Riccardo Calafiori’s brutal knee injury and his fight to return | OneFootball

At 16, Riccardo Calafiori suffered a devastating knee injury putting his career in doubt, but after years of recovery, he fought his way back.

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For Riccardo Calafiori, one moment changed everything.

On October 2, 2018, while playing for Roma’s youth team in the UEFA Youth League, the then-16-year-old suffered a catastrophic knee injury in a collision with Real Madrid’s Álvaro Fernández.

The impact was devastating: total rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), medial collateral ligament (MCL), and posterior cruciate ligament (PCL), along with meniscus and cartilage damage.

The severity of the injury was evident immediately. The Roma medical team feared the worst, and for a time, there were serious concerns over whether Calafiori would ever play again.

A multi-ligament knee injury of this scale is rare and far more serious than a standard ACL tear. Recovery is long and uncertain, often requiring multiple surgeries and extensive rehabilitation.

“For sure I learned more [in that time],” he said, “but I’m not sure if I would want to do it again! I’m not saying that, but when it happens you have to take the positives from it, and for sure it changed me, and now I’m better for what happened.

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“I was so young, only 16, so I didn’t realise at the time how bad it was and how dangerous it was for my career. It was very bad, it could have been the end of my career to be honest. They told me, the doctors all explained it, but in my head I wasn’t listening. I was just thinking about coming back, coming back, coming back. That was it.

“I remember, it was on the day of the injury actually, and the doctors said to me that maybe I can’t come back to play football again. They told me that same day. It was hard to hear, but in fact it gave me the motivation to come back.”

Calafiori underwent surgery in Pittsburgh, where renowned orthopaedic specialist Dr Volker Musahl, who previously operated on Zlatan Ibrahimović, reconstructed the damaged ligaments.

Post-surgery, the challenge was not just regaining strength but also preventing long-term complications such as cartilage deterioration and instability, which often end careers prematurely.

Rehabilitation was gruelling.

Months of immobilisation, controlled movement therapy, and progressive weight-bearing exercises were followed by neuromuscular training to restore balance and coordination.

Returning to football required even more time, as the risk of reinjury in multi-ligament cases is significantly higher.

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It was during this period that Calafiori became fascinated with physiotherapy and chiropractic care, developing an interest beyond just his own recovery.

“When I was injured I got interested in the medical side of it, and in fact my dream is to be a chiropractor or an osteopath, but I know that’s very difficult. It’s a lot of study, but maybe one day!” he said.

By late 2019, over a year after the injury, he made his return for Roma’s Primavera squad, but the mental challenge of trusting his knee again remained. Many players never regain their full agility or confidence after such a setback, but Calafiori worked relentlessly to ensure his game adapted.

More than five years later, Calafiori has not only returned to elite football but has become a key player at club and international level.

The injury that could have ended his career instead forced him to understand his body in ways few athletes do, ultimately making him stronger.