TMW exclusive
“If they had won the Conference, I would have given Fiorentina’s season a passing grade, but after yesterday it is insufficient for me. An eighth place and a final are not enough, but Italiano is less to blame than anyone else. The truth is that there are no excellent players “. The historic Florentine leader is very critical Pino Vitale to the microphones of TuttoMercatoWeb.com when analyzing the 2023-2024 performance of the Viola.
Who disappointed you the most?
“The champions must win the matches and Nico Gonzalez is the most important player in the squad. Olympiacos is a modest team, I expected them to be able to make the difference. I certainly wasn’t expecting something from Belotti or Nzola, but something important from him yes. The finals can be won or lost, but the value of the players is the same. The material is not excellent.”
So for you the coach is not at fault?
“He went to the final three times in two years and this is important for a coach. For me he clearly deserves a pass, the team doesn’t.”
Don’t you think yesterday there was also a lack of the right attitude?
“In the second half we had no legs left, I don’t think Italiano told him to back off. Apart from a few occasions, see Bonaventura and Kouame, Terracciano saved very well and in the second half Fiorentina disappeared after a good first half.”
Who would he start again on the bench?
“Mainly the president needs not to go around the chamber, but to say what plans he has for a great people like the Florentine people. All that is needed is the truth. If I have to take one of Palladino or Aquilani then I would go for Baroni, who has done good for the Hellas Verona. Of course he is Florentine and being a prophet in his homeland is difficult.”
Didn’t it surprise you that no manager spoke after the defeat?
“Who are the managers? Who is there, Commisso who is the president? Calling the others managers is a big word, they have to prove it with facts, starting with Ferrari, who in three days made him general manager, but not on merit. The players were disappointed, I understand them. I wasn’t scared of Olympiacos, but this is Fiorentina.”
Are you worried about the fact that Fiorentina has so many players out of contract?
“Thankfully, those who are out of contract and on loan, apart from Bonaventura, who needs to think about it, and Castrovilli, go ahead. I don’t think there are any problems in finding better ones.”
I close by asking you which center forward you would choose on the market because that seems to be Fiorentina’s real problem.
“You have to be good and look in Europe, in Italy I don’t see a strong center forward. I would have put two euros on Lucca years ago, he can do as well as Scamacca. Otherwise, look for people abroad, but you need to have seen many matches and have good scouts , something where Fiorentina seems to me to be slipping a little.”