The Guelfi Firenze are looking for a revenge in the IFL 2024 season. After the defeat in last year's Italian Bowl in Toledo, they aim to reclaim the title. Let’s hear from the voices of new Head Coach Jeremy Males and the key players, Quarterback Andrea Fimiani for the offense and Linebacker Diego Rinaldi for the defense, how the Guelfi are preparing for the upcoming season and news both from their offense and defense. Also, we hope to find out how they’re motivating themselves to win the title .
Let's start with the questions for Head Coach Jeremy Males, who was already the Defensive Coordinator of the team in 2021 and is now ready and motivated for his new season as Head Coach.
GOALS FOR THE NEW SEASON
It's your first year as the Head Coach of the Guelfi. How do you feel? How will the team change tactically and mentally? What are Guelfi's goals for this season?
Since my first contact with the Guelfi in 2019, I have been impressed by the team's excellent organization from a managerial perspective. The coaches from previous seasons, especially Coach Briles and the other Italian coaches, have done a good job of being consistent in their schemes and practices methods. So, nothing about this will change in particular. Obviously the goal is to win the championship, last year we fell short against Parma. Even if we didn't win the championship, we wouldn't consider the season a failure.
NEW OFFENSE, OLD AND NEW IMPACT PLAYERS
Last season, offensively , we saw a lot of running plays, because of Gerbino's physical strength and ability to run the ball. This year, after his retirement, how will the team's offensive game plan change? Are we going to see still a lot of running plays, or will the game plan be more balanced? What impact will the new American import Ryan De Luca have on the team and on offense?
Yes, possibly more balanced, because of Ryan’s versatility, who can play both quarterback and wide receiver. He’s a great athlete, so hopefully we may have a more balanced offense than last year's, just because we lack a player like Gerbino, who, like you said, was a great player with a great body. Last year Jared could get 3 yards just by falling forward, so it was easy to run. We had some changes on the offensive line, so obviously, not having him, our scheme will be just a little bit more balanced. But at the end of the day, we do want to run the football and be successful running it , because we think that is the best chance for a long time success.
ITALIAN BOWL LOST AND TEAM MOTIVATION
Surely, the defeat in the Italian Bowl last year left a lot of regrets. How did the team react mentally? How much motivation is there after such a defeat for the new season? Are you ready to reclaim the title?
Yes, it was absolutely a disappointing game. I was there watching the game, and we didn’t play very well, especially on offense . A couple times we could have done things on defense to keep the game manageable, and we jumped offsides and gave up first downs. There’s the little things like that, which you can fix, having taken so long to work on it. We’re in February now, the final was in July. So to put in all that work and then come up short like that Is obviously disappointing for the team . We have several of the guys who were on the roster last year, who are already working hard for the team. I think that the organization and the management has done a great job to improve the roster, we’re getting better. We’re really good on defense.
CEFL CHAMPIONSHIP
What about the CEFL championship? Do you think the team’s ready to compete in Europe?
We’re definitely ready. I think we have the roster to do it. I mean it’s football, so anything can happen. For example, I’m a Cowboys fan and this year was supposed to be Dallas's year , but we lost in the playoffs against the Packers by 3 touchdowns . That's one of the beautiful things about football and that’s why it is such a big deal to people to get involved with it, because really it's anybody's game , anybody has a chance to be victorious. So we’re ready to play the CEFL, but you really never know what’s gonna happen.
QUARTERBACK ANDREA FIMIANI
Let's continue with Andrea Fimiani’s words ,who in recent years has been a key player in Guelfi's offense, demonstrating great athletic abilities as quarterback.
NEW OFFENSE FOR THE GUELFI
This year, the announcement of Gerbino's retirement, certainly changes the offensive dynamics of the team, and obviously you may have even more importance on offense compared to previous years. How do you think the offense will react to his absence? What type of offensive game do you want to play? How are you getting along with Offensive Coordinator Fabrizio Bocci and the new import Ryan De Luca ?
Certainly, Jared's absence will weigh on the team and force us to change our strategies. However, he was just one player, and in football, you play with eleven people. So, his absence, as I mentioned before, will be significant, but we won't change our playbook too much. With Coach Bocci and Coach Jeremy, we have had a relationship for many years, we know each other well, and we've been working well so far. Everyone is looking forward to the first game of the season. Ryan hasn't been here for long, but he's a very intelligent guy, super enthusiastic, and helpful. He's the type of person everyone wants as a teammate. We're working on getting him into the playbook, and it won't take long, like I said he’s so smart . I'm sure he'll be a great weapon for us this year.
NEW YEAR , SAME GOAL.
The defeat in a final is always difficult to overcome. How did the team react mentally? How motivated are you this year compared to last year when you started as Italian champions? What do you think is the strength of the Guelfi? And why will you be difficult to beat?
Certainly, the defeat has left its mark on us. There's a different atmosphere during training, but in a positive way. We're much more nervous and hungry. We all have the same goal. Some players have chosen to play for other teams this year, and this aspect has brought us even closer together because those who wanted to stay have remained with the team. We're a group of brothers hungry for revenge, and we're all focused on winning the championship. Again, we can't wait to get on the field and give it our all.
LINEBACKER DIEGO RINALDI
Let’s finish with the linebacker Diego Rinaldi’s words , who’s returning with the Guelfi this year, after a season spent with Seamen Milano in ELF.
RETURN YEAR , NEW DEFENSE FOR THE GUELFI
This year, after a season with the Seamen Milano, you're returning to play for the Guelfi. Compared to two years ago, which aspects of the team have remained the same and which have changed? What impact will your presence in the Guelfi defense have from a tactical standpoint? And what are your expectations for the new season?
The core of the team has remained quite the same compared to the team that won the Italian Bowl with the Seamen in Bologna two years ago, so it's still a solid team. Last year, the Guelfi showed that they were a tough team to play against for everyone. This year, I'll be playing as a middle linebacker, a position that I really enjoy and that excites me. I hope that, thanks to the experience I gained in the ELF championship, I'll help the team by giving them security. I believe I can contribute a lot to this defense, both tactically, physically and athletically. For the new season, I have no other goal in mind than winning the championship.
CHEMISTRY BETWEEN TWO TOP LINEBACKER AND EUROPEAN DREAMS FOR THE GUELFI
You and Alex Ferrari will be the starting Linebackers for the Guelfi defense this year. Is there chemistry on the field between you two? Do you believe you'll be able to play together without any issues? What about the CEFL Championship ?
First of all, Alex and I are great friends. From a tactical point of view, we work very well together. It's not easy to find the right chemistry between two linebackers, but between us, we found it immediately. Since the first practices, we noticed how easy it was to understand each other and work together. We found a good balance in dividing assignments and managing the defense together. Neither of us prevails over the other; we are both on the same page and at the same level. I want to be honest; I want to win the CEFL with the Guelfi. It's a very complex championship, but despite that, I believe it will be a great experience for us, and we are ready to win it all.
2024 Firenze Guelfi Perspective
The Firenze Guelfi, led by new Head Coach Jeremy Males, aim for redemption in the IFL 2024 season following last year's Italian Bowl loss. With key players like Quarterback Andrea Fimiani and Linebacker Diego Rinaldi, they're gearing up for a balanced offense and a solid defense. Motivated by their defeat, they're determined to reclaim the championship title and compete fiercely in the CEFL championship.
ANDREA FANTIN
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