Riccardo Calafiori is living life in the fast lane at Arsenal but one gripe threatens to bring everything to a standstill.
The Italian defender – or rather the Ferrari of Arsenal’s left flank – says he cannot stomach London’s traffic jams.
His frustration is so great that, while other multi-millionaire players stockpile fancy cars, he doesn’t even own one.
‘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,’ he told the Supernova podcast.
‘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.’
He 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.’
Londoners should heed Calafiori’s warning. The English capital has been crowned the world’s worst megacity for traffic for three years in a row, with average speeds barely exceeding 10mph.
A report released by TomTom in January showed that a six-mile trip averages 35 minutes and seven seconds.
It’s understandable, then, that Calafiori labels the chockablock roads as his main annoyance rather than the weather or cuisine, which other foreign players often highlight.
The 23-year-old joined Arsenal from Bologna in 2024 and has been a regular player in a season which could see them lift the Quadruple.
Mikel Arteta’s men are five points clear of Manchester City in the Premier League, though the Gunners have played a game more.
This month, they will face Bayer Leverkusen in the last 16 of the Champions League, Mansfield in the Fifth Round of the FA Cup, and City in the final of the Carabao Cup.
Elsewhere in his interview, Calafiori was optimistic about Arsenal’s chances.
‘Ever since the gaffer has been there, we’ve always been there or thereabouts, often finishing second by a hair, but I think there’s been improvement every year,’ he said.
‘I hope this is the decisive year.’
He added: ‘Obviously everything is done at the highest levels, even at teams that might be a bit smaller.
‘This is all a matter of, and it might be a bit ugly to say, but money, media attention. TV networks that broadcast the matches, so of course it’s normal that it’s followed a bit more compared to other leagues, and so more money and things like that.’
He is still getting used to other aspects of English football.
‘Obviously, the culture is completely different. Like, if I think about Italy, training sessions are two hours, the tactics it’s all different. Football is more tactical in Italy, and here they think more about attacking,’ he said.
He added: ‘You arrive, have dinner, then everyone either goes to their rooms or you hang out with your teammates and play a few games. And then you go to the game. Like I was saying earlier, something that really surprised me is that the stadiums are empty during the warm-ups.’
