Vincenzo Italiano says his Fiorentina side didn’t wake up until conceding a second goal in their 3-2 win over Cagliari. It was a dramatic affair as La Viola went behind twice, before securing a late winner deep in stoppages, with Arthur converting from the penalty spot. Speaking with DAZN after the game, Italiano refused to be drawn on the refereeing or his future, focusing instead on the match, and Fiorentina’s upcoming Conference League final:
“I have nothing to say about the refereeing. The first 20 minutes of the second half were not to my liking, and we conceded too much. It was after the second goal that we woke up. We’re at the end of an incredibly long season. Responding this way shows we still have a lot of energy left. Cagliari played a serious match, which we anticipated. In these situations, you either relax or deliver a great performance, and that’s what happened. But our strong reaction makes me happy. Adding these three points is satisfying for the boys.
Regarding the league, we suffered in January and February. During that period, we had some bad luck with penalties, made a few mistakes in certain situations, and found ourselves chasing. Staying in Europe is never easy, though we do have some regrets. The Conference League doesn’t allow for full recovery of all players; it forces you to involve everyone.
As for the trophy, I hope we win on Wednesday to bring joy to our fans and the players who have been giving their all every day for years. Olympiakos? They come from an impressive journey against strong teams. They arrive with confidence and are very well-organized. We mustn’t make any mistakes; details will make the difference. Today, we made a few errors. We need to be sharp to handle all situations.
About the future, all coaches have already discussed things with their clubs, and I’ve done the same. Let’s focus on the final and avoid distractions; then, we’ll take stock.”
