Palladino reveals turning point for 'humble' Fiorentina

Palladino reveals turning point for ‘humble’ Fiorentina

Fiorentina coach Raffaele Palladino admits he understood he had a ‘strong’ group after an away loss to Atalanta in September but warns players to remain ‘humble.’

Fiorentina won their eighth consecutive Serie A match on Sunday, beating Cagliari 1-0 at the Artemio Franchi.

“The first-half performance was perfect, with and without the ball,” Palladino told DAZN.

“We didn’t run any risk and took the lead. We regret not killing off the game in the first half, but we had many chances. We made many technical mistakes in the second half and were slightly dirty. Today’s win belongs to the group. It’s a big win for the group. It was not easy, and we dedicated it to our Edo [Bove].”

epa11764528 Fiorentina’s Danilo Cataldi celebrates after scoring during the Italian serie A soccer match ACF Fiorentina vs Cagliari at Artemio Franchi Stadium in Florence, Italy, 08 December 2024. EPA-EFE/CLAUDIO GIOVANNINI

Danilo Cataldi scored the winner after texting his teammate, who is still in hospital.

“We faced this team respecting Cagliari,” continued Palladino.

“We respect all teams because all teams are tricky in Serie A. This is a group that works every day to improve. We all defend and attack together. The lads are humble and have a spirit of sacrifice. We all sacrifice for the team, but it’s not my merit. We were all humble and respected Cagliari today.”

Fiorentina have had the best start in Serie A in the three-point era and won all their league games after a 3-2 loss against Atalanta on September 15.

“We’ve made many changes and tried to give our all,” argued Palladino.

“After that game against Atalanta, I understood that I had a strong group that would get results. It’s nice, and we must continue with this humility without looking at the table. We take a day off tomorrow because the lads deserve it after a heavy week, then we’ll focus on the Conference League.”