Albert Gudmundsson, the adept player from Genoa, shared some of his experiences and views concerning his relationship with his coach Gilardino and his choice to remain in Rossoblu during an all-inclusive interview with DAZN.
Commenting about his perspective of Gilardino, Gudmundsson expressed, “The gaffer gives me a lot of freedom on the field. He always places me in a position from where I get to decide my course during the game, depending largely on the opposition we are facing. Depending on the tactical guidelines, I sometimes start from the left, other times from the centre. However, I believe I am more of a threat when I start from the centre as I can swing left or right, skip past players or lay the ball off. I think Mister Gilardino understands my abilities, and that’s crucial. You cannot even imagine how significant it has been. Despite not providing many instructions, but only minor details, these have been so crucial that it made me think: ‘what an intelligent person he is’.”
Regarding the gaffer’s reaction to his unfulfilled transfer, Gudmundsson held a light-hearted approach, recalling, “Yes, it was actually amused. We were having breakfast when he came over to give me a hug. I wondered, ‘why is he doing this?’ Since it was a really intense hug. Although I didn’t give it much thought during breakfast, I later saw his comments in the paper saying that he would give me a hug at the end of the market and then I understood why he did it”.
On the subject of the deadline day transfer window, Gudmundsson stated, “it was strange…but then I stayed and I am really happy to be here at Genoa. I feel good and I reckon I have not yet achieved all the seasonal goals and so, I am motivated to end the season in the best possible way”.
The Genoa star concluded on a personal note when asked about touring the city on a scooter with a fan, he laughed, “Yes, it’s a funny story. We were touring the city on an open-top bus to celebrate promotion, at the end of which the bus was bringing us back to the station, but I was close to home. Then a fan offered me a lift and I thought, ‘why not?’. So, I hopped on the scooter and he took me home”.
The vehicle for our discussion, DAZN, provided insights infused with mirth and relevance from one of the stars of Genoa, Albert Gudmundsson, about his personal and professional life as a footballer.