Riccardo Calafiori, a 22-year-old defender for Arsenal and Italy, has a tattoo on his arm that says “never give up,” a phrase that holds significant meaning for him.
It reminds him of the serious knee injury he suffered at 16 while playing for AS Roma in a UEFA Youth League match, where he tore all the ligaments in his knee. This injury left him fearing he might never walk properly again, let alone continue his football career.
“This was my first tattoo, and I got it because of that experience,” Calafiori shared. “It was an incredibly difficult time.
At 16, I faced the possibility that I might never play football again.” Despite the challenges, Calafiori made a remarkable recovery, ultimately signing with Premier League club Arsenal this past summer for £42 million.
In an upcoming episode of Football Focus, Calafiori will talk with presenter Ronan Kemp about his transfer to Arsenal, his journey of learning English through Netflix and UK drill music, and his views on British culture, including the traditional dish, fish and chips.
