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Jordan Caldwell
	File:Press Conference JC.png Caldwell as Catania manager
Personal information
Date of birth	16 February 1992 (age 31)
Place of birth	Wollongong, Australia
Height	1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team	Catania (manager)
Youth career
2004-2008	Wollongong Wolves
2008-2010	Central Coast Mariners
Senior career*
Years	Team
2008	Wollongong Wolves
2010-2013	Central Coast Mariners
2013-2014	Fiorentina
2014-2015	→ Bologna (loan)
2015-2017	Chievo Verona
2017-2018	Fiorentina
International career
2008-2011	Australia U20
2011-2013	Australia U23
2013-2018	Australia
Managerial career
2020-2023	Fiorentina Primavera
2023-	Catania
Medal record
Men's football
Representing Australia
AFC Asian Cup
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Jordan Caldwell (born 16 February 1992) is an Australian football manager and former player who is the manager of Italian Serie C club Catania.

Born in Wollongong, he began his career at the age of 16 as a goalkeeper with the Wollongong Wolves, and was later a member of the Central Coast Mariners team who won the club's first A-League Championship in 2013. He moved to Italy to join Fiorentina in June 2013, and made his full international debut later that year. Caldwell was loaned to Bologna in 2014, and later joined Chievo Verona for €1.5 million in 2015. After two years at Chievo, he re-joined Fiorentina for €12 million in 2017. However, he suffered a fractured skull in October 2018 in a match against Lazio, and following a prolonged treatment and medical advice, he retired from professional football in March 2019.

He remained with Fiorentina following his retirement, later being appointed as manager of the team's Primavera side in July 2020. In June 2023, he became the manager of Serie C club Catania.

Early life and education

Jordan Caldwell was born on 16 February 1992 in Wollongong, New South Wales. He grew up just south of the city in Dapto, New South Wales. He grew up supporting Manchester United in England, as well as local club Wollongong Wolves in the National Soccer League. Caldwell received his early schooling at Wollongong Public School and secondary schooling at Smith's Hill High School, before transferring to Gosford High School, where he completed his Higher School Certificate in 2009.

Playing career

Early Career

After first joining Wollongong Wolves as a twelve-year old, Caldwell rose through the youth ranks of the club, eventually being handed his first team debut at the age of 16 in the 2008 NSW Premier League. Following an injury to the starting keeper, he would cement his spot as starting keeper, playing an instrumental role as the club defeated Sutherland Sharks 4-2 in the Grand Final on 7 September 2008.

Central Coast Mariners

Following the financial collapse of the club following their title triumph, Caldwell was released by the club on 9 December 2008, and joined A-League club Central Coast Mariners fourteen days later on 23 December 2008. He played for the club's youth team in the 2008-09 National Youth League as their starting goalkeeper, later splitting duties with new signing Mathew Ryan in the following season, as the club went on to win the Premiership.

He initially remained as the youth-team goalkeeper for the 2010-11 season, but following an anterior cruciate ligament injury to first choice goalkeeper Jess Vanstrattan, he was promoted to the Mariners senior squad, initially as backup to Mathew Ryan. He made his debut for the club on 3 September 2010 in a 2-0 win against Melbourne Victory, but would only make eight further starts for the club throughout the season. He would remain in the squad for the 2011-12 season, though he once again remained backup to Ryan. Despite his limited appearances, he kept three clean sheets in his seven starts, including a man of the match performance against Sydney FC in a 1-0 away victory on 7 January, where he made six saves to maintain the Mariners lead. He was linked to rivals Newcastle Jets and Sydney FC in the offseason, but he remained with the club for the 2012-13 season.

Following an injury Ryan suffered in the pre-season, Caldwell started the first six games of the season for the Mariners, keeping four clean sheets. This form helped him with the A-League Player of the Month and A-League Young Player of the Month for October 2012. Despite this, manager Graham Arnold returned Caldwell to the bench following Ryan's return from injury, but after his teammate joined Club Brugge in January 2013, Caldwell returned as keeper for the remainder of the season. This included the 2012-13 A-League Grand Final, where he helped the Mariners to their first ever championship in a 2-0 victory over the Western Sydney Wanderers. He was awarded the Joe Marston Medal for the man of the match in that game, and would win the Harry Kewell Medal for the outstanding Australian under-23 player in June 2013..

Fiorentina

On 27 July 2013, Serie A club Fiorentina announced that a deal had been agreed with the Mariners to sign Caldwell for an undisclosed fee. Three days later the transfer was completed, making him the first Australian to play for the club since Paul Okon in 2000. Parma had also been interested in Caldwell, and had made their own offer, but were beaten to his signature by the Florentine club. He made his debut for the club on 20 October, in a Serie A match against fierce rivals Juventus, in which he kept a clean sheet. Despite this performance, he struggled for playing time, and was unable to supplant first-choice goalkeeper Neto in the side, making only three further appearances in the season.

Loan to Bologna

Following the signing of Romanian Ciprian Tătărușanu, Caldwell was deemed surplus to requirements by the Fiorentina management, and on 3 August 2014, he was loaned to Serie B club Bologna for the remainder of the season. Despite his absence for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup in January, he played a key role as Bologna finished 4th in the league, and was the starting keeper as the club won promotion to Sere A through the playoffs. He delivered several man of the match performances, notably in both legs of the Promotion Play-off Final against Pescara. In recognition of his outstanding season, Caldwell was awarded Serie B Goalkeeper of the Year in June, and won his second Harry Kewell Medal in July.

Chievo Verona

Following his performances, Bologna attempted to sign Caldwell on a permanent deal, but were outbid by fellow Serie A club Chievo Verona, who announced on 21 August 2015 that Caldwell had signed a two-year deal for the club, with Fiorentina retaining a buy-back option for €12 million. He made his debut for the club on 30 August 2015, keeping a clean sheet in a 4-0 victory against Lazio. He missed only three further games throughout the season, recording I Gialloblu achieved their highest ever Serie A finish in 9th place. He was named the Chievo Player of the Season, and finished 3rd in the Serie A Young Player of the Year award.

He would retain his number-one status for the following season, and signed a contract extension with the club in September that would keep him at Chievo until 2018. Despite the club slipping to 14th in the league, he kept another 10 clean sheets, and was widely regarded as one of the league's hot prospects. While he missed out on consecutive club Player of the Season awards, he finished 2nd in the Serie A Goalkeeper of the Season award, only behind Gianluigi Buffon.

Return to Fiorentina

On 13 July 2017, Fiorentina announced that Caldwell would re-join the club on a four-year contract, having activated the buy-back clause in his contract with Chievo. He made his second Fiorentina debut on 20 August 2017, in a 3-0 defeat to Inter Milan, during which he fumbled a cross that resulted in Inter's second goal. Despite this, Caldwell maintained his position as the first-choice goalkeeper for the remainder, recording 14 clean sheets, and once again runner-up to Buffon in the Goalkeeper of the Season award. He remained at Fiorentina for the following season, helping the club to four victories in their first seven games, keeping three clean sheets in the process.

Injury and retirement

His playing career would come to a sudden end on 7 October 2018, in a Serie A match against Lazio. Sixty-eight minutes into the game, while defending a corner kick, Caldwell collided mid-air with the stray elbow of Lazio player Joaquin Correa, which knocked him unconscious. In the subsequent fall, he hit his head on the right post and the ground, and remained unconscious for four minutes. Fans inside the stadium reported to hear an audible crack at the time of contact, and multiple Fiorentina and Lazio players rushed to his aid after the contact.

The match was delayed for twelve minutes, as medics stabilised Caldwell over potential brain or spinal injuries. During this time, referee Daniele Orsato gave Correa a yellow card, prompting outrage from the Fiorentina players and staff, with both defender Vitor Hugo and manager Stefano Pioli receiving yellow cards in the aftermath. Further criticism was directed towards the VAR, who refused to overturn the decision, with many in the media feeling the challenge deserving of a red. Upon appeal by Fiorentina, Correa was eventually suspended for six matches.

Medical examinations revealed that Caldwell had suffered a depressed skull fracture and a Grade 3 concussion. He underwent a successful operation on the head injury, and underwent a rehabilitation process throughout the rest of the season. After the operation, he had 11 metal plates in his skull, with 22 screws holding them in place, and had a seven-inch scar across the left side of his head. On 3 March 2019, it was confirmed due to the risks associated with the extent of Caldwell's injury, he would be retiring from professional football at the age of 27.

In an interview prior to his appointment at Catania in 2023, he stated that he had "made peace" with the end of his career, but he had not forgiven Correa. He said that in the five years since the challenge, Correa had never apologised or accepted fault for his challenge, labelling him "a coward draped in snakeskin" (at the time, Correa played for Inter Milan, who are associated with snakes). However, he praised the response of multiple other Lazio players, including Ciro Immobile, who he credited with "keeping [him] safe in a very, very bad situation".

International career

Having played for both the Young Socceroos and Olyroos, Caldwell was handed his first senior national team cap during a World Cup qualifier in Melbourne in June 2013, keeping a clean sheet in a 4-0 victory against Jordan. He would later be named in Australia's preliminary squad for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, but missed out on the final 23-man squad.

He was named in the Australia team for the 2015 AFC Asian Cup, which Australia hosted. He served as the backup goalkeeper for the tournament, only starting in the 4-0 victory against Oman on 13 January. Although he made no further appearances throughout the competition, he was on the bench as Australia defeated South Korea 2-1 in the final Sydney, securing the nations first Asian Cup.

Following the tournament, Caldwell established himself as Australia's second goalkeeper choice alongside Mathew Ryan, the pair splitting appearances throughout the qualification campaign. He was named as Australia's starting goalkeeper for the 2017 Confederations Cup in Russia, and played all three games. While they failed to register a single win, losing to Germany and drawing against Cameroon and Chile, his performances were praised, especially the match against Germany where he made seven saves against the reigning world champions, limiting the result to a 2-3 loss on 19 June 2017.

He would later be named as the starting goalkeeper for both the AFC Qualification Playoffs against Syria and the Intercontinental Playoffs against Honduras in late 2017. He helped the Socceroos defeat both opponents across four games, and help the nation qualify for their fourth-consecutive FIFA World Cup. He was dropped in favour of Ryan for the opening game of the tournament against France, but returned for the remaining two group games against Denmark and Peru, with the 2-0 loss to Peru marking his final appearance for Australia.

Management career

Following his retirement, Caldwell remained in Italy while undergoing his long-term recovery. He would eventually join Fiorentina as a goalkeeping coach in October 2019, and would complete both his UEFA C and B Licenses throughout late 2019 and early 2020 at Coverciano through the Italian Football Federation (FIGC). He would later complete his UEFA A License in October 2021, and his UEFA Pro License in February 2023.

Fiorentina Primavera

On July 17 2020, Caldwell was announced as the new manager of Fiorentina's Primavera team. Despite criticism from some ultras over his inexperience as a manager, he quickly made an impact, winning the Coppa Italia Primavera against Hellas Verona on 26 August 2020. This earnt the team the right to participate in the 2020 Supercoppa Primavera, which they lost to Atalanta on 21 January 2021. Despite this setback, the team would reach another Coppa Italia final, defending their title for a second time against Lazio on 28 April. The league would be less successful, with the team only finishing 12th with 35 points.

He would remain the manager for the following season, and guided the side to the 2021 Supercoppa title on 9 December 2021, winning on penalties against local rivals Empoli. He secured the team's fourth consecutive Coppa Italia title on 4 May 2022, defeating Atalanta, though their league performaces would remain shaky, only finishing 7th. Despite this, the teams sucess in the cups would continue, as they won the Supercoppa again on 25 January 2023, this time against Inter Milan. However, the team were unable to win five consecutive Coppa Italia's, losing the final to Roma on 25 April. However, the team's league performance would improve, and they would finish the season third, eventually losing to Lecce in the Primavera final. At the end of the season, Caldwell and the club mutually agreed to terminate his contract.

Catania

On 27 July 2023, Caldwell was appointed as the manager of newly promoted Serie C club Catania. This appointment, under the ownership of fellow Australian, businessman Ross Pelligra, made Caldwell the first Australian manager in the history of Italian men's football, and only the second overall following Joe Montemurro of Juventus Women.

Personal Life

Caldwell resides in Catania, Sicily. He is a naturalised Italian citizen, and holds both Australian and Italian passports. Aside from his native English, he speaks fluent Italian and French, and knows Spanish, Portuguese and Neapolitan to varying degrees of fluency.

He is a fan of fantasy, notably George R.R Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire novels and Bioware's Dragon Age series. He also has a keen interest in history, having previously said that "were I not involved with football, I would've been a historian", and has stated he would like to complete a Bachelor's degree "whenever I have time to do so again".

Caldwell is a supporter of the Democratic Party (PD) in Italy. He spoke of his political affiliations in an interview with la Repubblica in 2024, stating; "I don't intentionally identify as a leftist, it just happens that what I see as morally correct ends up being closely aligned with the left, and that's enough for me".

Relationships

He began dating Hellas Verona, Brescia, and Italian women's player Cecilia Salvai in September 2015, while both were playing at clubs based in Verona. The couple split in November 2016.

He was previously in a long-term relationship with Italian singer-songwriter Annalisa. The pair had met at the Sanremo Music Festival 2018 in February, and Annalisa confirmed their relationship on social media on March 22, 2018. They remained together during Caldwell's recovery from his career-ending injuries, with Annalisa taking a brief break from music to assist him in his recovery. On 3 January, 2021, Annalisa confirmed on social media that the couple had separated, but remained on good terms.

Health

On 4 February, 2024, Caldwell announced on social media he had been diagnosed with ADHD and autism three years previously, and had previously been diagnosed with both depression and anxiety in June 2018, following the death of Fiorentina teammate Davide Astori. He said revealing the information was "both freeing and traumatising in equal measure", and he hoped that revealing the information would "help shift perceptions of neurodivergence within football and beyond".

Caldwell has stated that he suffers from memory loss related to his career-ending brain injury. He has said that he remembers nothing of the match itself, or of the weeks that followed it, and that there are other blank spots in his memory, including his Fiorentina debut in 2013. He has further stated that he is at risk of early-onset dementia given the nature of his injuries, and that he intends to donate his brain to science upon his death to help the understanding of concussions in sport.

Managerial statistics

As of matches played 19 May 2024

Honours

Player

Wollongong Wolves

NSW Premier League: 2008

Central Coast Mariners

A-League Championship: 2013
A-League Premiership: 2011-12

Australia

AFC Asian Cup: 2015

Manager

Fiorentina Primavera

Coppa Italia Primavera: 2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22
Supercoppa Primavera: 2021, 2022