Conference League Final: Fiorentina in showpiece again, this time as favourites
Over the past 12 months, Fiorentina have been thinking about the Conference League final every day. However, not the one they will play on Wednesday night against Olympiacos, but the one they lost last June against West Ham.
A defeat that was even harder to take because of the way it came: in the final minutes of a very tight match that, unfortunately for the Viola, fell the way of the English side.
And with that wound still open, Vincenzo Italiano's men will face their second final in a year with the aim of improving on what they have done, but aware of their own merits.
"We are enjoying these moments that do not happen every year, but we have been lucky and good enough to make it happen again," admitted Cristiano Biraghi, during the media day.
The icing on the cake
After two years of competing in Europe, awareness outweighs surprise for Biraghi: 'We are calm, serene and focused. We know there is a lot of expectation and it is normal that it is so because it is the second year in a row that we are playing it and it is something extraordinary. We have given our fans a lot of joy, but now we hope to give them the icing on the cake.
The Viola captain is sure that what happened against West Ham could help them overcome the difficult moments of a final: "Is it the right time to bring home a trophy? Well, last year it was too. We tried then and we will try again on Wednesday. And hopefully, with the experience we gained last year, we will be able to do better.
The tag of favourites
In contrast to last season's final, Fiorentina will approach this year's match with the odds stacked in their favour, although the atmosphere at the Agia Sophia Stadium in Athens will be extremely tough.
Without forgetting that, in front of them, there will be a team that eliminated the heavy favourite of the tournament in the last round - Aston Villa.
"Olympiacos comes from an exciting path against good teams. They arrive with self-confidence and are very organised. We won't be able to make any mistakes, the details will make the difference," Italiano stressed immediately after the Cagliari match.
And there is no doubt that for the Violet coach, the second final in 12 months will be even more special because it could be his last on the bench of the Tuscan club: "All coaches have already spoken to their clubs, I have already done so."
This, however, is not the time to talk about one's future, nor is it the time to think about oneself: "Let's concentrate on the final and not get distracted, then we will draw conclusions. I hope to win and give this joy to our people and also to the boys who have been finding energy day after day for years."
