Riccardo Calafiori may not have featured for Italy against Turkiye, but the Arsenal defender still gave one young supporter a memorable evening by presenting him with his Azzurri jersey.
Italy claimed a 4-1 Nations League victory in Bursa, with goals from Alessandro Bastoni, Davide Frattesi, Michael Kayode and Francesco Pio Esposito.
Luciano Spalletti’s side made eight changes from the team beaten 2-0 by Belgium at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on Friday. Calafiori was among those selected for the substitutes’ bench rather than the starting line-up.
After the final whistle, several of Italy’s unused players remained on the pitch for a kick-about. One young Turkish fan took the chance to approach Calafiori and show his support for the defender.
Although they did not share a language, the boy’s excitement was clear as Calafiori handed him the Italy shirt as a keepsake. His reaction captured the significance of the gesture and ensured at least one Turkiye supporter left the stadium delighted.
The result was Turkiye’s second successive Nations League defeat, following a 1-0 loss to France last week.
Pure class.
