CALAFIORI REJECTS ITALY: ARSENAL STAR SNUBS INTER MILAN AND NAPOLI TO CHASE LONDON DREAMS
Riccardo Calafiori confirms he is "not complaining" about London life as he aims to win the Premier League with Arsenal.
Riccardo Calafiori doesn’t want to hear any talk about leaving Arsenal for Napoli or Inter Milan. He’s made it pretty clear: his “dream” with Arsenal isn’t ending any time soon.
This season, Calafiori has really made a name for himself as Mikel Arteta’s top choice at right-back, racking up 18 starts for Arsenal, who are sitting at the top of the Premier League. Last year, he had to wait his turn thanks to Myles Lewis-Skelly’s breakout, but now Calafiori is a fixture in Arteta’s lineup whenever he’s healthy.
He did hit a bit of a bump over the winter; a muscle injury kept him off the field for nine matches, which drove him crazy. After landing on the bench against Bayer Leverkusen during the week, people expect him to jump back into the starting eleven for the Carabao Cup final against Manchester City at Wembley.
Sure, Italian rumours won’t die down; whispers about Calafiori heading home to Serie A just won’t go away. Inter Milan reportedly really wants him, and Napoli has him on their list for the summer transfer window. But when someone asked if he ever gets homesick, Calafiori was honest: “I miss the sun, and I’d love to see friends and family more, but I’m not complaining." In Italy, people love to judge and criticise. It’s not like that here, and I love it.”
So why did he leave Italy for the Premier League two years ago? He says, “I’ve always wanted to play in England. After the European Championship, my value went up, and my agent told me Arsenal really wanted me. I knew the Premier League was tough, but I told myself I could always go back. And let’s be real: Arsenal is Arsenal. There’s nothing like it.”
Calafiori has been huge for Arsenal this year, with the team fighting for trophies on all fronts. He’s hungry for a win: “I need it, I want it, and it would mean a lot. We’re young, full of energy, and talk about our goals every day, but there’s a calmness here, too.”
When it comes to the Italian national team, Calafiori’s upbeat. He says the squad is fired up for their World Cup play-off semi-final against Northern Ireland. “We’re positive, really pumped, and desperate to make it to the World Cup. I can’t wait to get back to Coverciano and spend time with my teammates. Our history shows that when we stick together, we can challenge anyone, especially if we get to play in the United States.”
He’s confident Italy can make it as long as they play their game, even though there’s some negativity among fans. Whoever wins between Italy and Northern Ireland will face Wales or Bosnia and Herzegovina for a place at the World Cup.
“If we play like we know we can, we’ll qualify,” he says. “On paper, we’re stronger. We just need to believe in ourselves. There’s negativity around, but I know the team and fans will unite. The goal is still right there; we just have to stay together.”
MARTIN ODEGAARD RALLIES ARSENAL SQUAD AMID FEARS OF PREMIER LEAGUE TITLE "COLLAPSE"
Martin Odegaard says Arsenal’s title race is wide open. Read why Wayne Rooney is defending the players against fan boos.
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Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard isn’t backing down. Even after Manchester City edged out the Gunners 2-1 at the Etihad, he says the Premier League title race is still wide open.
That loss stung; it leaves Arsenal on the verge of losing the top spot they’ve held for over 200 days. If City beat Burnley at Turf Moor on Wednesday, Arsenal’s stretch at the summit ends, with just five games left in the season.
But the story isn’t over yet. Even if City pulls level on points, Odegaard wants his teammates focused on one thing: bouncing back with a win against Newcastle at the Emirates this Saturday.
“We have to keep going,” Odegaard said after the match. “This was always going to go to the wire, so we have to stick together, keep working, and look to the next game. We’ll move on, bounce back, and right now, it’s all still to play for. Honestly, this is the fun part of the season; we can’t wait for the next game.”
It’s been a tough stretch for Arsenal. Sunday’s loss marked the fourth defeat in a row across domestic competitions, starting with City beating them in the Carabao Cup final, a surprising FA Cup defeat to Southampton, and a crushing home loss to Bournemouth.
The cracks are showing, and some supporters have started to worry Arsenal are “bottling” their title charge. The Emirates felt tense after the Bournemouth game, the crowd frustrated enough to boo as the players left the pitch.
But there’s not much time to dwell on it. While City are juggling their FA Cup semi-final this weekend, Arsenal host a shaky Newcastle side. It’s a golden chance to reset and claw back some momentum.
Meanwhile, Wayne Rooney has stepped in with a message for Arsenal fans: now’s the time to rally. Speaking on the BBC’s The Wayne Rooney Show, he didn’t mince words. “Arsenal fans need to be better. I saw them boo the team. Look, Arsenal have been brilliant all season. They’re having a bad run, but fan support means everything to those players.”
He gets it: getting booed after a tough run cuts deep. “Arsenal’s players have worked so hard to be in this position. If you want to win the league, the fans have to help. They’re desperate to win, but they have a part to play.”
GABRIEL JESUS CLASHES WITH HECKLING CITY FANS DURING HIGH-TENSION 2-1 DEFEAT
Gabriel Jesus reminds Man City fans of his 11 trophies during a heated spat at the Etihad. Is the pressure hitting Arsenal?
Gabriel Jesus got into it with a Man City fan on Sunday, and the whole thing boiled over during Arsenal’s tense Premier League match at the Etihad. Jesus, now 29, didn’t even make it off the bench. Mikel Arteta chose to bring on Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard, and Viktor Gyökeres instead as Arsenal fell 2-1. So Jesus just kept himself busy warming up on the sideline.
He spent five years at City, from 2017 to 2022, before heading to Arsenal. But that history didn’t buy him any love from the crowd. During his warmup, with cameras rolling for a social media clip titled “I love watching Arsenal cry,” a City supporter behind him started heckling, shouting, “Judas, what’s the score?”
Jesus snapped. He turned, walked right up to the fan, pointed at himself, then at the pitch, and shot back: “I have won 11 titles here.” The fan wasn’t impressed. “Yeah, but who are you now? Who are you now?” Jesus responded with a mocking hand gesture.
If you go back, Jesus joined City from Palmeiras when he was just 19. Over five and a half years, he scored 95 goals in 236 games. That run saw City win four league titles, four EFL Cups, an FA Cup, and two Community Shields. He was a big part of all that.
In 2022, he decided he wanted more starts, so he moved to Arsenal for £45 million. He began well in North London, but things haven’t gone smoothly since he’s struggled with injuries, including a major knee issue he only got back from in December, and he’s started just two league matches since. So far, he’s scored 31 goals in 120 appearances for Arsenal, but he’s still waiting for his first piece of silverware with them.
And after Sunday’s loss, Arsenal saw their lead at the top shrink to just three points. Man City also have a game in hand; they can grab the top spot if they beat Burnley on Wednesday.
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