Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori has revealed that some of his team-mates initially wanted to skip the club's Premier League title parade following their painful Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain.
The Gunners celebrated their 2025-26 league triumph with an open-top bus parade in north London, just a day after losing the European final on penalties.
Despite the disappointment, Calafiori believes the celebrations were essential to recognising Arsenal's achievements.
Calafiori recalls Arsenal's Premier League title celebrations
Speaking to Arsenal's official website, the Italy international described winning the Premier League as the greatest moment of his career.
"It's hard to explain, but it was incredibly satisfying and also a great relief for the entire club and the Arsenal family," Calafiori said.
The 24-year-old revealed that Arsenal's squad had gathered at their training ground to watch Manchester City's match against Bournemouth, which confirmed their title success.
"We were all together celebrating. It was just amazing. It's the best day of my life, for sure, because it was also my birthday. It was crazy."
The achievement marked a major milestone for Calafiori, who is now entering his third season at the Emirates Stadium.
Champions League defeat nearly overshadowed parade
Arsenal's celebrations were complicated by their Champions League final defeat to PSG, which came immediately before the planned parade.
Calafiori admitted that some players were reluctant to participate after the disappointment of losing Europe's biggest club match.
"Some of us were talking on the plane back from Hungary, saying we really didn't want to do it," he explained.
However, seeing the thousands of supporters gathered in north London quickly changed their perspective.
"In the end, it was the right thing to do, because it was still an incredible season for us."
Calafiori insisted the squad needed to appreciate its Premier League achievement rather than allow the European disappointment to define the campaign.
Key Points
- Riccardo Calafiori described Arsenal's Premier League title win as the best day of his life.
- Arsenal secured the 2025-26 title while the squad watched Manchester City face Bournemouth.
- The Gunners subsequently lost the Champions League final to PSG on penalties.
- Some Arsenal players initially wanted to skip the following day's title parade.
- Calafiori said the supporters' response made the celebrations worthwhile.
What's Next?
Calafiori will look to build on last season's success as Arsenal pursue further silverware.
Having experienced both a Premier League triumph and Champions League final disappointment, the Italian defender remains part of a squad aiming to compete for major honours again.
0 Comments
First read message
Leave a comment
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *