Fiorentina coach Vincenzo Italiano says it’s a feeling of pride to be competing against West Ham in the Conference League final. The two sides square off this evening, and speaking in his pre-match press conference, Italiano talked about the achievement his team feels at having reached two finals in a season, and his own doubts over whether or not they could make it all the way to the final:
“Right now we are thinking about the path we have taken this year. We started from the playoff against Twente, arriving to conclude this process of growth with a final. We are playing for practically everything. For us it’s a great thrill, I’m looking forward to seeing the stadium packed. We will try to give it our all.”
“To reach two finals in one year is an incredible achievement. The first one ended badly but we came out with our heads held high, we will put the same spirit on the field tomorrow. It is a pride to play this trophy.”
“I didn’t think we would get here. We knew we were playing a difficult competition, with 14 more games and equal opponents. Gradually we acquired mentality and awareness. We always tried not to suffer the environments and play with personality. We have to put all this on the pitch in the final as well. We have to think about doing well and also hope for a bit of good luck. We have what it takes to put West Ham in trouble.”
“West Ham? It’s a team full of quality and talented players. The players are of a certain level. We have to be careful. It’s a final and the details can make a difference.”
“They have height, structure and great physicality. We have to be careful there and concede as little as possible. We are also able to score goals in the offensive phase. Inactive balls can be an important detail.”
“I feel more mature and more grown up. I have immense baggage. This was the first European experience and I was looking forward to it. It is something fascinating. I feel different from how I started the year. Playing two finals is no small thing. We hope to finish well.”
“After 14 long matches we play this trophy. So the first thought was about the route. We arrive very motivated and with confidence, we will be ready. We will face a valuable team, among the strongest. The initial values are confirmed on their side with this path. They have value and level players. However, if we got here some merit we have, we hope to put them in difficulty.”
“Castrovilli? He had a contusion, has not recovered to the maximum and, with regret, will not be available.”
