One of the few Italians to have impressed at the European Championships so far is ex-FCB player Riccardo Calafiori. However, the central defender will miss the round of 16 match against Switzerland due to a yellow card suspension.
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- Central defender Riccardo Calafiori wonderfully prepares Italy's late equalizer against Croatia with a strong individual action.
- Calafiori is one of the rising stars of the season and has also shown outstanding performances at the European Championships so far - but he will miss the round of 16 against Switzerland.
- Just a year ago, Calafiori played for FC Basel in Switzerland before moving to Bologna. Now the central defender is being courted by top clubs - FCB are likely to cash in heavily on another transfer.
Just how close joy and sorrow are in football was once again on display on Monday evening. Luka Modric crowned himself the oldest goalscorer in European Championship history and then had to watch from the bench as his team-mates squandered their qualification for the round of 16 deep into stoppage time.
Riccardo Calafiori went the other way. He scored the own goal in the 1-0 defeat to Spain and was therefore the unlucky one. Against Croatia, he set up Mattia Zaccagni's equalizer in the 98th minute with a committed rush forward.
However, Calafiori received his second yellow card of the tournament in the 93rd minute and will miss the round of 16 against Switzerland. A stroke of luck for Murat Yakin and the national team. Because regardless of his burst of energy in stoppage time against Croatia, Calafiori has so far been the big discovery in an otherwise largely disappointing Italy team.
German world champion Christoph Kramer is a big fan of Calafiori. After the opening game against Albania, Kramer was already raving about the 22-year-old on the "Copa TS" podcast: "I don't know where the Italians always pull these great central defenders out of their hats. The way he played, I thought: 'What kind of player are you? I thought he was incredibly good."
Kramer is employed by ZDF as a pundit and praised Calafiori again after the 1:1 against Croatia: "This is the best player of the European Championship." The Italian sports bible Gazzetta dello Sport writes that Calafiori is a "director with personality".
FC Basel is rubbing its hands together
Calafiori is one of the big stars of the current season. The 22-year-old moved from FC Basel to Bologna in Italy for four million euros in August 2023. Alongside Swiss European Championship players Dan Ndoye, Remo Freuler and Michel Aebischer, Calafiori was also able to shine as a regular player - Bologna ultimately qualified for the Champions League with ease.
Calafiori, who was mainly used as a left-back at Basel, developed magnificently under Bologna coach Thiago Motta. Calafiori's market value rose to 30 million euros in one season and is likely to rise even further with his strong European Championship. The top clubs have long been keen on the defender. Juventus Turin in particular, where Thiago Motta will transfer to next season, is considered a hot candidate.
Not only Bologna will be happy about a big transfer fee, but also FC Basel. FCB has secured a resale stake of 40 percent. If Calafiori were to move for around 30 million euros, that would put 12 million into FCB's coffers.
Due to his yellow card suspension, Calafiori will not be able to further increase his market value in the round of 16 against his Swiss colleagues. But the 22-year-old is already looking ahead: "Now I'm happy for my teammates, I'll be cheering them on in the round of 16. Also because I want to play in the quarter-finals."
