Live TMW
2.25pm - Raffaele Palladino, Fiorentina coachwill soon present tomorrow evening’s match against the Welsh team New Saints in the Conference League directly from the press room at Viola Park.
2.29pm – The press conference begins.
How will you manage the defensive emergency? Will there be room for Kouadio and Baroncelli from Primavera?
“We are in an emergency in defence, with three suspended. This morning we have Pongracic with the team, but unfortunately he is not ready yet and will not be called up tomorrow. We have worked in recent days for the best formation: whoever takes the field, even when adapted, will do a great match. I have intelligent and applied boys. And I will call up both Baroncelli and Kouadio, I had them in training camp, I have faith in them, I follow them in the Primavera and they will be on the bench.”
Debut in a European group. What responsibility do you feel?
“There is no time to get excited. We know we are playing on three fronts and tomorrow there will be the Conference: we are focused on putting in a great performance and winning this match. Responsibilities are part of the job and encourage you to always do better. We are ready , we want to put on a great performance.”
Will he have turnover?
“I’m lucky enough to have a great group. I’ll make a lot of changes, I want positive responses from everyone. I already see them in training, every day, and tomorrow is an opportunity for whoever takes the field.”
What kind of responses do you expect between game and attitude?
“On the results I say that it is true that we are missing a few points but for this very reason we want to put in a great performance tomorrow. After Empoli, in which it was a very good test and we were very solid, despite lacking a bit in the attacking phase, we want to return to smile. Winning helps to win, let’s try to create this mentality. We are creating alchemy as a group, as a family: the path has been traced, now let’s follow it because the path is right”.
What does he ask Sottil?
“Tomorrow he plays and will have a great match. He starts from the beginning, it’s an opportunity to demonstrate his great value: I still think of the nice words said about him. The thing I liked about Riccardo was his attitude in this month in which he had less space. He was positive and always trained well.”
How did you read Kouame’s words?
“I listened to his words and he spoke as a captain, as a great leader of the locker room. I really liked his words, I think they were a bit exploited by those who wanted to read them in a certain way, the line between positive and negative was thin He used the same words as me, I always ask him to play together, because the spaces are tight. The last meters are the most difficult part to train: when one takes responsibility, like dribbling, I like it but there are moments. and moments”.
Will we see Moreno tomorrow?
“Yes, he will play, he is the only central defender we have left. He trained well, when he arrived he wasn’t in good shape physically but now he has worked, it’s in the mechanics. He has a great opportunity.”
Gudmundsson seems to want to impose himself on set pieces. Will he find more minutes tomorrow?
“I know what you are referring to, they can be seen as arguments on the pitch but for me they are not. These are things that can be seen in every match between players who care about wanting to do good for the team, to score goals. On penalties we have established of the hierarchies, as well as for free kicks, for which we have five-six very good shooters. However, I see that as a positive thing. The players love each other, the team is made up of serious guys who want to determine who they want to pass the message of the argument is wrong. I assure you that I have extraordinary guys. We evaluate Gud’s playing time, I have tried various solutions. He comes from an uncompleted training camp and two parts, little by little we have to get him into the best condition.”
How do you deal with the difficult moment?
“It’s not a difficult moment, but a lot of work. I live here at Viola Park, I’m giving my heart and soul to the club and to improving the team, the boys do the same to get results. We know that in football we are bound to results and when you don’t get them the incentive is to do more and more. I live in the moment in a very intense way, I give my all and I know only one path, that of work, to achieve victories and satisfaction”.
Will you defend with three or four tomorrow?
“Let’s keep a veil of mystery, I don’t want to give advantages to the opponents. Having the maturity to play both threes and fours, we want to keep this secret. But I liked how the team interprets this new system with the 4-2-3-1 , we have to improve up front but we’re solid at the back. However, Empoli defended with five, that’s why I always say that numbers and systems leave their mark… Tomorrow, however, we face a complicated team, there will be pitfalls, they are champions. of Wales and they have won three of the last five championships. They will have the game of their lives, we will have to play well and with quality.”
Will Beltran, Parisi and Kayode play?
“There are no reserves in this team. You have also seen in the championship how much we have changed. We have twenty-three starters and tomorrow I want to see positive responses from those who take the field. From what I see in training, I am sure that whoever plays will give a great performance.”
What level are we at today to see ‘your’ Fiorentina?
“It’s not easy to say, the team improves day after day, with training, with draws, victories and defeats. I’m interested in the boys finding chemistry and harmony among themselves, there are many new players and we need to be together a lot. More you do it and the more you grow, so the team improves both individually and as a collective. The best doesn’t exist.”
2.57pm – The press conference ends.