On the pitch for the first leg of the Conference League quarter-finals is Viktoria
Plzen-Fiorentina 0-0
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Fiorentina restarts the hunt for the Conference League final, losing 2-1 to West Ham a year ago, a disappointment that Vincenzo Italiano and his players have not yet gotten over. Hence the goal set since last summer when playing the preliminaries of the competition: to try to get to the end this time too.
Tomorrow (6.45 pm) there will be the first leg of the quarter-finals at the home of Viktoria Plzen, a Czech team which, like the Viola team itself and Lille, is still unbeaten in the current Conference. "We have never underestimated any opponent since we started this European adventure and we won't do so this time either - declared the coach in response to those who consider Fiorentina favorites - As always we have prepared ourselves to try to give and obtain our best, aware of having to face a team that concedes very few goals and is physically strong. In Europe you can't underestimate anyone."
Fresh from a mixed performance in the league where they have currently slipped to tenth place, Fiorentina is instead shining in the cup competitions, including the Italian Cup where a week ago they beat Atalanta 1-0 in the first leg of the semi-final. "But I can't answer those who say that we are more concentrated in the cups - said Italiano - however this is not the case, we work to try to always win and we will also try to move up in the championship. Certainly when we face inside or outside matches like these we have to bring out everything and try to be perfect, in defense and attack, looking for more solutions to hurt the opponents, taking advantage of the wings, shooting from distance, trying the individual shot. We have a fantastic objective to achieve so the formation will take the field which I think is better. Here we all want to move forward as much as possible, last year we experienced some very good moments and we will do everything we can to savor them again."
Among other things, continuing the adventure in the Conference would also mean contributing to consolidating the ranking to give Italy five places in the next Champions League. As for the rumors regarding his future and linking him to Napoli, the coach cut it short: "Do they bother me? Nothing bothers me in the sense that I have maximum concentration and attention towards my work...
We have to work hard together with the boys to try to reach the same goals as a year ago.
Any other discussion doesn't affect me, doesn't interest me, doesn't disturb me. There's a month and a half left until the end of the season, we still have many important matches to play, I'm interested just this, arriving prepared and seeing my boys always try to get their best."
There are 26 players called up, the only absentee is Castrovilli excluded from the UEFA lists. Possible some changes compared to the away match lost against Juventus such as the return of Beltran, Dodo, Quarta and Arthur among the starters.