Calafiori says Arteta's support upon Arsenal arrival 'struck' him

Riccardo Calafiori sat down for an interview with 'Undici' and 'Cronache di Spogliatoio' to talk about his journey as a professional footballer, recalling his departure from Roma, his time at Bologna, and his move to Arsenal.
"When Roma sold me it made me upset. But I don't hold any negative feelings towards Roma. The club had to make a difficult decision, especially given the amount of players they had playing in that position," he began.
"Roma has definitely been a big part of my life and career and I only think of the positive aspects now," he insisted, before going on to talk about his experience at Bologna, where he realised the importance of prioritising mental health.
Calafiori admitted that he started working with a mental coach after a bad match with the 'Rossoblú' last year. He said: "From the start of the season up until January, I was doing very well, I didn't make any mistakes.
"The turning point came after a bad game at Cagliari. We had lost 2-1 after I made a mistake leading up to the first goal and then had an own goal. From that moment, I decided to talk to someone and prepare myself mentally if it were to happen again."

Calafiori completed his move to Arsenal last summer, landing at the Emirates after a deal worth 45 million euros was agreed with Bologna. The 22-year-old revealed an anecdote with Arteta from his early days with the Gunners that particularly stuck with him.
"I was struck by how much he cared about me and wanted to get to know me right from the start. One day, we were on the phone, he sent me a picture of my family and asked me to tell him what each family member meant to me," he revealed.
"It was the first time that something like this had happened to me. He has impressed me in other ways, not just that, but it was definitely a special moment for me," he concluded on the Spaniard.
The full-back concluded the interview as he spoke about the jump from the Serie A to the Premier League. He said: "It's completely different from Serie A. The Premier League is extremely intense. The mentality, the play style, it's different. Here it's all about scoring, not possession."