Mikel Arteta reveals why Riccardo Calafiori is the only Arsenal player who's given full freedom
Riccardo Calafiori is one of the most unique players Arsenal have ever had.
The Italian was mostly a central defender before he joined the Gunners, but Mikel Arteta saw him as a left-back from the very first day.
Calafiori has had his injury issues over the last two years, but when he is fit, he offers tactical flexibility to Arsenal unlike anybody else.
But why is it that he gets to do what he likes when others have to abide by a strict structure? Arteta has had his say.
Mikel Arteta explains why he gives complete freedom to Riccardo Calafiori
Riccardo Calafiori’s starting position at the start of every game is at left-back, but his role involves so much more.
Usually, the heat map of a player playing in that position would mostly show high activity up and down the left flank.
But if you look at Calafiori’s heat map, he is all over the pitch every game.
That is always interesting to see because although Arteta’s philosophy involves constant movement and interchanging of positions, nobody else is really given the license to go wherever they want.
Calafiori has the privilege, and the Arsenal manager has explained why.
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On TNT Sports before Arsenal’s win over Sunderland, Karen Carney asked Arteta why he gives Calafiori freedom to move anywhere but not to anyone else.
He replied: “Because he is a free bird.
“If you put strings on him, it doesn’t work. There are players you need to allow to express themselves, to give them room, give them space and not restrict them to certain areas, because that’s where they flow and they make others flow.”
When asked to name Calafiori’s best quality, he said: “His capacity to understand the game and where the spaces are.
“And then he is fearless. He can do things in the base, in the pockets and out wide. And he has a real instinct to arrive at the right spot and at the right time inside the box.”
Riccardo Calafiori needs to stay fit
Calafiori’s luck with injuries has been the only problem in his Arsenal career.
Since joining the Gunners in 2024, the Italy international has missed 44 games for club and country over 238 days.
That is a terrible record, and we’re sure everyone at Arsenal, including himself, is desperate for him to stay fit until the end of the campaign.
In Piero Hincapie, Arsenal have an able backup, albeit a very different one. It’s up to Arteta now to manage the two of them carefully.