s Champions League is not a necessity for Juventus to extend Spalletti’s contract. Instead, the Bianconeri would prefer to have a settled coach and hopefully a settled squad as a result. 

Spalletti and Juventus are reportedly set to negotiate over an annual salary in the region of €4m-€5m.

AFC Bournemouth full-back Alex Jimenez has refused to rule out a potential return to Milan at some stage in the future, despite revealing his frustration at being denied the Rossoneri no.2 shirt during the end of his time in San Siro. 

Jimenez joined Milan on an initial loan deal from Real Madrid in 2023 before having that move made permanent in 2024. The Spaniard made a decent impression during his time in the Rossoneri first-team in 2024-25, but was then sold to AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League during the summer transfer window that followed. 

Jimenez has sat down to give an honest account of his Milan departure in an in-depth interview with Gianluca Di Marzio, released on Tuesday. 

• Read more: Jimenez apologises for calling Allegri a ‘sh** coach’

Jimenez open to Milan return despite shirt number snub

During his talk with Di Marzio, Jimenez revealed that there were several reasons why he decided to leave Milan in the summer of 2025. Among them was the fact that he had asked to wear the no.2 shirt for the 2025-26 but was refused and told that he was not yet mature enough. 

“At the beginning of the season, I asked for the no.2 shirt. I wanted it because of the tradition of great full-backs,” said Jimenez. “They told me no, that I wasn’t ready and that I was too immature. They were wrong. From there, it’s true, I lost concentration and arrived late a few times.” 

Jimenez claims that there were ‘various situations that I didn’t appreciate’ during the end of his Milan spell, and says that he wasn’t given enough ‘responsibility’. 

There was also an unfortunate incident when a screenshot of a text message that Jimenez had sent was leaked online, appearing to show him calling Milan boss Massimiliano Allegri a ‘sh** coach’. 

“It was rubbish, I don’t think Allegri is a ‘sh** coach’ and his history proves that. I was coming out of a game, I hadn’t played and I was angry, I chose the wrong person to send that message to,” Jimenez admitted. 

“From day one, I apologised to Allegri, I didn’t think about what I was writing. He accepted my apology.” 

Still, despite these unfortunate incidents, Jimenez has not ruled out a potential return to San Siro at some stage in the future. 

“I’m focused on Bournemouth now, I’m happy and I’m playing well. But of course, I loved Milan and I will never close the doors to a club that gave me everything. My being here and playing in the Premier League is also thanks to Milan. Only time will tell.” 

Former Milan full-back Alex Jimenez has confirmed that he did send a text message calling Massimiliano Allegri a ‘sh**’ coach’ towards the end of his time with the Rossoneri, has apologised for the incident and has also revealed the reason why he decided to leave San Siro to join Bournemouth in the Premier League over the summer. 

Jimenez sat down for an in-depth interview with Gianluca Di Marzio and Sky Sport Italia, released on Tuesday, discussing his start to life in the Premier League and his turbulent exit from Milan during the summer transfer window. 

Jimenez came through the youth system at Real Madrid before being loaned and later signed permanently by Milan in 2023 and 2024 respectively. 

He made 22 appearances in Milan’s final 24 matches of the 2024-25 season, despite the club’s signing of Kyle Walker that January, and had made a solid impression during his time in the Rossoneri first-team, but was then sold to Bournemouth at the end of the following transfer window. 

“It’s a dream for me to play in the Premier League. I’m happy with how things are going at the moment,” Jimenez told Gianluca Di Marzio.  

“It’s true that the Premier League is more physical than Serie A and LaLiga, but I feel good here. My main quality is my speed and this is the right environment to show that.

“I grew up at the two biggest clubs in the world. Life is more calm here in Bournemouth, there’s less pressure. The fans are always by our side, for better or for worse.

“My relationship with Andoni Iraola is excellent, I’m very happy to have a leader like him and I hope to play under him for a long time.” 

Jimenez on Milan departure: ‘There were various situations I didn’t appreciate, I’ll give you an example’ 

Jimenez was asked what he would say if he could say one thing to the Milan supporters, to which he replied: “Thank you.”

He continued: “It’s the club that launched me in the first team, a team that I loved and still love. I had a great time at Milan, I didn’t want to leave. But when the season started I realised that I wouldn’t be a key player, there were various situations that I didn’t appreciate.” 

When asked to elaborate, Jimenez said: “I wasn’t given the responsibility I thought I deserved, they needed to believe in me more. 

“I’ll give you an example. At the beginning of the season, I asked for the no.2 shirt. I wanted it because of the tradition of great full-backs. They told me no, that I wasn’t ready and that I was too immature. They were wrong. From there, it’s true, I lost concentration and arrived late a few times.” 

Towards the end of the summer transfer window, images circulated on social media that appeared to show Jimenez criticising Milan head coach Allegri. The image in question appeared to show Jimenez calling Allegri a ‘sh** coach’ over a text message. 

Six months down the line, Jimenez has accepted full responsibility for that error in judgement. 

“It was rubbish, I don’t think Allegri is a ‘sh** coach’ and his history proves that. I was coming out of a game, I hadn’t played and I was angry, I chose the wrong person to send that message to. 

“From day one, I apologised to Allegri, I didn’t think about what I was writing. He accepted my apology. 

“All these situations took away from my sense of serenity, and I was the one who told the club to look for solutions (on the transfer market). Milan is a club that I love and I didn’t want to feel bad or negatively impact the team with my bad phase.” 

Jimenez played under three different coaches in just over a year during the end of his Milan spell: Stefano Pioli, Paulo Fonseca and Sergio Conceicao. The 2024-25 campaign was a turbulent one for the Rossoneri, and the team ultimately finished the season in eighth place, missing out on European football altogether for 2025-26. 

“I don’t think it was ever a problem with the coaches, it was a team problem” Jimenez said. “We needed to have more confidence in ourselves. 

“That’s how it is in football, one year you do badly and the next you do well. Look how it is now.” 

The Lega Serie A have confirmed that Roma wing-back Wesley Franca is among the players to be suspended following the conclusion of the 27th round of 2025-26 league fixtures over the weekend just gone. 

Six players have picked up one-match suspensions following the 27th round of Serie A fixtures, including Roma’s Wesley, Fiorentina’s Fabiano Parisi and Bologna’s Remo Freuler. 

Serie A confirm Wesley, Parisi, Freuler, Terracciano, Valenti and Pinamonti bans

Sassuolo striker Andrea Pinamonti was the only player to be shown a straight red card over the weekend, and will now have to serve a one-match ban. That rules him out of Sassuolo’s away trip to face Lazio on Monday night. 

Roma star Wesley picked up his fifth yellow card of the season during Roma’s 3-3 draw with Juventus over the weekend, and will now have to serve a one-match ban when the Giallorossi go up against Daniele De Rossi’s Genoa on Sunday. 

Bologna’s Freuler, Fiorentina’s Parisi, Cremonese’s Filippo Terracciano and Parma’s Lautaro Valenti were also shown their fifth yellow cards of the season over the weekend, and like Wesley, have also picked up one-match bans. 

Freuler will be suspended for Bologna vs. Verona, Parisi and Valenti will both be unavailable for the meeting of Fiorentina and Parma on Sunday, while Terracciano will miss out on a key relegation six-pointer between Lecce and Cremonese.

Tuesday’s reports indicate that Juventus are hoping to hand a new and improved contract extension to captain Manuel Locatelli, following the renewal of Weston McKennie, whose new contract was announced on Monday afternoon. 

The Bianconeri have handed new contracts to two of their ‘priority’ players over the last few weeks: First to posterboy Kenan Yildiz, whose wages have more than tripled from €1.7m to around €6m per season, reflecting his star status within the Bianconeri squad. 

McKennie was also into the final year of his contract this season but has since signed a new deal until the summer of 2030, which was announced on Monday. 

Contract extensions continue to be a hot topic of conversation in Juventus circles, as head coach Luciano Spalletti still needs to settle his long-term future and the club’s highest earner, Dusan Vlahovic, will walk away from the club for free at the end of the season unless an agreement over a new deal is found before then. 

Veteran goalkeeper Carlo Pinsoglio has also been sounded out for an extension to his contract. 

A new Juventus contract for Locatelli?

According to reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport, Juventus will also seek to agree a new contract with captain Locatelli in the near future. 

Locatelli is currently under contract until the summer of 2028, having penned a five-year extension in 2023. He reportedly earns a net salary of around €3.5m per season on his current deal. 

Locatelli has become an increasingly key player for Juventus this season, particularly following the appointment of Spalletti as head coach, which initially came as a surprise given that Locatelli was regularly overlooked when Spalletti was in charge of the Italy national team

As per La Gazzetta dello Sport, the relationship between Spalletti and Locatelli is said to be in a great place, and both seem keen to extend their long-term futures to Juventus.

Riccardo Calafiori has named Italian legends Leonardo Bonucci, Fabio Cannavaro and Alessandro Nesta in his list of players he would use to build the ‘perfect defender’, and has revealed what he thinks his own best quality is on the pitch: ‘It’s not exactly one specific skill.” 

Calafiori was a featured guest on the Supernova podcast, discussing the start of his career with Roma, life in London with Arsenal and his hopes for the Italy national team. 

During his podcast appearance, Calafiori was also asked to build his perfect defender using traits from various different stars he has played with, against or watched over the years. There were no limitations on the defenders that Calafiori was allowed to pick based on the era in which they played. 

Unsurprisingly, Calafiori named Italian players in the majority of the given categories, but did find space for the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Sergio Ramos. 

Calafiori’s perfect defender

The physique of: “I would say Virgil van Dijk. Because he’s tall and not exactly slow.” 

The anticipation of: “Nesta, I think. Nesta or Cannavaro.”

The slide tackling of: “Always those two (Nesta and Cannavaro), two maestros.” Calafiori admitted that he was a bit too young to see the best of Paolo Maldini in his prime years, but said that “as an icon, I’d put him above everyone.” 

The positioning of: “Bonucci.” 

The heading of: “Sergio Ramos.” 

Right foot: “I said Bonucci before, who else? I don’t know. Also Van Dijk. I’m definitely forgetting someone.” 

Left foot: “Left foot? I’ll say Bastoni.” 

Calafiori was also asked what he thinks is his own best quality. 

He replied: “I think what I like is that maybe I can do a few different things at the same level. It’s not exactly one specific skill, more like that. I think the energy I bring onto the pitch that kind of changes the team, I think that’s it.” 

“The aura?” the podcast producer asked from behind the camera. “Aura, yeah,” Calafiori somewhat reluctantly replied. 

Reports across Europe claim that Iran are increasingly likely to miss out on the upcoming FIFA World Cup in North America, but what does this mean for Italy, who are yet to secure a spot in the final tournament? 

Over the weekend, the United States and Israel launched a military operation against Iran, which has since led to a series of retaliatory strikes across the Middle East. 

The ongoing conflict makes it unlikely that Iran will feature at the upcoming 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States. 

“With what happened… and with that attack by the United States, it is unlikely that we can look forward to the World Cup, but the sports chiefs are the ones who must decide on that,” said Mehdi Taj, head of Iran’s football federation (via BBC Sport).

According to updates from the BBC, FIFA still expects Iran to take part in the upcoming World Cup, for which they have already qualified, but rumours of a potential boycott continue to circulate. 

What would happen to Italy if Iran boycotts 2026 World Cup?

Iran have already qualified directly for the 2026 World Cup and have been drawn into Group G along with Belgium, Egypt and New Zealand. 

Italy, meanwhile, have not secured a spot at the upcoming World Cup, and will instead have to go through the play-off system if they are to qualify. 

Gennaro Gattuso’s Azzurri will take on Northern Ireland in Bergamo on March 26 in the World Cup play-off semi-final, and the winner of that tie will go on to face either Wales or Bosnia away from home in a one-legged decider for a spot in the final tournament. 

Italy are the highest-ranked nation in the world (13th) that does not have a spot at the World Cup locked down. 

If Iran decides to boycott the World Cup,  a spot in the group stages will open up. If there is a boycott this summer, Italy are not expected to benefit directly, though. 

That is because Iran’s spot would go to the next-best team from the Asian (AFC) qualifying system, instead of the highest-ranked team worldwide. In this scenario, Iraq would claim a spot in the World Cup group stages. 

Iraq are still in with a chance of qualifying of their own right and are currently expected to take part in the intercontinental play-offs at the end of March. If Iraq were handed a spot in the World Cup group stages, the UAE would take their place in the intercontinental play-offs instead. 

It was another eventful week for the Italy internationals in the Premier League as Sandro Tonali registered an assist for Newcastle, Gianluigi Donnarumma kept another clean sheet for Manchester City and Michael Kayode was involved at both ends in a hectic 4-3 match between Brentford and Burnley. 

Here is a look at how the Italy internationals got on in England this weekend. 

Italy internationals in Premier League: Week 28 

League leaders Arsenal kept their five-point buffer over Manchester City intact thanks to a 2-1 victory at home against London rivals Chelsea on Sunday afternoon. Riccardo Calafiori was an unused substitute; Piero Hincapie has been preferred at left-back for the last three league matches. 

• Read more: Calafiori on life with Arsenal and the one thing he doesn’t like about London

Manchester City ensured they kept the pressure on the North Londoners with a tight 1-0 win away against Leeds United on Saturday: Donnarumma played his part by keeping his 11th clean sheet from 25 Premier League matches. Only Arsenal’s David Raya (13) has more in England’s top flight this campaign. 

13-time Italy international Wilfrid Gnonto appeared off the substitutes bench for the final 15 minutes of Leeds’s 1-0 loss against Manchester City. 

Sandro Tonali found himself on the losing side of a 3-2 scoreline when Newcastle faced Everton this weekend, but was still involved in the goals with an assist for Jacob Ramsay half an hour in. 

Tonali earned ratings as high as 8/10 from some outlets in the UK for his performance during Newcastle’s loss, despite the collective result being described as a ‘disaster’. The Magpies have now slipped down to 13th place in the Premier League title, and now sit behind their bitter rivals, Sunderland, who were promoted from the Championship at the end of last season. 

Michael Kayode was involved at both ends as Brentford claimed a last-minuted 4-3 win over Burnley in the most exciting Premier League game of the weekend from a neutral’s perspective. 

The 21-year-old, formerly of Fiorentina, caused chaos again with one of his trademark long-throws, which led to Kevin Schade putting Brentford 3-0 up in the first-half. Unfortunately for the Italy youngster, he also recorded an own goal in an attempt to clear Jaidon Anthony’s low cross into the six-yard box 10 minutes later. 

Kayode will have been relieved to see Mikkel Damsgaard score the winner for 4-3 in the 93rd minute after seeing his side’s 3-0 advantage collapse. Brentford are up to seventh in the Premier League and find themselves pushing for a spot in Europe next season. 

Brentford are just five points off reigning champions Liverpool, currently in fifth. Arne Slot’s side picked up a 5-2 win over struggling West Ham, but Federico Chiesa was an unused substitute for this one. Giovanni Leoni is still recovering from his ACL injury. 

Down in the bottom half of the table, things have gone from bad to worse for Tottenham Hotspur, who are currently under the interim stewardship of former Juventus head coach Igor Tudor. 

Italy’s back-up goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicairo has been part of the side that has lost the last four Premier League matches, including Sunday’s 2-1 defeat by Fulham, while Destiny Udogie has missed the last three with a hamstring injury. 

Things are going from bad to worse for the Italy internationals at Nottingham Forest, who lost 2-1 against Brighton this weekend and are now in 17th place, two points behind Tottenham and two points above West Ham and the relegation zone. 

Nicolo Savona is nursing a knee injury that is expected to keep him sidelined until April, while Lorenzo Lucca, who joined the club from Napoli in January, was dropped out of the matchday squad. 

Lucca was also hooked at half-time of Forest’s 2-1 Europa League defeat against Fenerbahce a few days before the Brighton loss. Forest are highly unlikely to activate their option to buy Lucca for around €35m at the end of the season according to the latest updates in Italy. 

Arsenal and Italy star Riccardo Calafiori has given a detailed account of his day-to-day life in North London, has spoken about the main differences between life in the Premier League and Serie A and has revealed the one thing that he doesn’t like about living in the UK: ‘I don’t like how they drive here. They follow the rules too much and are a bit slow.’ 

Calafiori was a featured guest on the Supernova podcast, discussing the start of his career with Roma, life in London with Arsenal and his hopes for the Italy national team. 

Calafiori on life with Arsenal, differences between England and Italy

Calafiori has been based in England for the last 18 months following his transfer to Arsenal from Bologna in the summer of 2024. He has gone on to establish himself as one of Mikel Arteta’s first-choice defenders in a season that sees the Gunners sitting at the top of the Premier League table and aiming for a spot in the Champions League final.

“Ever since the gaffer has been there, we’ve always been there or thereabouts, often finishing second by a hair, but I think there’s been improvement every year,” Calafiori told the Supernova podcast. “I hope this is the decisive year.” 

Calafiori went on to discuss the differences between playing in the Premier League compared to Serie A. 

“Obviously everything is done at the highest levels, even at teams that might be a bit smaller.

“This is all a matter of, and it might be a bit ugly to say, but money, media attention, TV networks that broadcast the matches, so of course it’s normal that it’s followed a bit more compared to other leagues, and so more money and things like that. 

“The attention and care for players is quite different to what I was used to in Italy.” 

At Arsenal, it is often the norm for players to meet in a hotel the night before a game, even before home matches, which took a bit of getting used to. 

“You arrive, have dinner, then everyone either goes to their rooms or you hang out with your teammates and play a few games. And then you go to the game. Like I was saying earlier, something that really surprised me is that the stadiums are empty during the warm-ups.”

There are also differences in training methods between Italy and the UK. 

“In terms of time on the pitch, you train less (in England), very little. You spend a lot of time at the training ground, but (not) in terms of the actual time on the pitch, especially when we’re playing all year and want to get to the final in every competition. The best way to train is by playing as I’ve always said.

“They focus a lot on recovery, so when you go on the (training) pitch, the intensity is obviously high but in terms of minutes, maybe for about an hour maximum, maybe not even that.

“Obviously the culture is completely different. Like, if I think about Italy, training sessions are two hours, the tactics, it’s all different. Football is more tactical in Italy and here they think more about attacking.”

Unlike a lot of his Arsenal teammates, Calafiori has decided to live in central London rather than in the quieter outskirts. 

“I don’t know if you know, but London is enormous. So I live quite far away from my teammates, nobody lives where I live. It’s a London thing. Most of them have families and kids and live in houses nearer the training ground. I’m younger and on my own so I prefer living in the city.” 

Calafiori went on to give a detailed account of a typical day of Arsenal training. 

“Normally we check in by 9.15. It takes about 50 minutes to get there. I don’t drive, but I get around by a driver. I prefer not to drive here. I don’t have a car, but I can drive. I’m quite far away and I don’t like how they drive here. They follow the rules too much and are a bit slow.

“Sometimes you see these big traffic jams for no reason. Unfortunately that’s just how it is here. Everyone has their ways. 

“We have treatment and both meals, breakfast and lunch, so then it’s therapy, gym, video, more gym, indoor, on the pitch, then I get home at around three or four o’clock.” 

Calafiori also has regular check-ins from various members of his family: “They’re always available, let’s say once every two months or so, we manage. They live in Rome and I have a younger sister who’s 19, so I think she needs our parents a bit more than I do.” 

During the season, it is often dark by the time that Calafiori returns home, and as a high-profile individual, there isn’t an awful lot to distract himself with: “You get home and it’s dark and it’s not like there’s much to do, so it’s either playing the guitar or reading a book. Once I left school I lost the habit of reading. I started again two years ago. I really like it. Mostly novels more than anything. I don’t like autobiographies as much.” 

Italy international and Arsenal star Riccardo Calafiori has opened up about the disappointments that he experienced in the early days of his professional career with Roma and the journey that led him to joining Mike Arteta’s table-topping Premier League hopefuls: ‘It was a complicated situation’. 

Calafiori reflects on early stages of his career: ‘Everything was fine during my first year …’

Calafiori is playing a key role in Arsenal’s impressive 2025-26 campaign, in which they lead the Premier League table and are among the favourites to lift the Champions League at the end of the season. 

The Italy international has made 17 starts from a possible 28 in the Premier League, despite missing a big chunk of games over the winter period due to a muscular injury. 

Injuries have been a recurring theme for Calafiori throughout his career. His journey as a professional footballer was almost curtailed as a teenager due to a serious knee issue. 

Speaking in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Calafiori discussed his early injury issue and the role that it played in his leaving his boyhood club, Roma. 

“Everything was fine during my first year, I scored on my debut wearing the shirt of the team that I loved and after being told at 16 that I could not be a footballer due to a serious injury,” Calafiori told La Gazzetta dello Sport. 

“I’m still a Roma fan,” he admitted. “Before, I was a die-hard. The only flaw is that it was during Covid, so there were no fans in the stadium, otherwise I would have gone straight over to celebrate in front of the Curva Sud.” 

Despite being a passionate boyhood Roma supporter, Calafiori only managed to make 10 Serie A appearances for the Giallorossi before being moved on by Jose Mourinho. 

“The transition from the Primavera to the first-team is very fast, you don’t even realise it,” said Calafiori. 

“I started the first six games with Mourinho: That was also going well at the beginning, I was playing as a starter and getting some assists. After the 6-1 win over Bodo/Glimt, I didn’t play anymore and wanted more. 

“I went to Genoa on loan. It was a complicated situation and I only made three appearances, one of which was as a starter. I did worse than before and I didn’t understand why. 

“Inside, I never resigned, but that thought stayed in my head. I was really down at that point. Roma won the Conference League and the guys who played in my place did very well, so there was no more space for me. 

“Then, Roma sold me to Basel and I wasn’t happy at first, but when I accepted the gact that I had to take a step back, I realised that it would be the right place for me. For a young man, it was perfect to find continuity there.” 

Fortunately for Calafiori, his time in Switzerland with Basel was short-lived, lasting just one season before being brought back to Serie A by Bologna, where he would go on to help the team secure an historic spot in the Champions League. 

“My eyes still light up when I talk about Bologna. We’re not just talking about the football, but things on a human level as well. What I experienced and what we experienced in Bologna was incredible, but how could you say no to the Premier League?”

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Thibaut Courtois and Rasmus Hojlund are among the stars to have sent a message of congratulations to Napoli star Romelu Lukaku after his goalscoring return in Serie A over the weekend: ‘The King is back’. 

Messages for Lukaku after goalscoring Napoli return

It has been a difficult season for ‘Big Rom’, who suffered a serious injury to his hamstring during Napoli’s final pre-season friendly of the summer, one week before the start of the 2025-26 Serie A season. 

Belgium’s all-time leading goalscorer has only recently returned to competitive first-team action in the early stages of 2026 and scored his first goal of the season this weekend: A 97th-minute winner in a 2-1 victory over Hellas Verona. This was his first goal since the final day of the 2024-25 season, 283 days prior to the Verona victory. 

Lukaku celebrated on social media with a picture of his celebration and a picture of his late father, who died in September, along with the caption: ‘For you Papa’. 

Several stars from Serie A and beyond have left comments to congratulate or encourage Lukaku following his return to action, including former Napoli teammate and current PSG star Kvaratskhelia, who wrote: “The King is back.” 

Most of Lukaku’s Napoli teammates have left comments as well, including Hojlund, Billy Gilmour, Alex Meret, Sam Beukema, Pasquale Mazzocchi and Miguel Gutierrez. 

Belgium teammate Courtois is also among the stars to have sent a message to Lukaku.

 

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Napoli star Kevin De Bruyne is finally set to make his return to first-team training on Monday after spending the last four months out nursing a serious hamstring injury. 

De Bruyne finally set to return to Napoli training

De Bruyne was among the most high-profile stars to move to Serie A during the summer transfer window, joining Antonio Conte’s side on a free transfer at the end of his 10-year stint with Manchester City in the Premier League. 

The six-time Premier League winner has been limited to just eight Serie A appearances so far this term, though, due to a hamstring injury that has kept him out of action since October 25. 

De Bruyne pulled up while converting a penalty during Napoli’s 3-1 win over league leaders Inter at the end of October, which turned out to be a high-grade hamstring tear, which required surgery and several months of rehabilitation. 

De Bruyne has spent much of those last few months back in his native Belgium while working on his recovery, but he returned to Italy last week and is expected to return to first-team training on Monday according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, 128 days on from his initial injury. 

According to Monday’s report, there is a chance that De Bruyne is even called up to Conte’s squad to face Torino in Serie A on Friday evening. His physical condition is said to be better than expected. 

Napoli’s injury troubles could finally be starting to clear, as Monday’s report claims that Scott McTominay and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa are both close to making their returns to first-team action as well. 

La Gazzetta dello Sport

Straderby 

Milan return to -10 and rise to the challenge on Sunday

Leao believes: ‘A question of life or death’

Pavlovic and Rafa settle it in Cremona, a victory at the very end in Allegri style 

Inter 

Chivu and a crazy journey 

After their loss against the Rossoneri, they’ve won 14 out of 15 Serie A games. Against Como in the Coppa Italia tomorrow 

Si signora 

Roma draw and regret 

Champions League show: Juve from 3-1 down to 3-3 in the last five minutes

Toro upset 

D’Aversa, nice debut with Simeone and Zapata

Corriere dello Sport 

Fino alla fine 

From 1-3 to 3-3 

Juve, Champions League fight: Two-goal comeback against Gasp

What a reaction: Lucio draws level in the 93rd minute and stays -4 away from Roma 

A spectacle at the Olimpico. Magic from Wesley and Conceicao, then Ndicka and Malen score. Boga and Gatti come one and settle it. Spalletti: ‘We live for fourth place’ 

Milan, the beauty arrives in the 89th: ‘Now it’s Inter’ 

They narrowly win 2-0 in Cremona: -10 off Chivu

Pavlovic header: Third goal in Serie A. Leao doubles it: ‘I want to take on the derby on Sunday’ 

Insigne fable: Inzaghi sunken 

Protagonist in Serie B

Lorenzo returns to the goals with Pescara after 5041 days and helps with the comeback against Palermo (2-1): Big celebrations at the Adriatico

Goodbye to Marchesi, the gentleman of football 

Has died at 88 years old 

He was Maradona’s first coach at Napoli and the last for Platini at Juve. He made history as a player with Fiorentina 

Tuttosport 

A Juve core 

2-2: Gatti levels against Roma in the 93rd and keeps the Champions League fight open 

After the exchange of goals between Wesley and Conceicao, Ndicka and Malen score. The Bianconeri seemed to be in disarray, but Spalletti got all of his substitutions right: Boga narrowed the gap, Zhegrova sent the goalscoring defender through on goal. Chico: ‘That reaction was better than my goal’. Lucio: ‘With the upsets we’ve had, this draw could mean a lot. I live for fourth place’. 

A Toro response 

D’Aversa reanimates the Granata: Simeone and Zapata smash Lazio 

A couple of simple moves and well-timed substitutions: The attacking pair finally made their mark and the fans delighted the fans, who stayed away to protest against Cairo. Two big shots against the Serie B fears for the new coach: ‘Great match, well done everyone, even those on the bench. I want the lads to understand that I am here. Cholito and Duvan were impressive’. Vlasic: ‘We will give even more’ 

Leao goal, derby delirium: ‘Milan, life or death’

Milan go to -10 in Cremona: And on Sunday, it’s Inter

Rafa strikes an enti-nerazzurro vein: ‘It’s a personal matter. We don’t go out this week, we stay at home’.