Federico Guidi’s Fiorentina Primavera side came through a stern test against PSV Eindhoven to beat the Dutch outfit 2-0 and make the Viareggio Cup quarter-finals. After a first-half stalemate, Minelli (67) and Gondo (90+3) got the all-important goals to see the Viola through. Guidi was understandably pleased with his side’s performance: “It was a tough match, but the team played well. We produced some quality football out there. We’re not used to facing international sides and it’s never an easy task. The defeat against Cesena definitely helped us to grow and improve from a psychological standpoint.” Fiorentina’s quarter-final opponents will be Ligurian side Spezia, and Guidi was quick to ensure there would be no underestimating of the task ahead: “It’ll be a tricky match against Spezia and our league meetings won’t matter a jot. I’m delighted to have seen such a large crowd today – that shows that we’re doing something right.” The Viola’s quarter-final clash against Spezia will take place tomorrow, Thursday 12 February, at the Stadio T. Bresciani in Viareggio (kick-off at 15:00 CET). You can follow the match live on Raisport 1 (terrestrial channel 57).
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Fiorentina boss Vincenzo Montella spoke to the press after his side’s thrilling 3-2 win over Atalanta in the early kick-off at the Stadio Artemio Franchi today. On the second-half performance: “We put our foot on the gas after half-time and the team really deserved to win. We created lots of chances and stayed true to our playing style.” On the new faces in the squad: “The existing players have done excellently, and I’m sure the new arrivals will be very useful to us.” On Mohamed Salah’s debut for the club: “He’s an unpredictable, talented player and will get even better. There’s always going to be an acclimatisation period.” On Diamanti’s performance: “He’s a brilliant player with a great footballing brain.” On Pasqual: “He works tirelessly for the team and is a top-class professional.” On Pizarro: “I need to manage him well to get the best out of him across all competitions.” On the match as a whole: “We were always in the game. It’s an even more important victory because we kept going right until the end.”
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Alessandro Diamanti spoke to Sky Sport Italia seconds after the final whistle had blown on Fiorentina’s 3-2 win over Atalanta. “I’m absolutely delighted with the victory – we deserved it. “Atalanta are a good side and they’re always tough to play against, but we put in a great performance and deserved to win. “Playing in China was a wonderful experience for me and I grew a lot. “We can take anyone on and go far,” declared the Italian. ]]>