Fiorentina-West Ham, Italian: “Cabral or Jovic? They could see each other together during the match”

From our correspondent Giacomo Detomaso

June 6th
– PRAGUE

“From Arzignano to Prague to remain in history”, Vincenzo Italiano sums up his coaching career with a title, which arrived on the eve of the most important match, the Conference League final of his Fiorentina team against West Ham. The second match in a few days with a title at stake, after the defeat in the Coppa Italia against Inter, an experience that can give advantages “in terms of preparation, on a mental level”, as he explains in the press conference on the eve , in the belly of the Eden Arena. “We got off to a good start in Rome and had a blackout, but we’re back in the game. We don’t bring the result from the Olimpico but the way in which a final should be prepared, lived and played”. Gaetano Castrovilli won’t be in midfield: “he had a contusion and hasn’t recovered fully, we’re sorry, but we won’t have him available”. The doubt in attack between Cabral and Jovic has not yet been resolved, at least officially: “When you choose who to send onto the pitch, you evaluate performance, the opponents and their way of defending. Both score goals and work for the team, they pushed us out of a difficult moment. During the game they could also play together, but whoever plays will do it as they always have, with and without the ball. Hoping they can put it in”.

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Respect but not fear for the opponent: “West Ham are one of the strongest teams in the tournament and they went all the way, the initial values ​​are confirmed. They have top-level players, strong from all points of view, but if we reached the final, we too have some merits. We will play all our cards with the confidence of the path made in the cups and in the return to the league. We will be ready”. One of the key duels is the one in midfield between Amrabat and Rice: “Two players who raise the level of their teams, players who if they are at their best can determine the game. Amrabat is important for us: when he is 100% he is a man who everyone would like to have for his strength, his ability to recover balls and stop opposing actions in the bud. I hope tomorrow he will put his heart and soul into it and win his personal duel with Rice”. There will be around 10,000 fans following Fiorentina in Prague, many without tickets. The Italian thanks them and goes further: “All of Florence will push us. There won’t even be a Florentine who won’t give us a hand to push the ball into goal. We hope to make this dream come true”.

Biraghi and Milenkovic

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Captain Cristiano Biraghi will lead the team on the pitch, recalling the most difficult moments of the season: “I’ve always tried to protect the group from criticism, which is inevitable in our world.” The former Inter player makes a promise to the fans, who have followed them even on the most remote away games in this Conference League: “We’ll give everything, we won’t even have the strength in our legs to get to the locker room”. With Biraghi in the press room is central Nikola Milenkovic, who could have played in the final with the other team, given his interest in West Ham. The Serbian didn’t let himself be tempted by the Premier League and last summer he chose to renew with Fiorentina: “I’ve been here for six years, I grew up with this shirt. I renewed because I knew the owner’s ambitions and I like the football offered by the ‘trainer”. In closing, the two defenders address a thought to Davide Astori: “He’s always with us, it’s a constant thought, in the locker room there’s his locker, his photos. For those who knew him, it will be one more reason to raise the cup”.