Southampton’s Italian masseur Gianni Fenu describes adapting to England, working with Graziano Pellè and why Manolo Gabbiadini is “already an idol.”
The Premier League club has a certain affinity with Italians and that includes their staff, as masseur Fenu originally hails from Sardinia and he spoke to GianlucaDiMarzio.com.
Southampton’s Italian masseur Gianni Fenu describes adapting to England, working with Graziano Pellè and why Manolo Gabbiadini is “already an idol.”
The Premier League club has a certain affinity with Italians and that includes their staff, as masseur Fenu originally hails from Sardinia and he spoke to GianlucaDiMarzio.com.
“It was really difficult at first, I can’t tell you how many times I thought about coming back to Italy, but now I am happy here and don’t think I’d be ready to accept any offers even from big Serie A clubs.
“I left Sardinia at the age of 18-19 to go to Germany, which was a good 28 years ago now, and my life changed there. I had friends there and wanted new experiences, doing various jobs and even playing football at a semi-professional level. When I realised I couldn’t continue that dream, I decided to stay on the other side of football.”
Fenu got his Sports Therapy diploma and began work at English club Huddersfield and the England rugby team before moving to Southampton in 2015.
“You live a good life here and the club really appreciates my work, I could not be treated better. Every player has his own routine, some are superstitious and want a massage at the exact same time before a game.
“I am proud of all the Italians I met here. When Graziano Pellè arrived, he could already speak English, so he had no problem adapting. He immediately became a reference point for everyone and the fans have fond memories of him.
“Obviously the money must’ve made a difference in his decision to go to China, but I remain proud of what he did here on behalf of all Italians.”
Now there is a new import from the Peninsula lighting up the Saints, specifically ex-Napoli striker Gabbiadini.
“He speaks a little bit of English, but aside from that has settled in well. I tried to help him as best I could, explained a few things with regards to the club.
“After the devastating start to his time here, he was welcomed even more warmly. He has already become an idol here at Southampton.
“He is a very calm guy, all home and work. He is studying English and we have a good rapport, we like to talk about Italy. Manolo arrived in perfect physical shape and so far has had no problems. We are constantly looking out for anything he needs and he’s very happy about that.
“The club is healthy, both economically and in terms of infrastructure, as it was all rebuild only a few years ago. The fans are very passionate, but at the same time give you the space to walk around the city. You don’t feel negative pressure, even after some bad results.
“Thanks also to Manolo, the club is growing and so are the number of fans. It’s the ideal environment to work well.”