Paulo Sousa said this was “the toughest week” at Fiorentina, as Mario Suarez and Joaquin are just some of the problems against Milan.
The game kicks off in Florence on Sunday at 19.45 UK time (18.45 GMT), click here for a match preview.
“I work every day to compete with the best and I think making my Serie A debut means I am able to do that in Italy,” said the Coach.
Paulo Sousa said this was “the toughest week” at Fiorentina, as Mario Suarez and Joaquin are just some of the problems against Milan.
The game kicks off in Florence on Sunday at 19.45 UK time (18.45 GMT), click here for a match preview.
“I work every day to compete with the best and I think making my Serie A debut means I am able to do that in Italy,” said the Coach.
“This has been the toughest week since I arrived at Fiorentina. There are so many open situations and the concentration on the match is not total.
“I wanted it to be different, but I am still happy to be here. A win would be the start to getting that self-belief we’re on the right track.”
Joaquin is pushing for a transfer to Real Betis, while Mario Suarez might not be allowed to feature after receiving a red card in his last Atletico Madrid game.
“Joaquin is one of the difficulties I mentioned. He is a very sensitive lad and I expect everyone to play their part in letting him know how important he is both as a person and a player,” continued Sousa.
“The transfer market is still open and that’s not helping, as it shifts the focus away from the game. We also have a problem with Mario Suarez, as we don’t know whether he can play or not. The Federation hasn’t given us a response.
“We had many difficulties this week, but are still aware of what we can do with the players at our disposal and will give our all to win.
“The top clubs invested a great deal and we’re trying to reduce the gap. I think football is more than money and our fans represent our best player. We don’t need money to buy passion, love and determination to win.
“What I want is to see the players transmit their confidence from training sessions into a match situation. It will be an extraordinary challenge this season and I am more worried about those who could leave rather than who could arrive.”
Fiorentina open their campaign against Sinisa Mihajlovic’s new-look Milan, but Sousa insists he is prepared.
“He is a Coach who always had very organised teams. Milan will be very attack-minded and I expect a hugely entertaining game. All this works in our favour, considering the distractions of this week.
“I have my principles of football, but we also plan strategically based on our opponents.”