Beppe Iachini was full of praise for his players after they finished the 2019/20 Serie A season with a 3-1 win over SPAL in Ferrara on Sunday afternoon.

“We didn’t want to rest on our laurels even when we knew we were safe with four or five games to go – we were 12 points above the relegation zone and had moved ourselves away from it,” said Iachin. “We wanted to keep going. I didn’t want the lads to just give up – I wanted to build the right kind of mentality and for us to put in big performances and get results. I wanted us to win as many matches as possible and the lads bought into that, so I’m pleased for them and for the president, who was very keen for us to finish in the top half of the table.”

Looking back over the journey since taking over at the club midway through the season, Iachini – fresh from being confirmed as the Fiorentina coach for the 2020/21 campaign – credited his players with providing the impetus for the upturn in form that followed.

“We were fourth from bottom when we started – it was a very tricky situation and there was a difficult atmosphere and a lot of pressure on the team,” he said. “We needed to get up the table and quickly. It was about working hard and getting down to it. I want to thank the lads because they always showed a lot of desire and professionalism. Gradually we got to know each other and created a good, tight group that was in a position to go out home and away to win games, do the shirt justice and do everything possible to get as many points as we could.”