- 3 hours ago
Arsenal Defender Riccardo Calafiori on his Scorpion Block and Defending "Our House"
16/03/2026
Sobha Realty Training Ground, London, UK
16/03/2026
Sobha Realty Training Ground, London, UK
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SportsTranscript
00:00More made about your block against Everton. Is that the best of your career and have you ever done anything
00:06like that before?
00:07Yeah, I think so far, yeah. It is the best one and also I think it was so important for
00:15the result and for the team, so I'm really happy about this.
00:20The reason we haven't been speaking about it too much is because of the manner of the weekend, some big
00:24moments, big goals, maps of course.
00:26Did it feel huge for you as well being on the pitch?
00:29Yeah, I think the atmosphere as well was unbelievable and as I said before, it was a crucial match and
00:36so happy for the team that we won and we keep going on this.
00:41Hi there, Riccardo. Can you just give us an insight a little bit into Max, what kind of person he
00:47is and like when we're watching him, we're pretty amazed.
00:51What is it like for the players when they watch him?
00:53Yeah, obviously the first time that you see him on the pitch you're like quite curious about him because you
01:01think he's so young but at the same time he's so mature, you know, on the pitch.
01:06And still, yes, he can improve many things but he's a talent, I mean, you can see, but at the
01:13same time I think we have to leave him like quiet and try to don't speak about him too much
01:21because he has everything.
01:22With that in mind, I mean, all the players clearly love him. Do they give him advice? Do you speak
01:29to him? What have you said to him?
01:31For sure, we try to give some advice but I think for the moment it's doing well, even without our
01:37advice.
01:40Hi, Riccardo. There's obviously a lot on the line this season and there's been a lot of high intensity games.
01:46What has it been like to play in those moments of really high pressure when there's so much on the
01:50line?
01:52I think especially now, like from March on to the next few months, it's the best part of the season
02:02as well. You started so early like in the preseason and then you work so hard to get to this
02:08point to be in the competition and to be like so close to win. And yeah, I think it's the
02:17dream to be here.
02:19And you've worked with someone new this season, Gabriel Heinzer, as a defensive coach. I noticed that before the games
02:25he kind of grabs the defenders in a bit of a huddle. How has that changed you? How has he
02:30changed you? And has those moments really helped you this season?
02:32The huddle or just him?
02:33Oh, it's him and the huddles, yeah.
02:35Yeah, no, I like him as a person and yeah, I think I can learn so much from him, especially
02:41because he was a top player and he played for top teams. So yeah, he gave me to me and
02:47to all the defenders so many advices and we always listen to him. And also, as I said, I like
02:53him as a person as well.
02:58Hi Ricardo. Obviously, there have been some frustrating moments since you came to Arsenal with injuries. I just want to
03:03get a sense now that you've come back in the last few weeks. Do you feel like you're fully fit
03:07and you can trust your body for the rest of the season?
03:09Yeah, I mean, I always trusted my body. If you think about last season, I was, in my point of
03:16view, really unlucky because it was like both MCLs in a really strange way and this obviously didn't help me
03:26a lot.
03:27But this season, I mean, until December, I was feeling amazing and then injuries are part of our work. Unfortunately,
03:35I would love to be always fit and we try always our best, but sometimes you have to accept. But
03:41anyway, as I said before, this season, we made a huge step in terms of the depth of the squad.
03:48So we have so many players that can help the team. And now that I'm back, I feel good. So
03:54I'm OK.
03:55The depth there. You've got not just Piero, Myles, I mean, Jurian as well, I guess, as a left back.
04:00What's the competition like between you guys on the training field right now?
04:05I think we're all friends. Like, I love them and I have a good relation with them. And we are
04:13friends, first of all. Obviously, then on the pitch, you try to compete to get ahead of them. But yeah,
04:21we're all friends and they're all really good players, I think.
04:26In terms of your playing style, it's quite an unusual way in terms of defender with the attacking elements. You
04:31find yourself in some crazy positions in the final third and the back line. How has that developed? And is
04:37that something that you'd look to bring to Arsenal?
04:41Yeah, I think it's something that when I feel free on the pitch, I just try to help the team
04:49to be in this position where they can find me and when we can find a solution to hurt them
04:54toward the opposition.
04:56And obviously, Michael doesn't say to me specifically where to go, but it gives me a bit of freedom. And
05:03I love playing like that. But at the same time, we have to remember that I'm a defender as well.
05:09So, first of all, the most important thing, like I proved, I think, the last week and on Saturday is
05:15to defend our goal. And yeah, really fighting with all our bodies and whatever to save the team and to
05:25save the result.
05:25So, I think this mentality is much more important.
05:28And is that a feature that kind of defines Arsenal back line that you guys are willing to put any
05:32body part on the line to save goals and to win at the end of the day?
05:36Yeah, for sure. As I said, it's a big part of our mentality and it's so important, especially because at
05:44this level, we're talking about details. So, this can change the game of the season.
05:50I was just going to follow on from that really about the block, taking you back to the block. I
05:54mean, it's probably instinctive. It shows you just how much it means, doesn't it?
05:58Yeah, I didn't think about it too much. I just look at the guy who was shooting and I thought
06:05I had to go over as much space as possible and I just reacted and yeah.
06:10But as I said, we love to defend our house, our goal and we try to do everything.
06:15I think I've seen it called as a Scorpion block. Have you seen that?
06:18Yeah, I've seen it. Yeah, I like the name.
06:20And I mean, you were just saying there about defending your house and your team. Is that the sort of
06:26the pride that runs through that defence? I mean, it's another clean sheet on Saturday. It means a lot, doesn't
06:32it?
06:32Yeah, I think it's so important. As you mentioned, I think when we got a clean sheet most of the
06:37times, I mean, we win the game. So, it's really important for us.
06:42You mentioned that you like the freedom and you like to get up the pitch, but at the heart, you
06:46are a defender then fundamentally. Is that something you'd like to stress?
06:52Yeah.
06:53Rather, you said you'd like to express yourself when you're going up the pitch, but for you, your number one
06:58job is to defend your goals.
07:00Yeah, sometimes it's easy to forget, but we are defenders. So, yeah, first of all, it's this. And then, obviously,
07:07as I said before, when I have this kind of freedom, but it's not like casual.
07:10It's, as I said, like trying to find the right spot at the right time and just to help the
07:17team at the end. It's not that I want to go where I want to go.
07:21So, you're not frustrated like centre forward or anything? You feel like your ally is a defender?
07:28I think I can help the team in both ways. Just this, yeah.
07:37Hi, Ricardo. As a player, obviously, it's good to be in all the competitions and being able to express yourself
07:44and play a lot of games and stuff like that.
07:47How are you guys relishing, obviously, the opportunity of still being in all four competitions and fighting on all fronts,
07:52especially with the 10-point gap in the Premier League as well?
07:57Nine. The gap. Nine.
07:59Oh, nine. Sorry. 71 points. Sorry.
08:02But, yes, as I mentioned before, it's the best part of the season. We really wanted, since the beginning of
08:09the season, to be in this position now.
08:12So, it's time to enjoy and to keep working hard. And it's just a pleasure, from my point of view,
08:19to be here. So, I'm really happy about this.
08:22Are you looking forward to, obviously, the first test on Sunday as well?
08:25Yeah, I think it's a good step for us as well. It gives you energy and good motivation.
08:34Hi, Ricardo. You mentioned that the defenders, you all like each other, you're quite close. It seems, from the outside,
08:41like quite a close squad all together.
08:43It is.
08:44And that's not always the case in football, we know. What's that down to? How do you explain the kind
08:50of collective friendship and group that you've got?
08:53Yeah, it's not always the case, but I think it's often the case when you actually manage to get something
08:59important, you know, at the end of the season, when you have this kind of group, this kind of relation.
09:04And, obviously, we love to chat in the dressing room. We love to help each other. And when it's time
09:13to, like, kind of go aggressive on the pitch or sometimes just a bit more chill.
09:20But just to help the teammate or to help the team at the end. And, obviously, sometimes we see each
09:26other even off the pitch and I think that's important.
09:29Do you sort of socialise much with the other defenders in that unit? I know Mikel likes to look at
09:33units. Do you sort of go out much together as a team or is it always here in the dressing
09:38room?
09:38I think I don't have any specific, like, I like to talk with everyone. And, obviously, when you have to
09:46go to the pitch with, you need to know your teammate. So you need to speak with them. And, especially
09:52if you're talking about units, I think it's better for you to know much about the rest of the team.
10:02I got it. When you make a block like the one the other day and it comes off, do you
10:06start to think there's meant to be for Arsenal in the tight race of the season that everything is coming
10:10together?
10:11Yeah, I think I believe that these small big things normally happen when something big is going to happen. That's
10:20what I think.
10:21And how much, I guess, energy did the squad get from the way they won, from, I guess, Max's fearlessness?
10:27How much energy has that given everyone heading into another big game?
10:30Yeah, I swear I was so, so happy at the end of the game. And, especially, yeah, in the second
10:35goal. I think we all were happy. We run towards him, towards the fence. It was almost a fight with
10:42the fence.
10:44In a nice way, obviously, in a positive way. And, yeah, no, just amazing. I think maybe the best moment
10:55of the season so far, at least in Premier League, for sure.
10:58We'll do the last two, so James and then Simon.
11:01Hi, Riccardo. I just want to ask you about that idea of freedom in the way you play. Because I
11:06think, on the outside, people have an idea about Mikel's teams,
11:09that they're very structured, you know, very sort of rigid in that way. So, does he actually grant you a
11:16lot of individual license to make decisions yourself in the game?
11:21No, I think you're right. Like, we have a structure. We have to respect all the principles and all the
11:26things that we're trying to learn and to put on the pitch since the beginning of the season.
11:31But, at the same time, I think I'm just really good in doing what I do, like, to find this
11:39kind of place.
11:40But it's not proper freedom. It's just, as I said, like, if I'm in that position, that means that another
11:46player has to be in mine.
11:47So, you always need also to have a good structure to defend, then, if you lose the game, if you
11:55lose the ball, you know?
11:56So, it's not casual. It's more structural.
11:59And the movements that you make and the positions you take up, is it instinct? Do you just automatically do
12:05it? Or is it stuff you've planned on the training ground?
12:08I think I had a big instinct since I arrived here. But then I improved a lot with Mikel, I
12:14think. I understand much more now the game and where to go, when to go.
12:19Simon?
12:22Ricardo, obviously, in that first leg, there was a big moment with Gabriel where his block, I think he basically
12:28took it in the throat, in the face.
12:31Is that, again, a kind of example of you as a defender, that you'll just do anything to defend your
12:36goal, defend your house, as you call it?
12:37Yeah, yeah. I think for me, it's quite new, what I did on Saturday. But I think Gabi is, for
12:44sure, the best in terms of putting his body to save our team.
12:49And we need to learn from him. And obviously, he's a top player. I don't need to speak about this,
12:54but, yeah.
12:55I just want you to talk about communicating with the rest of the defenders. I believe you're someone who speaks
12:59a lot of languages.
13:00Yeah.
13:01Does that help for you in terms of the back four? Do you speak every language that everyone speaks in
13:05the defence?
13:06Yeah, obviously, I think. It depends on who's playing, but, yeah, most of us, they speak in Spanish as well.
13:16And Gabi Ainz obviously speaks better Spanish than English, for sure. And so it's just easier to understand.
13:25But it's not really about words, it's more about how we communicate them. But we do this really well, I
13:32think.
13:33Cool. Thank you.
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