It was a day of remembrance for the Fiorentina players on Monday as they held their second day of their training camp at the MFA Training Grounds, as their late skipper Davide Astori would have celebrated his 32nd birthday.
Speaking to the media after their evening session, Marco Benassi brought back memories of his former skipper.
"It would have been nice to celebrate this day with him," the Italian midfielder told the Times of Malta.
"Unfortunately, he is not with us anymore, but it is true when we say that his spirit is always with us."
Meanwhile, Benassi, who is currently on the radar of Serie A giants Inter, was surprised with the warm welcome given by the local supporters.
"To be honest, I remained surprised because I did not expect so many fans to attend our training sessions," Benassi explained.
The Viola will go through their paces in another training session on Tuesday as they prepare for Wednesday's triangular tournament against Hibernians and Gżira United at the National Stadium.