Fiorentina boss Vincenzo Montella spoke to the press ahead of his side’s clash with Sassuolo: On facing Di Francesco: “Of course, I want to beat Di Francesco because he’s a former team-mate of mine. We go way back, all the way to Empoli. He and Caccia were like brothers to me as I was coming up through the youth academy there. He’s a great coach now.” On the upcoming Spurs match: “We’re not thinking about Spurs – we’re totally focused on Sassuolo. It’ll be tougher to prepare for the next match, against Torino.” On a possible replacement for Pizarro: “Pek is one of a kind and can’t be replaced.” On how the group is doing: “The squad is in a good place. Ever since the Verona game, we’ve been very consistent. Salah doesn’t have 90 minutes in him just yet. We can understand each other by speaking in English.” On the threat of Sassuolo: “Zaza, Berardi and Sansone are very dangerous, complete players. Floccari is another one. Berardi is very skilled at playing between the lines, whilst Sansone attacks the space really well.” On Borja Valero: “I’ve been really impressed with him. He always spurs his team-mates on in critical moments of the match.” On Babacar’s contract situation: “He’s got incredible potential, but he can and must get even better. If he doesn’t sign, it’s more of a risk for him than it is for us.” On Pradè’s future: “I don’t know what the club will decide, but he’s certainly an important part of the team.” On the Primavera’s performance at the Viareggio Cup: “I managed to catch a bit of the game yesterday. I hope they can go all the way.” On Gonzalo Rodriguez’s fitness: “He’s doing well and we’ll see how he is today.” On his feelings at taking charge of his 150th Serie A match: “Let’s not get distracted. We need to focus on Sassuolo.” ]]>