Fiorentina’s coach admits the pain following the defeat to Olympiakos
2 min readFiorentina’s coach, Vincenzo Italiano, has admitted the bitter disappointment following their defeat to Olympiakos in the Europa Conference League final, which he found more painful than their loss to West Ham last season.
Despite hopes of bringing home a prestigious European trophy for Italy, Fiorentina once again stumbled at the decisive moment, conceding to Olympiakos in the final. Last year, La Viola suffered a bitter defeat to West Ham in the same tournament’s final, marking a recurring theme of self-inflicted setbacks.
Speaking after the match, Vincenzo Italiano expressed deep disappointment with his team’s performance in the final. The Italian manager shared, “This is the second time this has left us disappointed. It’s saddening because we had plenty of chances to score, but the boys gave it their all.”
“We fought, we sweated it out, and we created opportunities against a team that didn’t allow us to play attractive football, with their goalkeeper constantly punting and bypassing our midfield,” he added.
“I don’t think we deserved to lose this match; it could have easily gone to penalties. It’s a huge disappointment for me because in this third final, we played in the right direction, but we still lacked maturity, intelligence, that little bit needed to win in a knockout game.”
“I feel sorry for the players, but this is football. We have to accept these defeats. I know the players were fully prepared, pumped up, and focused. Matches like these depend on your opponent, but everyone who stepped onto the pitch gave their all.”
“Results didn’t go as expected, though we had many chances to celebrate before they did. It seems finals always don’t go our way, luck wasn’t on our side.”
During the official play at OPAP Arena, Olympiakos and Fiorentina didn’t produce the fiery attacks seen previously. Neither side left much of a mark during the 90 minutes and extra time, but the match was decided before the penalty shootout. In the 116th minute, Olympiakos’ forward El Kaabi made a decisive header to seal a 1-0 victory for the Greek team.
The Conference League title makes Olympiakos the first Greek club to claim a European trophy and ends their 99-year wait for European silverware.