Riccardo Calafiori starred in Italy's win over Albania
Italy’s defence of their European crown did not get off to the best start on Saturday, going behind in their opening encounter with Albania after just 23 seconds of action.
They needed to quickly regroup and compose themselves, or else risk their UEFA
With a new Coach and only eight squad members left from the group who won the trophy just three years ago, it was clear that it was going to need those on the field to dig deep in order to avoid adding to that misery.
But while it would be Alessandro Bastoni and Nicolo Barella – two players who were part of Roberto Mancini’s triumphant squad in 2021 – who scored the vital goals, there would also be a new face playing a crucial role alongside them.
Indeed, in the post-match analysis found online, the impressive display of Riccardo Calafiori featured almost as prominently as Barella’s sweet strike from outside the box that eventually saw Italy grab a 2-1 victory.
When Did Riccardo Calafiori Make His Italy Debut?
Calafiori drew attention for his unflappable demeanour, making it difficult to believe that this game against Albania was actually his competitive debut for Italy. It was in fact only the third time the 22-year-old had been in action for the national team, with his two previous appearances coming in friendlies earlier this month.
Having been called into the Italy squad for the first time when Spalletti made his preliminary selections last month, a five-minute cameo against Turkey on June 4 was followed by a full 90-minute outing against Bosnia and Herzegovina on June 9.
The Coach saw enough in those games to not only include Calafiori in his 26-man squad for the tournament, but also in his starting XI for the opening game. Yet high profile debuts are nothing new for a player who joined the AS Roma academy when he was only eight years old.
Which Club Did Riccardo Calafiori Start His Career With?
Progressing through the youth ranks as a left-back in the Italian capital, his toughness, determination and powerful left foot saw him compared to Aleksandar Kolarov.
Calafiori suffered a serious knee injury in 2018 that would sideline him for almost a year. But he returned and quickly regained his previous form, prompting first team boss Paulo Fonseca to begin including the defender in his squads.
Riccardo Calafiori during his time with AS Roma
His debut in Serie A would come away at Juventus on the final day of 2019/20, helping the Giallorossi to a 3-1 victory in which Calafiori won a penalty and saw a goal of his own disallowed.
Over the following 18 months he would make 17 more appearances for Roma, finding playing time difficult to find and eventually going on loan to Genoa in January 2022. That ill-advised move saw Calafiori make just one start and two substitute appearances for a total of 81 minutes of action.
A switch to Basel would reignite the youngster however, seeing him make 34 appearances as he helped the Swiss side reach the semifinals of the UEFA Conference League. It was those performances that prompted Bologna to sign Calafiori in the summer of 2023, paying a fee of €4 million ($4.28 million).
Breaking Out With Bologna
Joining up with Thiago Motta would ultimately be the making of Calafiori, but while it is widely believed that an injury to Colombia international Jhon Lucumí prompted a change of role for the young defender, it seems that is not the case.
“The move from full-back to central defender happened out of necessity,” Calafior said in an interview with the Italian FA website, “but from the first day in Bologna I spoke with Thiago Motta and he immediately told me that he saw me playing in the centre of defence.”
It would be a shift that paid huge dividends for the player, his Coach and their club as Calafiori enjoyed an incredible season that ultimately saw Bologna qualify for the UEFA Champions League.
Motta’s tactical approach – discussed at length in this previous column – brought the best from Calafiori, who blossomed into the prototypical version of a modern central defender. His tally of five assists was more than any other defender in Serie A, while his pass completion rate of 89.8% ranked third.
Yet more than just the sheer volume of his passes, it is the purpose with which Calafiori plays which most catches the eye. According to WhoScored.com, he completed 1,783 passes and that tally included an impressive 76 accurate long balls and 17 goal scoring chances created.
When a team-mate was not available, Calafiori was happy to drive forward himself until one got free, completing 13 successful take-ons over the course of the 2023/24 season. Those forays never seem out of sync with Motta’s game plan either, with Bologna’s other players moving around him as if they fully expected his decision.
Similarly, Calafiori is happy to rotate into a midfield position to help the Rossoblu break an opponent’s press, as can be seen in the Tweet/X post above from last month’s meeting with Juventus.
The Aura On Display
Unsurprisingly, Bologna’s sensational season has brought new opportunities for their biggest stars. Motta has already been appointed as Coach of Juventus, and the players have begun to attract attention too with Napoli and Bayer Leverkusen joining the Bianconeri in pursuit of Calafiori.
According to Bild back in April, Bologna were seeking a fee in excess of €25 million ($26.78 million) for the 22-year-old stopper but – according to transfer expert Nicolo Schira – that figure is now believed to be over €35 million ($37.52 million).
Based on his performance against Albania it is easy to see why. Calafiori recorded one tackle, three interceptions and three aerial duels won according to WhoScored’s figures, while also connecting with 93.4% of his 106 pass attempts in another impressive display.
His post-match interview underlined the humble nature that has endeared him to coaches throughout his career too. “I just try to play like I do at club level and not think about the rest,” Calafiori told Sky Italia. “I focus only on positive feelings, like my family in the stands or friends watching back home on television. I think I did pretty well.”
So while social media is abuzz with his aura and comparing him to Paolo Maldini or Sandro Nesta, Riccardo Calafiori is simply preparing himself for Italy’s next outings against Spain and Croatia.
