Adrian Mutu, the former Romanian international and Fiorentina star, recently returned to Florence, a city that holds a special place in his heart. During his visit, he shared his thoughts with La Gazzetta dello Sport on the current Fiorentina team, emerging talents, and his own coaching aspirations.
Mutu expressed his enduring love for Fiorentina and its fans: “What struck me most during the four splendid days spent in Florence was the affection, the love of the fans. It’s a mutual feeling. I love them, they still love me. I continue to be a Fiorentina fan, I follow them, and Florence is a special city.”
Commenting on Fiorentina’s recent victory against Milan, Mutu praised the team’s counter-attacking style: “Fiorentina waited for Milan and countered. They did it well. It had been years since I saw the team live. Beautiful, really a nice feeling. I recognized the team’s merits, even if I expected more from Milan.”
Mutu drew comparisons between Albert Gudmundsson and himself, noting, “The style is similar, yes. Against Milan, he was also rewarded with a great goal. He’s a great player, the only thing is that he needs to get more involved in the game, sometimes he waits.”
On Moise Kean, Mutu was impressed: “He’s physically strong and helps the team move up the field. I really liked him for this attitude, even though I saw him miss a penalty against Milan. Fiorentina really needs someone like him. He just needs to mature a little more to explode definitively.”
Regarding Fiorentina’s ambitions, Mutu was clear: “They must aim for an important placement. They must always be among the top 7-8 teams. It’s an obligation. You always need the mentality of a big team because it is definitely a big team.”
Mutu also praised the new Viola Park training facility: “I was impressed by the facilities. Beautiful fields, internal stadiums, rooms, pools, gyms. Nothing is missing, everything is there. Saying it’s high level is not an exaggeration. It’s a crazy center that puts you in a position to give your best, to improve performance.”
On his own future, Mutu expressed his desire to coach in Italy: “Yes, I’m coaching now. After also being a director, I understood and decided that this is my job. That my future in football is still on the field. And I would like to come to Italy. I feel that first teams are for me.”
Mutu also commented on Romanian talents he coached in the U21 national team: “Dennis Man is growing a lot and scoring. Mihaila needs to score a few more goals, but as far as the game is concerned, he’s doing very well too. They’re in a place like Parma where they can still improve.”
The interview concluded with Mutu expressing his eagerness to return to coaching: “By December I would like to be on the bench. I can’t wait to start again. Maybe in Italy. So I can visit my friend Leonardo at the Reggia di Fiesole more often. A friendship that has lasted for twenty years. Hills, greenery, good food, Florence seen from above. Coming back was beautiful. Florence is in my heart.”
