Arsenal’s new midfielder Rosa Kafaji has a confession. “Something controversial about me: I haven’t watched that much football because I was mostly outside playing,” she says. “So, I didn’t watch much football, but I know Arsenal is a big club that has had some big players – players like Thierry Henry.”
Kafaji, widely recognised as one of the best young talents in Europe, has arrived at Arsenal with a lot of hype. The 21-year-old can be forgiven for having been glued to a pitch rather than a screen, because the result has been a dynamism on the ball few can match.
Kafaji's Inspiration: Ronaldinho
“Ronaldinho has been an inspiration since I was younger and that’s how I am trying to play like,” she says. “I want to be creative, have fun on the pitch, try to score and create chances.”
Arsenal’s manager, Jonas Eidevall, a fellow Swede, said it was “no surprise” she idolised the Brazilian. “They have some similarities when they play,” he said. “She’s a proper baller. The things she can do with a ball is probably going to break the leg of other people trying. So she obviously gives us some really good qualities in our attacking play. She can open up in small spaces and she can put in balls with exact precision. I think we needed that.
“I’ve seen Rosa play since she was young, first at AIK in Sweden and then at Häcken. I didn’t know her as a person, so I went over to Sweden and met with her before we signed her. We spent time just speaking, getting to know her and understanding our motivations. And I was crystal clear after that meeting that she was going to be a perfect fit for us.”
Back to Gothenburg, Back to Häcken
Kafaji will head back to Gothenburg sooner than expected, with Arsenal drawn against Häcken in the second round of Champions League qualifying. The first leg is in Sweden on Wednesday, the return at Meadow Park the following Thursday.
“It’s crazy to be playing against my old team – I was only there two months ago,” she says. “It’s nice to be going back. My former teammates sent messages to me about the game. They said that they thought they would draw Arsenal.”
Eidevall's Observations
Eidevall hopes Arsenal can take Kafaji to the next level. He knew she was good but when he saw how she reacted to a training drill against a low block, he really started to understand the talent at his disposal.
“We do one thing where one team is just entirely in low block, and we give that attacking team not a certain amount of time, but a limited number of balls,” he said. “So we say: ‘You have two balls. If that ball runs out, you’re done. You’re not going to get another one. So make the most out of this opportunity here and now.’ Then play for example, 10 v eight, in a tight space.
“The good thing with that is players really take care of the ball, but still know you have to take the risk at the right moment, because otherwise you’re just keeping the ball and you’re not scoring. So it’s about finding that right moment. They play the ball into Rosa in quite a tight space centrally and from that moment I think everyone is expecting her to pass the ball back, but we continue to go on the other side and she turns on a dime; you can see a whole ocean is opening up in that moment. I was straight away like: ‘Yes, that’s exactly it.’”
A Quick and Sneaky Move
The move to Arsenal was a “pretty fast process”, says Kafaji. “I got a good feeling from the beginning, speaking to Jonas, and from there it was just a good choice.”
Asked whether she sought the advice of Arsenal’s Swedish trio Lina Hurtig, Stina Blackstenius and Amanda Ilestedt before the move, she says: “Actually, I didn’t. I was trying to be sneaky and speak to Stina sometimes. I was very low key with it and didn’t tell anyone until it was done.”
Kafaji's Ambitions
Her desire is to add creativity and an attacking threat. “I want to go forward all the time,” she says. The ultimate goal? “I would like to win a trophy with the team and try to play as many games as possible from the start. I want to build chemistry with my team and score some goals.”
Ready to Shine at the Emirates
Jonas Eidevall, like Tottenham Hotspurs women’s coach, Robert Vilahamn, (who coached her at BK Hacken), has labelled her as the next best player in women’s football.
In a recent conversation with Sky Sports the Arsenal boss provided additional insight into why Kafaji is unique. Before committing to moving to North London, the Swedish tactician says Kafaji asked to be allowed to “do the extras,” a request he believes exemplifies her desire to be the best.
For him, Kafaji is unique; she brings a unique element to his team, and he is confident that he and his technical bench will work tirelessly to guide her as she pursues her potential.
Eidevall said: “Her first question when we spoke about coming to Arsenal was ‘am I allowed to do extras?’, because all she thinks about is ‘how do I get better with the ball and develop?’
“She adds something different than we have in the squad, and that’s exciting. We can help her taking steps tactically and physically to adapt her game to an even higher level.”
Kafaji showed flashes of brilliance in the opportunities she got in pre-season. In the UEFA Women’s Champions League round 1 qualifiers, Eidevall didn’t really use her; he only gave her a 21-minute cameo versus Rangers. Even so, he might be keen to gradually ease her into his team. On Wednesday, as Arsenal face her former club BK Hacken in the UEFA women’s Champions round 2 qualifiers, it would be intriguing to see if Jonas Eidevall uses her as a secret weapon in that clash.
A 'Proper Baller' with a Bright Future
Arsenal Women’s summer signing, Rosa Kafaji, has revealed the secret behind her flair on the pitch – Brazilian legend Ronaldinho.
The Swedish sensation, who joined the Gunners from BK Hacken, says she’s been inspired by Ronaldinho since she was young, and she’s aiming to bring that same creativity to North London.
Kafaji, who signed a long-term contract after fending off interest from top clubs like Real Madrid and PSG, is looking to make a quick impact at Arsenal.
Arsenal manager Jonas Eidevall couldn’t hide his excitement about his new signing, describing Kafaji as a “proper baller.”
He even compared her to Ronaldinho, noting, “The things she can do with a ball are probably going to break the leg of other people trying. She gives us great qualities in attack, especially in tight spaces.”
“I’ve seen Rosa play since she was young, first at AIK in Sweden and then at Häcken. I didn’t know her as a person, so I went over to Sweden and met with her before we signed her. We spent time just speaking, getting to know her and understanding our motivations. And I was crystal clear after that meeting that she was going to be a perfect fit for us.”
Kafaji already has a reputation in Europe, having helped Hacken reach the quarter-finals of the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
Now, Arsenal fans will be hoping to see some Ronaldinho magic from their new star – and maybe a few defenders left in her dust.
