Palladino says there’s ‘only one’ Fiorentina and gives Gudmundsson fitness update

Raffaele Palladino is adamant there’s no difference between Fiorentina in Serie A and the UEFA Conference League, as he insisted that his side have ‘started a different and better path’ both domestically and on the international stage.

The Viola have won three of their four European games so far, but their defensive displays are currently marking the difference with their Serie A campaign, as they conceded only 10 league goals from 14 games while leaking six nets in just four Conference League fixtures.

However, the former Monza manager feels such a difference depends on a different tactical approach from European teams, who tend to ‘defend deep and counter-attack’, adding that their home meeting with LASK on Thursday will be ‘decisive’ to ‘finish in the top eight’.

Palladino: LASK ‘decisive’ for Fiorentina, I don’t want to lose Gudmundsson ‘again’

“We want to try to get points, it’s a decisive game and we want to finish in the top eight to avoid an extra round in February,” Palladino said at a pre-match press conference, as quoted by TMW.

“We’ll face an organised team, and we want to give our fans a joy. We must avoid the small lapses in concentration that we’ve had on some occasions. We’ll go onto the pitch with a great attitude.

“It annoys me to hear there are two Fiorentina sides, one for the cup and one for the league. There is only one Fiorentina.

“If we look at the first goals conceded in the Conference, we can see that we were conceding a lot at that time. But after that, we started a different and better path.

“In Europe, teams defend deep and counter-attack. We will have to improve on preventive actions and take care of every small detail. The team knows this.”

Albert Gudmundsson recently returned from injury by making two cameo appearances against Empoli and Cagliari in Coppa Italia and Serie A, respectively. While he could give a huge boost to his side’s quality level, Palladino remarked that they ‘can’t rush’ and give him too much playing time after a lengthy stop as he doesn’t want to ‘lose him again’.

“When he arrived, he hadn’t done the pre-season, he had a discomfort, and we put him straight into games because we didn’t have time to redo the physical training,” the coach explained.

“Now he’s had a muscle injury that kept him out for 40 days, so we can’t rush. We need to help him regain his best form.

“He’s played some bits of matches, and when I see he’s fully fit and can start, I know he will do well. We must not rush, because once he’s back, I don’t want him to stop again.”

With Edoardo Bove out since his medical emergency against Inter forced him on the sideline, the Viola manager believes Lucas Beltran and other players have the qualities to carry out the same tasks on the pitch, although he admitted he’ll try to change as little as possible ‘given how well things are going’.

“It doesn’t only depend on the position, but on the general characteristics,” Palladino replied about Beltran’s ability to replace Bove.

“Inclination for defensive work is important, and Lucas has it. Everyone has to do it, the boys know they have to attack and defend together. We will try all the positions as needed.

“Edo was a bit of a forced choice in that area of the field, but his intelligence and quality allowed him to find a position where he could make an impact.

“Sottil can do it, as can Beltran and Gudmundsson. I believe the boys know how to play in that position.

“I’d be crazy to make changes now, given how well things are going. Everyone defends and attacks together, we’ve found important balances.

“I always have things in my head, but leave it to me, I’m a bit of a madman. The most important thing is the team.”

The 40-year-old added that veteran Cristiano Biraghi will remain out of Fiorentina’s squad due to a technical choice which is ‘not up for discussion’.

“I believe Cristiano wasn’t used to not playing regularly,” Palladino added.

“He has always been the captain and an important player for this club. What he has done when he’s been on the field recently has been important.

“He has had little space lately, but the decision is technical and it’s not up for discussion. I don’t feel like adding anything else.”