Arsenal's Riccardo Calafiori has been unable to get used to the insane London traffic since arriving in England and admits he doesn't even have a car because of it
Riccardo Calafiori has found aspects of London life difficult
Riccardo Calafiori has found aspects of London life difficult
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Arsenal star Riccardo Calafiori admits the one aspect of London he simply cannot stomach is the immense amount of traffic - which has seen him give up even having a car.
The Italian moved to England's capital from Italy, where he was living in a city with a much smaller population. As a result journeys can take quite a while and it is not something Calafiori has been able to acclimatise to.
Arsenal's training base is right on the cusp of the M25 in London Colney, but the Emirates Stadium is some 15 miles inside the London ring road.
Calafiori, being a single man without a young family, admits he wanted to sample the city living, but few of his team-mates share his want for the bright lights. As a result his drive to training is just shy of an hour and he cannot fathom some of the driving habits in England.
He told the Supernova podcast: "I don’t drive, but I get around with a driver. I prefer not to drive here. I don’t have a car, but I can drive. I don’t like how they drive here. They follow the rules too much and are a bit slow. Sometimes you see these big traffic jams for no reason. Unfortunately, that’s just how it is here. Everyone has their ways."
The Italian added: "I live quite far away from my teammates; nobody lives where I live. It’s a London thing. Most of them have families and kids and live in houses near the training ground. I’m younger, and on my own, so I prefer living in the city. Normally, we check in by 9.15. It takes about 50 minutes to get there."
Calafiori remains a squad player at the Emirates, starting just over half of their Premier League games this season. He was signed from Bologna in the summer of 2024 but has already talked up a return to his homeland with Roma - the club where he began his career.
Riccardo Calafiori has talked up a return to Roma in the future
Riccardo Calafiori has talked up a return to Roma in the future
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Calafiori could end up costing Arsenal £42million if all his add-ons are met, but he's already eyeing up an eventual move back to the Stadio Olympico. He had to leave Roma to kickstart his career, joining Swiss giants Basel and later returning to Serie A with Bologna.
However he longs for a move back. "I'd like to return to Roma sooner or later," Calafiori told Corriere dello Sport. "We can't plan it, of course, but yes, I want to return."
He only made 18 appearances in the Italian capital before moving elsewhere. Arsenal's depth has been cited as a huge plus but the amount of competition is likely to leave certain players seeking regular minutes.