On the one hand Daniele Pradè and Alessandro Ferrari – sporting director and general director of Fiorentina respectively – who in the press conference announce Raffaele Palladino as the new Viola coach, on the other President Rocco Commisso who through an open letter takes stock of the season just ended and the future that awaits the lily club. Here is the full text published by the club’s official channels:
“Another season is over and I would like to thank, as I personally did just after the match in Athens, all the boys, the coach and his staff, my collaborators and all those who work for us for their commitment and seriousness. which this year too they dedicated to Fiorentina.
The biggest thanks goes to our fans, who have always followed us and who have never let us lack their support, for whom I will always be grateful and who in these last few days have suffered, like all of us, the great disappointment of the defeat in Conference League final.
As I have always said and demonstrated, for me and my family the fans come first and foremost. I’m sorry not to have remembered it at the end of the match, but, as I did the same day in Athens, going to greet the Viola fans present first at the Fan Zone, not taking an interest in monuments or anything else, and then at the Stadium under our curve , they must always know that my affection and closeness have not changed. Indeed, as I said after the passing of Joe Barone, I feel even more united and close to Florence and Fiorentina.
I would like to sincerely thank Mister Italiano and his staff. In these three years they have done a magnificent job, they gave everything, every day, for the good of Fiorentina, they gave an incredible playing identity to the team, which was recognized by everyone, in Italy and in Europe. I wish the Mister and all his collaborators the best for their future because they truly deserve great satisfaction.
The disappointment over this defeat is still enormous, I understand the sadness of those who were in Greece, as well as that of those who followed the match from the Franchi Stadium, from Viola Park or in front of their television and their pain is mine too, everyone’s we.
I’m the first to be disappointed also about the ranking position in the Championship, but our desire is to work even harder to grow and improve.
I’m sorry and I apologize for the January transfer window, I too expected and hoped for something more to help the team, but not all the conditions were there or we weren’t that good at finding them, to be able to carry out the operations that we believed they were useful for improving the squad.
The Company continues to move forward, we cannot allow ourselves to be caught up in the disappointment of the moment, but we must transform anger into unity and strength, that strength which has allowed me, throughout my life, to grow in all the companies in which I have worked, including the current Mediacom and, in five years here at Fiorentina, to achieve various goals.
It is at least curious to see that when there are difficult moments, and in football as in life there are and always will be, someone tries to imagine or perhaps hope for sales of the club or escapes from Florence, perhaps for multiple personal gains, but we let’s not give up. We are here! My wife, I and my family are happy to have chosen and discovered Florence and Fiorentina. As soon as we can we come to this city and spend our time at Viola Park, at the stadium and in the city with our fans.
We have no intention of selling, I think I’ve said it many times. We have the desire to move forward and always do better.
I remind everyone that I took Fiorentina after they were saved from Serie B on the last day and, in five years, we reached two Conference Finals, a Coppa Italia final, we qualified three consecutive times in Europe, we Viola Park was built which will forever remain an asset of the Club and of Florence.
The first days after my arrival I said that I wanted to bring Fiorentina back to where the city of Florence and the Viola fans deserve, we are one step away from the so-called “6 sisters” and we have brought Fiorentina back permanently to Europe.
I said that Fiorentina would never have risked bankruptcy and thanks to continuous important investments and with great attention to the economic rules that exist in football and to Financial Fair Play, even if some illustrious clubs continue not to respect them, we are taken as an example not only in Italy but also in Europe as a model company.
These results do not arrive by chance, they have been achieved through programming, planning, choice of people and, certainly, also through mistakes.
We want to continue to grow, we want to continue to relive the emotions experienced up to now, we want to celebrate together with our fans, we want to continue our journey in Europe, we want to make Viola Park increasingly important and central to our future, we want like everyone else one thing only: the good of Fiorentina.”
Read the full press conference of sporting director Daniele Pradè here
Read the full press conference of CEO Alessandro Ferrari here
