Fiorentina Await: The Final Warm-Up After A Gruelling Summer

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Fiorentina Await: The Final Warm-Up After A Gruelling Summer

As the countdown to the new Championship season edges closer, Leicester City's preparations have been full throttle – defined by long days, high standards and no shortcuts.

2025-08-01T09:00+01:00

by Sam Stevens

Published

01 Aug, 2025

Fiorentina Await: The Final Warm-Up After A Gruelling Summer

As the countdown to the new Championship season edges closer, Leicester City's preparations have been full throttle – defined by long days, high standards and no shortcuts.

Sam Stevens

2025-08-01T09:00+01:00

Fiorentina Await: The Final Warm-Up After A Gruelling Summer

As the countdown to the new Championship season edges closer, Leicester City's preparations have been full throttle – defined by long days, high standards and no shortcuts.

Sam Stevens

2025-08-01T09:00+01:00

Fiorentina Await: The Final Warm-Up After A Gruelling Summer

As the countdown to the new Championship season edges closer, Leicester City's preparations have been full throttle – defined by long days, high standards and no shortcuts.

Sam Stevens

2025-08-01T09:00+01:00

Fiorentina Await: The Final Warm-Up After A Gruelling Summer

As the countdown to the new Championship season edges closer, Leicester City's preparations have been full throttle – defined by long days, high standards and no shortcuts.

Sam Stevens

2025-08-01T09:00+01:00

With Sheffield Wednesday set to visit King Power Stadium in little over a week on 10 August, the groundwork has already been laid. This Sunday’s friendly with ACF Fiorentina, meanwhile, is one last chance to fine tune the details in a match environment.

Ahead of that exciting test – with tickets still available – we take you behind the sessions, inside the strategy, and alongside the players as the squad was pushed and sharpened. From gruelling heatwaves in Leicestershire to focused drills in Austria, this is how the Foxes have built the engine for a season which is set to demand everything.

The summer heat added an extra variable to the challenge of pre-season.

When the players returned for pre-season training last month, the sun didn’t wait – and neither did the work. As temperatures in Leicestershire climbed to 30 degrees, City’s summer began at full tilt. From the outset, players knew what was coming. Seagrave echoed with a single theme: intensity.

Gruelling tests, personalised training plans, blood analysis and muscle screenings greeted the squad on day one. “I think everyone is just resetting mentally,” said James Justin. “We’re ready to get back to work. It’s trying to get that togetherness building within the group and getting the intensity back. That’s a big one for us.”

A tough test to begin the pre-season work in the dome in Seagrave.

Coach Andy King set the tone early in the week, gathering players in a huddle before a series of possession drills, running circuits and fitness tests began. Abdul Fatawu, returning after injury, was gradually eased in, yet trained with intent and energy, quickly welcomed back by team-mates. A number of last season’s loanees – Hamza Choudhury, Ben Nelson and Will Alves among them – were also back in the squad.

Double sessions soon became routine. The gym hosted explosive sprint and jump work, while medical teams closely monitored physical data to craft tailored plans for each player. This was as much about measuring limits as it was about pushing them.

Early friendlies in Seagrave were a chance to get the details right in a match environment.

“We know what it takes to come back as an elite athlete,” said Matt Reeves, our Head Of Fitness & Conditioning. On the SDS test: “Ultimately, it’s so we can see what their outputs are, their ability to perform when they’re fatigued. It’s also a great conditioning block... as the week goes on, we can build in other conditioning elements.”

That first week ended with a 3-1 win over Peterborough United. Youngsters Louis Page (2) and Silko Thomas found the net. A solid start, but more importantly, a mental checkpoint. “The lads were tired, they had a hard week, as pre-season should be,” King said. “But they’ve done everything we’ve asked.”

Next came OH Leuven – a 180-minute workout split across three teams, offering valuable minutes across the group, with Jordan Ayew among the scorers. “We’re building on what the guys did against Peterborough,” explained Sports Scientist Tom Joel. “They’re working really well. They’re finding it tough, but that’s the idea.”

Martí Cifuentes outlines his vision during a team meeting in Austria.

Just days later, Martí Cifuentes was named First Team Manager. There was no easing in. His first morning was spent on the pitch, meeting his players. By the afternoon, they were on a plane to Austria.

A nine-day camp in Stegersbach followed – a beautiful setting for a pivotal transition. “In this stage, you have the opportunity to [get to] know the players a little bit outside of the pitch,” Cifuentes said. “It’s definitely going to be a very important part of our preparations.”

Downtime was an opportunity for the squad to reconnect ahead of a new season.

Under Austrian skies, the tempo lifted again. Sharp passing drills, transition work and shooting patterns were included in the sessions – but balance remained key. Recovery came in the pool (complete with water polo), while team bonding sessions included Mario Kart, table football and UNO, which once again became a squad favourite.

“I think it’s essential for team bonding to get away from your normal surroundings,” said Choudhury. “There’s a lot of friendships and everyone gets on. It’s so important when you’re going into such a big season.”

Building bonds over a game of UNO at the team hotel.

Cifuentes’ first match in charge ended in a 1-0 win over Zalaegerszeg. Ayew struck again, while Fatawu impressed with his flair and sharpness on his matchday return from the bench. The Manager was already articulating his style: “What is non-negotiable from day one is we’re going to try to be an attacking team, and we’re going to try to be dominant. We want to be the team that is dictating the game... that will never change.”

The final stretch of pre-season is now upon us.

More action followed in Friedburg the following Friday. A Daka brace helped beat Karpaty Lviv, before a 3-1 loss to FC Köln over in Graz wrapped up a double-header of games in one day. McAteer scored in that game, and several players recorded their first 90 minutes of the summer.

This week also saw the arrival of experienced goalkeeper Asmir Begović. “I’m very excited,” he said. “It’s not every day a club of this stature gets in touch. Everything’s ready to go for us to be successful.”

Now, with Fiorentina visiting and the league opener looming, the squad is primed. The identity is emerging and preparation will soon give way to purpose as we head into a important 25/26 campaign.

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