Francesco Mauri is the fitness expert at the club, concentrating on the physical and tactical aspects of the squad, and has worked with esteemed managers such as Carlo Ancelotti, at Napoli, Bayern Munich, and Real Madrid.

When asked about upcoming pre-season games, he replied: "Normally, we try to push the players to play a friendly match like a normal game. If you don’t, it can be very dangerous.

"Maybe your opponent will play strongly and if you are not ready to play strong there is a big risk of injury.

“You have to be strong in the tackle and not underestimate these kinds of games.

“Training intensity on the days before the game depends on playing time, you have to consider if you plan to have two different teams and, usually, in the first game, we plan for each player to play no more than 45 minutes."

Francesco left the club at the end of the 2020-21 season when Carlo Ancelotti took up a role with Real Madrid.