Vincenzo Italiano confirms he told Igor off for the ‘very avoidable’ West Ham winner in the Conference League Final, but insists Fiorentina ‘played the way you need to in a Final, running few risks and controlling the game.’
It has been on the one hand a very strong season for the Viola, who reached the Final of the Coppa Italia and the Conference League, but losing both of them 2-1 to Inter and West Ham respectively leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.
This result also means the Tuscan side does not qualify for the Europa League and has to wait and see if Juventus are excluded by UEFA, at which point they would go into the Conference League as the next team down the Serie A table.
“We lost two Finals that we played really well and that is a pity, because tonight honestly I could not imagine it ending this way. We played, we had chances, we equalised straight away after a penalty that could’ve killed us. Instead, we reacted, could’ve taken the lead with Mandragora,” Italiano told Sky Sport Italia.
“Then with this ricochet in midfield, we should’ve given ourselves a few metres of leeway. It would’ve allowed us to reach extra time, when I think we might’ve had a few advantages. I’m sad, because the lads were distraught and losing two Finals is really painful.”
Italiano was asked if he would make the same choices again, particularly as things seemed to improve once Arthur Cabral replaced Luka Jovic at half-time.
“We started the XI that gave us the right balance, as we allowed barely anything from West Ham. We played the way you need to play a Final, running few risks and controlling the game. We were beaten by a soft penalty and a very avoidable goal. I feel we played like a real team today.
“We had read those situations so well throughout the match, we really did not expect to lose that way. It was a situation we know how to deal with, we know how to interpret it and we didn’t do what we needed to. We could even have taken one for the team with a foul and stopped him, but above all we should’ve tracked back and get a few metres.”
Italiano was spotted straight after the Jarrod Bowen goal shouting ‘you had to track back quicker’ to Igor, who had just come off the bench to replace Luca Ranieri suffering from cramp.
“Both centre-backs need to get the advantage over the opponents. Igor had just come on, he was fresh, he could’ve run much, much faster than Ranieri, who was exhausted when he came off. I explained to him that he could’ve done much, much better in that situation. That’s all it was. If we had been more focused, we would’ve gone to extra time.
“Losing two Finals is a horrible feeling, I wish I had never experienced it, but here we are.”
Italiano has been heavily linked with a potential move to Napoli replacing Luciano Spalletti, so was asked if he will still be on the Viola bench next term.
“The President was clear, we had to finish the season first. Just like last season and with many coaches this summer, we will meet and discuss the future. That is all, there’s nothing more to add. This is what happens at many clubs, it’s not a problem.”
So is he staying?
“It’s not a problem.”
The game was also overshadowed by violence before and during the match, as while Fiorentina fans ambushed a group of West Ham supporters in a pub in the city, play had to be halted for several minutes when English fans repeatedly threw objects at the players.
Nico Gonzalez caught a plastic glass hurled at his head, while Cristiano Biraghi was left bleeding heavily from the back of the head after he was struck by several glasses and what appeared to be an electronic cigarette.