In his editorial for Firenzeviola.it, the journalist Luca Calamahe also tells of Vincenzo Italiano’s imminent farewell and the desire to greet him amidst applause. Below are some excerpts:
“It’s the last performance at the Franchi of this season. For some Viola the time to say goodbye is approaching. The first thought goes to Vincenzo Italiano. He had caught us sailing in the right area of the rankings. In three years he brought us back to Europe and he has won three finals. For me the score is a 7. I hope that at the final whistle the whole of Franchi, not just the Fiesole team, gives him a big round of applause. Of course, he still deserves it a lot to learn. But he has important potential. We’ll see how his career develops. We’ll see when he has a champion as a center forward whether his football penalizes strikers or not. I still don’t understand why an important part of the Viola fans has been living with him for a long time In fact, he’s just waiting to say goodbye. I don’t think it’s just a question of high defense and goals scored on the counterattack. I think Italiano has done badly in terms of communication. You have to ride his emotional waves. For better or for worse. He hid too much. Also a little out of shyness. I fear we will regret it.
Tonight it’s Napoli’s turn. I am wary of Neapolitan friends who assure me that Calzona’s team has pulled the plug. It will be a tough race. However, they are the Italian Champions and a counter-attacker like Kvara is enough to set off a thousand alarm bells. It will take determination and concentration. I would like to see Beltran protagonist again after the penalty converted in Belgium against Bruges. Beating Napoli would mean having the certainty of participating in the Cups again next season. But via the championship the feeling is that our level is the Conference. We struggle to go beyond that. But I say it out loud, the Conference cannot, indeed must not, become our dimension. It would be a slap in the face to our history.”
