Italy Coach Cesare Prandelli reveals the Della Valle brothers were the reason he left Fiorentina. “I asked for two Italian players and they bought five foreign ones.”
Italy Coach Cesare Prandelli reveals the Della Valle brothers were the reason he left Fiorentina. “I asked for two Italian players and they bought five foreign ones.”
The tactician left Florence in order to take the Azzurri job in the summer of 2010, but admits there were other issues with patrons Andrea and Diego Della Valle.
“I had four and a half extraordinary years in Florence. I really wanted to win there, because if you manage to win at Fiorentina then it’s amazing,” he told Italian GQ magazine.
“We had a squad, a project and all those things that make the difference. In January, after four and a half years, we were still in the race for the Champions League and Coppa Italia, doing well in Serie A too.
“I asked for two reinforcements – not world class, but two medium-level Italian players who were reliable. Instead, they bought five, all of them foreign, who I had not asked for.
“The problem at that point is that the squad also realises there is no plan in place here and gives up. The Coach loses credibility and it all collapses.
“It was a bit of a brusque departure. I think someone told the Della Valle brothers things about me that were not true and they were convinced. We talked it over and I tried to explain, but it didn’t help.”