Guidolin delighted with his warm Welsh welcome

19th February

Just over a month since arriving in Swansea, Francesco Guidolin has underlined how a warm Welsh welcome has helped him settle in his new surroundings.
The Italian was appointed head coach at the Liberty on January 18, with Guidolin watching on from the stands as the Swans beat Watford 1-0 later that same day.
The 60-year-old kicked off his Swans tenure with a 2-1 victory over Everton - the club's first league triumph against the Toffees - at Goodison Park.
Two successive draws with West Brom and Crystal Palace were followed by a narrow defeat to high-flying Southampton, in what has been a hectic start to life in his new role.
But Guidolin has opened up on the level of support he has received since swapping his native Italy for SA1.



"The one thing that really has helped me is the people," said Guidolin. "Everyone has been so helpful and respectful.
"My English is improving, but the people here have helped me a lot - my staff, my players and also the supporters, who I love talking to.
"The area here is fantastic. The beach, the coast, the hills - we have great scenery all around us.
"But the most important thing is the pitch, and what we do on it.
"I have been here one month, but I already know how important it is for the club to remain in the Premier League.
"We are all working very hard to make sure Swansea is a Premier League club next season."



Without a game this weekend due to the FA Cup taking centre stage, the Swans next face back-to-back trips to London to face Tottenham Hotspur (Feb 28) and Arsenal (March 2).
Despite suffering defeat last time out against the Saints, Guidolin has been hugely encouraged by what he has seen from his side so far.
"Since I watched the game against Watford from the stands, I have seen the team play well," he added.
"My players want to play well and with intensity, which I like. We picked up very important wins against Watford and Everton, and I think we were unlucky not to beat West Brom and Crystal Palace.
"In the last game, we were not so good. But now we have two big games coming up and we need to be a lot better in our performances in order to get more points."