Palladino: ‘First victory a weight off Fiorentina shoulders’

Fiorentina coach Raffaele Palladino admits the first win of the season is a ‘weight off our shoulders’ and he never doubted the impact of Albert Gudmundsson with an ideal debut against Lazio.

The Viola had stuttered badly so far under the new boss, drawing four games between Serie A and the Conference League, along with a 3-2 defeat to Atalanta last week.

They went behind today to a Mario Gila header on a corner, but turned it around to win 2-1 thanks to a pair of penalties from debutant Gudmundsson, who only came off the bench at half-time.

“We had been seeking this victory for a while and in the first half could’ve gone in front with Andrea Colpani,” Palladino told DAZN.

“There are strong figures in this squad, because to go behind against this Lazio and turn them around was not easy. Those who came on really changed the game and we ultimately deserved the result.”

Palladino demands change in mentality

Fiorentina seem to struggle in particular during the first half, when they concede most of their goals, so is this a matter of mentality?

“We were timorous in the first half. I never want to see my players be timorous, they must have spirit and courage, so this must not happen. We played better after the break, were clean technically too in our passing,” admits Palladino.

“We really needed this victory, it is a weight off our shoulders. I want to dedicate this win to President Rocco Commisso and the fans, who are our real strength. There was some frustration recently when the results weren’t coming, but the lads have always been competitive. I am sure we’ll learn a lot from this game.”

Gudmundsson was signed very late into the summer from Genoa, on loan with option to buy that can become an obligation if certain conditions are met.

However, he was only able to make his debut today because of injuries and a court case for sexually inappropriate behaviour in his native Iceland.

“We were waiting for Albert with open arms. We know he is a champion, has great strength of character and talent. He came on during a spell where the spaces opened up and we put him in a position to do well,” concluded Palladino.

“We must become strong as individuals and also be a solid squad.”