Calafiori: ‘I wanted to make up for Italy own goal’ | OneFootball

Riccardo Calafiori reveals what he was thinking when bursting into tears after creating Italy’s decisive equaliser with Croatia. ‘I wanted to make up for the own goal.’

If he wasn’t already the revelation of the tournament for Italy, he certainly is now, as the Bologna defender surged forward at the 98th minute to set up the Mattia Zaccagni equaliser against Croatia.

They had been losing 1-0 to a Luka Modric tap-in, just moments after Gianluigi Donnarumma had parried the Real Madrid legend’s penalty, and were heading for third place in Group B.

Instead, they will face Switzerland in the Round of 16, playing in Berlin on June 29.

“It was so important to react and above all change attitude during the game. We did this better than the other games, deserved the result at the end and I am only sorry that I cannot play the next match, but I will celebrate from the stands,” Calafiori told Sky Sport Italia.

That is because Calafiori took one for the team with a yellow card to stop a dangerous counter-attack and will therefore be suspended for the knockout round tie.

Calafiori versatility suited Italy change

When adapting to the new 3-5-2 formation, he was the player who tended to push up the most from defence, as seen with the goal.

“I honestly don’t know where I got the energy from, it was a really tough game. I needed to give something to this team that welcomed me so well, I didn’t want to end the journey here, so I wanted to give something positive.”

Calafiori was overwhelmed with emotion and fatigue at the final whistle, lying down and bursting into tears as he looked up at the sky over Leipzig.

“I couldn’t even think, I was just so happy. More than anything, it was all the emotions I felt inside me over the last few days, as I didn’t have time to process it because we had to focus on the next match. It just came out.

“I wanted to make up for the own goal and make a positive contribution to this Nazionale.”

He could hardly be blamed for the own goal against Spain, as Donnarumma palmed a cross onto his leg and it ricocheted in.