Gilardino: "I am not mad at Ancelotti or at anyone else for that matter"


Date: Monday, July 7th 2008


Fiorontina's new marksman, Alberto Gilardino, spoke in an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport mag about the years that he spent with Milan AC and about his future with Fiorentina.


Q. Today is the last day for you with Alice and your daughter Jennifer ..

Alberto: "The vacation that I spent with them brought me even more closer to them. I will leave with Fiorentina for the summer training camp with the desire to work hard. My only regret is that I will be away from my family for a whole month. Jeniffer is only 4 months old, still when I get back I will find her different than when I leave her. Her birth brought a lot of happiness to me also considering I was going through a rough time, because the situation at Milan didn't go very well. Even in the most difficult of times, life gives you something beautiful: this is a lesson in itself."


Q. Gilardino, what is the change that you feel after spending 3 years with Milan ?

Alberto: "A lot. And this is only natural. Milan was the second phase in my professional career. The first phase was that of progress and building a solid foundation, then I went to Milan. I suffered, but the important thing is that I have learned a lot. And the third phase, will start today with Fiorentina, and it will be the most difficult of them all because it will be the decisive one."


Q. The thing that changed the most with you today ?

Alberto: "Maturity, I have entered my 26th just recently, I am still young but I have gained a lot of experience with Milan. I also have found a lot of progress from a personal point of view, and I have learned how to surpass the difficulties, before 3 years ago I was a strong player, but today I am a stronger man."


Q. What remained in your memory after your adventure with Milan ?

Alberto: "Being distinct. I am talking about the playing field, I learned how to play in different tactical setups, and different tactical situations."


Q. And outside the playing field ?

Alberto: "I learned to listen to everyone, while the final decision is taken by me. I try to always act in the way I was brought up with."


Q. An example ?

Alberto: "Education and professionalism. I feel that I was always available and well behaved with everyone. I act with a very professional attitude everyday."


Q. Will another player not enter the pitch when called upon in the 89th minute, during Milan-Genoa on the 27th of January ?!

Alberto: "From my point of view, no. That reaction was bad on my part, but I understood that I had made a mistake. At the start, I questioned if there was a point to such a substitution. But now, if my coach asks me to enter the playing field, I will enter. At first comes the team, then the player."


Q. Are you mad at Ancelotti ?

Alberto: "No, I am not mad at him or anyone else for that matter. I have left, and what good will it bring if I did ?"


Q. But in some instances you seemed mad at him ..

Alberto: "That happens to everyone. Maybe the five games that I sat out on the bench - of which I gained a lot of experience - as opposed to what was said. But I am happy, because I always acted in the right way. I am glade that I ended my time at Milan in the San Siro, amongst the fans whom: who made me feel their support."


Q. And how do you perceive your record, when you were a Milanista ?

Alberto: "Good. I score a lot of goals: the numbers were all good, except for my last season."


Q. What were the best and worst moments ?

Alberto: "My best moment was the goal I scored against Manchester United, as well as the victory that the team achieved. Personally. I forget the bad instances real fast."


Q. Is it true that you suffered from heavy pressures ?

Alberto: "I don't think so. I scored 44 goals with Milan and 9 with the Nationale. You could always do better, of course, but nothing scares me."


Q. Lippi is the new coach now ..

Alberto: "There is a mutual respect between me and Lippi. We had lived two wonderful years together, I really hope that I can convince him to select me once again."


Q. What do you want to prove ?

Alberto: "Nothing, I am not a good player. But i had shown a lot in the past years."


Q. Have you spoken to Prandelli ?

Alberto: "Yes, but we didn't need to exchange a lot of words. We know each other very well: I know what he is expecting of me, and he knows full well of what I am capable of."


Q. A message you wish to send out to the Fiorentina fans ?

Alberto: "I promise you I will show up, and that is everything. This season will be decisive for me and for Fiorentina. We have a lot of goals and the first is to pass the preliminary stage of the Champions League."


Q. Will you go back to the violin act ?

Alberto: "That was the first thing the Fiorentina fans asked of me when I was presented to them. And that will be the first thing I shall do when I score my first goal ... And I hope to do that several times this season."


Q. How much goals will you score ?

Alberto: "Don't make me predict a certain number. After every goal I will think of the next and I will continue doing that from the beginning of September till May. And the calculations I will do at the end, as I always do."

Forza Gila!
Hope he finds back his rythm!

LOL sounds like a gay couple

15/08/2008 14:17
Only Inter Are Better Than Us - Gilardino

Fiorentina striker Alberto Gilardino believes his side are just as good as Milan, Juventus and Roma - with only Inter ahead of the Viola.


Gilardino arrived from Milan in a €14m deal this summer following three poor seasons at San Siro.

Many have great expectations of the hit-man and he seems to be enjoying something of a renaissance in Florence.

The former Parma hit-man looks revived and ready for the new season and he fired his side closer to the Champions League with a goal against Slavia Prague on Tuesday.

The World Cup winner is looking ahead and he believes only Jose Mourinho’s Inter are better than La Viola this season.

“Only Inter are better than us,” Gilardino told Il Corriere Dello Sport.

“We have many strikers with great quality in our team. I am thinking about Fiorentina and nothing else matters to me.

“[Cesare] Prandelli is the same as how he was at Parma, in terms of working, and I believe we can go far.

“I am really happy to have celebrated under the Curva Fiesole and I want to do it again and again.

“Adrian Mutu? You can’t compare him to anyone. He has qualities which make him unique and different to others. He’s a real champion.”

Gilardino will be hoping to continue his return to form following his poor spell at San Siro. All eyes will be on the Viola striker as he attempts to lead his side to Serie A and European success this term.

He's wrong, but good to see him being positive. Only Juve and Inter are better than them in my opinion.

IMO Milan is also better. I don't see what's the deal with the "new big Fiorentina". They'll break down fast after the two-games-per-week rythm comes..

They coped pretty well last season with the UEFA Cup. And considering the UEFA Cup is often played on a Thursday, that gave them even less break for the weekends game, and they made it all the way to the SFs meaning alot of games. They'll go out early in the CL, so they won't have the same worries.

My prediction
Inter
Juve
Fiorentina
Milan
Roma

THough I do think it will be very close between Milan and Fiorentina, much like last season.

So are u saying ur prediction is that Milan would come fourth behind Fiorentina?

Maybe. I'm not sure. Like I said, I think it will be VERY close between us again. But this time I don't think it will be as important, as we'll both qualify for the CL anyways.