Riccardo Calafiori outlines key differences between Premier League & Serie A

Riccardo Calafiori has quickly settled at Arsenal having completed his "dream" move to north London in the summer, and has commented on the key differences between Premier League and Serie A.

Calafiori has so far only enjoyed a mere taste of the English top-flight. Since joining the Gunners, the Italian international has made just three Premier League starts, although he was involved in a wildly intense duel with Manchester City after the September international break.

We've already seen what the exuberant young defender will supply Mikel Arteta's team moving forward, with Calafiori's unicorn-like profile set to add overwhelming fluidity to Arsenal's build-up play. Defensively, his aggression must be harnessed but not completely mellowed. That's who he is.

His big break arrived with Thiago Motta at Bologna last season, with his superb 2023/24 campaign convincing Arsenal to make a summer move. However, after falling out of favour with Jose Mourinho at Roma, Calafiori also got to experience Swiss footballing culture with Basel for a brief period. The youngster is already well-travelled, and he's had his say on the idiosyncrasies of both the English and Italian games.

Riccardo Calafiori outlines key differences between Premier League & Serie A

Calafiori, in an interview with TG1 at the end of September (via Football Italia), refused to call either league superior but highlighted the differences.

“I don’t feel like saying it is superior to our league, but it is certainly different. There is more intensity here, it’s a different style.

“Coming to England was a good step for my career," he added.

In a more recent interview, Calafiori said: "The first thing that caught my eye was the intensity they put into training and matches. I found that very different from Italy.

"The matches are fought until the end. Any team you face, whether they’re small or big, nobody thinks too much about defending themselves. That’s the big difference. There are more counter-attacks and it’s more fun to follow."

Given the reputation of some Italian coaches, including Motta, it's certainly a surprise to hear Calafiori discuss the superior intensity of training sessions at Arsenal. Mikel Arteta, of course, is a meticulous mastermind, and the uber competitive nature of his hungry squad only feeds into what's a harmonious but ultimately incredibly intense environment on the training ground and on matchdays.

While the Premier League has become universal with foreign influence remarkably prevalent, Serie A remains the most intricate and 'tactical' division in Europe - along with La Liga. The pace and tempo of matches is slower, which Calafiori notes, with the Italian also suggesting fewer Premier League teams are concerned with primarily defending.

Don't worry, Riccardo, those low blocks will stack up as the season progresses, and the 22-year-old himself, given his skillset, will have a big role to play in unlocking said defences.

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