Gigi Del Neri denies he had “a tense rapport” with Luca Toni as the Verona veteran calls it quits against Juventus.
It kicks off at the Bentegodi at 19.45 UK time (18.45 GMT), click here for a match preview.
“Toni will say goodbye to the home fans, but it might not be his final Serie A game. He could also play against Palermo, we’ll see,” said the Coach.
Gigi Del Neri denies he had “a tense rapport” with Luca Toni as the Verona veteran calls it quits against Juventus.
It kicks off at the Bentegodi at 19.45 UK time (18.45 GMT), click here for a match preview.
“Toni will say goodbye to the home fans, but it might not be his final Serie A game. He could also play against Palermo, we’ll see,” said the Coach.
“Football loses a protagonist of recent years. Toni was decisive for many clubs, including Verona, so it’s only right to give him the tribute he deserves and to thank him for all he’s given to the world of football.
“It’s not true that I had a tense rapport with Toni. It was simply a normal relationship between player and Coach, with some friction due to my decisions. I have to make my choices and can only start 11, so clearly the Coach is not a friend to the players or vice versa.
“Toni, like Antonio Di Natale and Francesco Totti, has done so much for Italian football, but the years go by for him too.”
It’s not just Toni saying goodbye, as Verona are relegated and play their final Serie A home match for a while.
“Will it be my last game at the Bentegodi? It could be, but I don’t know yet. We’ll talk about it after Palermo,” added Del Neri.
“I launched some young players in the squad and tried to bring in new ideas. I think my work here has been good.
“I also wish to thank the fans, who deserve to be called the best in Europe. They supported the team throughout difficult moments. We needed someone who believed in us and they did.
“We did everything and more to stay in Serie A, so it’s disappointing to be going into Serie B, but you can’t say we didn’t try our best to turn things around.”