Roma defender Riccardo Calafiori put in a strong display in the first half of his team’s league clash against Udinese.
The 19 year-old registered an assist to Tammy Abraham and helped the capital club carry a 1-0 lead into the break against the Friulian side.
Before entering the dressing room, the Italian spoke briefly to DAZN and admitted that manager Jose Mourinho’s words played a part in his strong performance.
“The manager’s statements at the press conference yesterday definitely gave me the right sense of awareness,” he said.
“We can’t drop points, so let’s hope we can bring home a winning result.”
Mourinho was asked yesterday about Calafiori’s performance in last Sunday’s 3-2 versus Hellas Verona and didn’t hold back when discussing the youngster.
“Against Verona he was a bit timid, but overall it was a balanced performance I thought. When we talk about struggling a bit defensively, I would also say that I always expect my full-backs to have a bit more confidence to go out and play.”
“And we are moving in that direction. He’s a 19-year-old, with talent, but without much experience. He naturally will need time to become a fully-formed player.”
