Emotions got the better of Vincenzo Italiano as he bid farewell to Fiorentina following a 3-2 win at Atalanta on Sunday. The 46-year-old manager has called time on his three-year stint at Stadio Artemio Franchi.
Fiorentina stunned Atalanta in Bergamo in the 2023/24 Serie A season finale. It was a fitting reward for Italiano’s contribution to the club in his last game in charge.
Speaking to the press in the aftermath, Italiano couldn’t hold back the tears as he waved goodbye to Fiorentina.
“We could have arrived here with a deserved reward. These three years have been amazing, and I feel I have changed,” Italiano told DAZN, as quoted by TMW. “The club, the lads, and the fans have given me so much, and thanks to them, I’ve improved.”
Italiano regrets not winning silverware with Fiorentina but insists he’s leaving with fond memories.
“We didn’t add a trophy, but the journey was excellent. It’s never easy. I am sorry for the lads and all the fans who deserved the same joy that Bergamo had.“
Italiano might have failed to lead Fiorentina to their first title since 2000/01, but he left a telling impression in Tuscany. La Viola contested three major finals under his stewardship and lost all three.
Serie A champions Inter defeated Fiorentina in the Coppa Italia showpiece last season. West Ham added insult to injury in the Europa Conference League final a week later.
Fiorentina thought they could finally turn the corner this term, only to slump to an extra-time heartbreak against Olympiacos in Athens.
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