Fiorentina manager Raffaele Palladino held a press conference ahead of Sunday’s Serie A match against Genoa, addressing various topics including player fitness, tactical preparations, and the impact of the transfer window on his squad.
Palladino began by acknowledging the challenges of the past month, stating, “It’s been a difficult month in terms of results, but the weeks have always been the same. As I’ve always said, we grow in difficulties: this has been a very formative month, as demonstrated by the great show of character seen against Lazio.”
When asked about the team’s struggles against more defensive sides, Palladino emphasized the importance of adaptability: “Every match has its own story, we must be good at understanding what kind of game it will be. Sunday’s game is the most important of the year, we must give continuity to the good performance against Lazio.”
The manager had high praise for young defender Pietro Comuzzo, describing him as a “young-old” player with maturity beyond his years. “Pietro is an extraordinary boy, he has a great sense of belonging to this shirt. I thank him, I’m crazy about him,” Palladino enthused.
Addressing the recent criticism faced by the team, Palladino defended his squad’s spirit: “The group previously suffered from not achieving results that were once positive. Criticism is always fair if it’s constructive and helps us grow. What bothered us were the falsehoods and lies, and in that sense, I believe the group has given a great response.”
Palladino also discussed the challenges of integrating new players mid-season: “Many changes certainly create difficulties. Assembling a team with many new players is not easy, I try to do my best. Whoever arrives will have to be good at integrating into a great group of extraordinary guys. The boys believe in it and want to take Fiorentina as high as possible.”
The manager touched on the departure of Jonathan Ikoné, expressing some regret: “I gave him a lot of love and confidence, I tried to bring out the best in him. Sometimes I succeeded, other times I didn’t. He could have given something more. When a boy leaves in January, I’m sorry, because I consider it my failure: I would like the boys to express themselves 100%.”
