Vincenzo Italiano explains how Fiorentina can be so wildly inconsistent, as they are on the verge of qualifying for the Conference League play-offs after crushing Hearts. ‘It hurts that people have such short memories.’
The Viola consolidated second place in their Conference League group behind Istanbul Basaksehir thanks to a 5-1 domination of Hearts at the Stadio Franchi.
That means a win in the final two rounds will be enough to guarantee qualification to the Conference League play-offs, which will be against one of the sides dropping down from the Europa League, but only first place in the group means direct access to the next phase.
“I am happy, because we were coming off a bad moment,” Italiano told Sky Sport Italia, referring to Monday’s 4-0 Serie A home defeat to Lazio.
“We must continue working and never lose sight of our identity. It does hurt that there’s such a short memory in football, that people never remember what came before and just focus on the latest result. I am used to it, we keep our heads held high, keep going and try to make some people change their minds.”
The question has to be asked, why are Fiorentina so incredibly inconsistent from one game to the next?
“When playing with a high intensity the way we do, it becomes difficult to recuperate after a couple of days. Plus, all teams lose something when they don’t have time to train during the week. On the other hand, playing in Europe gives you an opportunity to grow as a team.”
There was some tension between teammates in the final stages when Nico Gonzalez converted the penalty for a foul on Riccardo Saponara, as Christian Kouame wanted to take it.
“We’ve missed too many penalties lately and Nico Gonzalez is the designated taker, so seeing as he was on the field, that hierarchy had to stand,” explained Italiano.
“Gonzalez converted four out of four last season. He needs playing time to regain fitness, but he has different characteristics to his teammates, he brings more grit and sharpness in the final third.”