Maya Cherubini was interviewed at Sansepolcro on her first day of pre-season training camp with Fiorentina Women.

Did you expect all that excitement yesterday? All those young fans asking for your autograph?

“We definitely didn’t expect that. Seeing so many of them was truly great. There were many kids who wanted to get an autograph, but also adults thanking us for choosing this wonderful place to train. It was one of the warmest welcomes we’ve ever received.”

What kind of season do you expect?

“I always keep my expectations low because I really have a lot to learn. Last season went very well, but the real challenge lies in replicating that success. I hope I can do my part this upcoming season too, but my number one priority is to always improve and earn my spot.”

With only a few new additions to the squad, so you can build on what was done last season.

“As we said at the start of our training camp, last season we did a great job at building sound foundations, and this season we can further develop that and continue growing. We have some new staff members, which is good because we can learn many new things from everyone at the club.”

You’ll have to give it everything in your upcoming friendly against Manchester City.

“Absolutely. This will also be my first match against an international team. So I look forward to the match as it will show us the gap between us and what we can aim for.”