Wilfried Gnonto was interviewed by the club and discussed his relationship with his team-mates, his experience in England and the emotions surrounding his return to Italy:
**It’s been about a month now since you returned to Italy. How are you finding it? What did you miss about Serie A and Italy in general?**
“What did I miss? I missed the weather, I missed the food and I also missed speaking Italian every day. I’d been away for quite a while and I wasn’t used to being in Italy anymore and being around Italians. Everything is going well now. I’m very happy and getting on well with my team-mates – they’re an easy-going bunch. I’m very happy, and I know that from here things can only get better.”
**How’s your process of improvement? What’s Paolo Vanoli asking of you? How are you finding being part of the squad and being in Florence?**
**“**One of the things I’m sure I’ve improved at is my fitness. This is because we’re really knuckling down here. Vanoli is making us do a lot of running, and the work is pretty demanding. I feel better and I think I’m in pretty good shape. I can really kick on.
“I work every day to improve the things I think I’m already quite good at and the things I’m not so good at. I’m a person who wants to better themselves every day, and I’m sure I can do that both with the coach and with the help of my team-mates.”
**What did you learn in England, both from the perspective of being a footballer but also as a person?**
“I reckon Italian football and English football are a little different in terms of the intensity of the game. I’d say maybe the training sessions are a little shorter and there’s a bit less tactical work, but they’re more intense and there’s more match-specific work. I think I improved a lot during my stint there.
“I’d say it’s important to have a balance between the two. Having played with the Italian national teams for a long time, I think I have a bit of the Italian mentality, in terms of diet, food, the attention to detail and the importance placed on working hard. That being said, England is much more chilled out. Football is important, but it isn’t the be-all and end-all, and perhaps that’s a good thing because you can stay fairly relaxed and enjoy your life as well.”