Vincenzo Montella did not disguise his bitterness at Fiorentina’s defeat to “obstructionist” Cagliari.
Vincenzo Montella did not disguise his bitterness at Fiorentina’s defeat to “obstructionist” Cagliari.
The Viola were beaten in Sardinia by a Mauricio Pinilla penalty, leaving them with one point from the last two rounds.
Asked about the referee, Montella revealed a post-match altercation.
“I never talk about incidents. I am not a moaner, despite what Mazzoleni called me at the end of the game, even if in the past I’d have had reason to moan.
“We didn’t lose the game because of refereeing decisions. I saw Cagliari play in an obstructionist manner because they had taken the lead.
“I expected the officials to help the game move quicker, but in Italy they favour obstructionist tactics. I say that publicly because some referees do not aid those teams who try to play football.
“In any case, we took the approach we usually do. Our opponents worked hard, we made mistakes and our fitness levels weren’t great. We didn’t have enough width and perhaps this should’ve ended 0-0.
“Cagliari is a tough place to play and they are a good side. We accept these defeats and hope they can be healthy if they help us learn from mistakes.”