Montella: "Winning here would be truly special"

In my own (admittedly imperfect) translation, we bring you some highlights from today's interview of Fiorentina coach Vincenzo Montella:

Interviewer: What mystical thing happened after the 6th of January [the loss to Parma]?

Montella: "In fact, the turnaround came much sooner: at the end of November, after the defeat to Napoli. Andrea Della Valle came to speak with us. He was encouraging and decisive. The atmosphere changed all of a sudden. And then we went to Verona to win."

Interviewer: Paradoxically, the sale of Cuadrado has brought only benefits. The bargain deal for Salah is the envy of the world.

VM: "I knew that [Salah] was an extraordinary talent, but I couldn't have possibly imagined that he would right away score so much. His arrival allowed us to broaden the boundaries of our game, but the growth of this Fiorentina is first and foremost a mental growth.

Interviewer: Now the team is more decisive.

VM: "Who plays for Fiorentina understands certain values: generosity, respect for the jersey, and the idea of entertaining and enjoying the game. Hunger and a smile, we're built like this now"

Interview: You've grown a lot as well. At the beginning of the season you didn't seem very happy about how things were going.

VM: "Very true. I was worried. Tense. There were some problems. And I still needed to learn some details that are fundamental to this work."

Interviewer: Champions League places, Coppa Italia, Europa League... Does it make sense to pick one?

VM: We want to continue on all fronts. It would certainly give great satisfaction to raise a trophy. That stays. That would be ours, Fiorentina's.

Interviewer: And at the season, will you leave or stay?

VM: "I'm happy here, and I have a contract... Gossip needs to be taken for what it is. I would like to continue to grow. A professional has to always imagine new challenges. At the end of the season we will discuss what we want to do in the future. My idea is to continue to grow all together... And winning in Florence would be truly special. Which is why I say: let's try, no?"