Vincenzo Montella insists his Fiorentina” data-scaytid=”3″>Fiorentina era “is not over,” denies a Milan approach and compliments Pippo Inzaghi.
The Viola visit San Siro on Sunday at 19.45 GMT, click here for a match preview.
Vincenzo Montella insists his Fiorentina era “is not over,” denies a Milan approach and compliments Pippo Inzaghi.
The Viola visit San Siro on Sunday at 19.45 GMT, click here for a match preview.
“Inzaghi has aged so much over the last few months! The job of a Coach really wears you down…” joked Montella to the Gazzetta dello Sport.
“Who was the better striker? That’s not even a question; I still can’t explain how he scored so many goals. If you look at him, he wasn’t a great dribbler, couldn’t shoot from distance and was technically weaker than many strikers who had half his success.
“The reason for Inzaghi’s goal tally was the tenacity, conviction and grit. That paid off more than talent and with the same characteristics he will become a great Coach.
“He already found the right position for Keisuke Honda and now the Japan international is a big problem for opponents.
“I already played alongside Menez and also coached him at Roma. We didn’t part on good terms, but we have cleared the air.”
Montella was asked about the ups and downs Fiorentina have experienced during his tenure, along with rumours he’ll leave at the end of the season.
“Was I approached by Milan? No, never. I think this Fiorentina can still grow, so this era is not over. This squad has done extraordinary things and now we’ll try in the Europa League. It’s only right that the winner of that tournament goes into the Champions League.”
It has been a rough week for calcio in Europe with Napoli, Juventus and Roma all defeated.
“Italian football ought to thank Fiorentina, seeing as in recent years we brought many points to the co-efficient,” continued Montella.
“There’s no point hiding the truth, which is that there are clubs much more advanced than we are with many champions and very rich owners. Fabio Capello is right, Serie A doesn’t keep us match fit because the tempo is half as fast as in Europe.
“I have to admire the Della Valle brothers for their commitment. If I had a mountain of money, I would never be a football club President, because you can spend so much and then if a ball hits the woodwork rather than going in, you get insulted.”