Genoa defender Coofe: Playing "werewolf kill" in the U21 in England has benefited a lot from the Gunners experience

England U21 full-back Cuffy, who plays for Genoa, was interviewed and talked about his experience in participating in the U21 European Cup with the team and Arsenal's youth training, Vieira and other topics.

England U21 defended their European title in the summer. What is the secret of that team's unity?

If there is a secret, it might be a card game called "Werewolf". The game, which was introduced to the England senior team during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, pits a small group of informed "werewolves" against a majority of uninformed "villagers", with both sides trying to deceive the other to win, in a format similar to the popular TV show "Traitors".

We play every night. This really helps us bond because you get to know other people through this. In this day and age where everyone is probably addicted to their phones, for us to be able to sit down and laugh and joke around together... the whole team was really, really tight-knit and everyone just stuck together, and you saw that on the court when we finally won the championship.

How was the situation after winning the championship?

Such is the life of a young player, Lee Carsley's side had just a few hours to celebrate their dramatic win over Germany before everyone went their separate ways. In my case, I boarded a flight straight to Genoa, the club I will join in August 2024 after ten years at Arsenal, before going on a holiday. It was a very, very quick turnaround, so I would say we probably didn't enjoy the victory as much as we should have, but I think that's football. However, I don't think it's shocking for this team to win a championship. We all felt: ‘We should win this event and we will win this event. ’ So when we did do it, it was like: ‘Okay, we did it, we’re proud of ourselves, let’s go on vacation, but now everyone has to go back to their respective clubs and shine. ’

Tell us about the club Genoa and your connection with it?

Genoa is the oldest club in Italy, founded in 1893 by a group of British expatriates, and the new away jersey I helped promote has the St. George's Cross on it to pay tribute to its heritage. I feel like a lot of Italians seem to relate to me that way, because I'm British and because of the history of the club. It all comes together surprisingly well.

Why did you choose to join Genoa after leaving Arsenal?

I am following in the footsteps of another full-back from South London, Jed Spence, who played for Genoa on loan from Tottenham for four and a half months in 2024. After successful loan spells at Lincoln, Rotherham, Millwall and Coventry City, I decided to leave Arsenal, turning down offers from two Premier League teams and a number of German clubs. I wanted to come here, play and experience a new style of football, experience a new culture and put myself outside of what I would call my comfort zone because I could have easily stayed in England and played for an English team.

But I said to myself: ‘Let me try a challenge abroad. Let me learn a new culture. 'The Italian league is famous for its defensive prowess, structure and style of play. So I said: 'Let me come here and improve the defensive side of my game but also show what I can do offensively and bring my own style to this league. '

How did your youth training experience at Arsenal help you?

They have helped me grow as a man, both on and off the court. At Arsenal you learn how to get better every day. If you weren't learning about football, you were learning how to cook. This really comes in handy, 100%. They always make sure you're doing the psychological stuff, that kind of thing. And then on the pitch, obviously, this is Arsenal Football Club: the level, the standards are extremely high, so I feel like that helps me a lot.

Speaking of Vieira

"He was a great player and is a great coach now and he has helped me a lot since he came. Our goal is to get as high in the rankings as possible. First we need to get to the 40-point mark, I think so, to make sure we are safe in relegation and then we will see. But I think this group is capable of doing some very good things."

How is your relationship with England U21 head coach Carsley? And what about the future?

When I encountered difficulties last year, he would take the time to call me and say: ‘Keep going, you know your strength. 'Give you some words of encouragement. He is always there. When you play for the U21s, they emphasize in every training camp: the goal is not to stay in the U21s, the goal is to get into the England senior team. So it depends on how I perform in the U21s and how well I do at the club. It’s something I have to work towards, it’s up to me.