Guidolin "honoured" to sign new contract

11th May

Swans boss Francesco Guidolin admitted he was "honoured" to be given the opportunity to manage Swansea City again next season.
The popular Italian was handed a new two-year contract by the club this afternoon after guiding the club to safety in the Barclays Premier League following his arrival in January.
With the club going into Sunday's final game of the season, the Swans find themselves currently sitting comfortably in 11th place with 46 points.
But with Guidolin's contract due to expire next week, the club moved to end speculation over his position by offering him a new two-year deal.
"I am very happy. It is an important day for me and I am honoured to be given the chance to continue managing this wonderful club,'' declared Guidolin.
"I came into the club at a difficult time and it was my first experience of the Premier League. Now I have the possibility to start my work at the beginning of a new season; something I'm excited about.
"I would like to thank my players first of all, plus the staff and our fans. It was very emotional for me to hear them sing my name after the game at West Ham and I've had nothing but good wishes from everyone I've met on the streets of Swansea.
"The possibility for me to work with them and for them again is very important to me. It's an honour and I am grateful to the chairman and the Board for giving me this opportunity.''



The experienced Italian, 60, arrived at the Liberty Stadium in January to work alongside Alan Curtis until the end of the season.
The Swans were sitting in the bottom three at the time of Guidolin's arrival and two points from safety.
After watching the 1-0 home win over Watford from the stands, the Italian's first game in the dugout was a historic 2-1 victory at Everton - the Swans' first ever league win over the Toffees.
The second half of the season then saw an upturn in fortunes in SA1 as the Swans began to haul themselves clear of relegation danger.
Three wins out of four in March all but sealed safety, while wins over Chelsea, Liverpool and West Ham saw Swansea finish the campaign with a flourish.
In total, Guidolin has overseen seven wins and three draws during his brief time in charge, earning 24 points in the process.
Guidolin has a wealth of experience and success having led Udinese to third place in Serie A - recording their highest top-flight finish and points tally - and sealing their first Champions League campaign. 
He also has three promotions on his CV with Parma, Palermo and Vicenza where he made his name after lifting the Italian Cup and leading them to the Cup Winners' Cup semi-final, where they lost to Chelsea.