Vanoli before facing Napoli: We must play with courage and balance is key

Paulo Fonseca, the head coach of ACF Fiorentina, spoke about the anticipated match against SSC Napoli tomorrow, emphasizing that his team faces a strong test that requires courage and focus. He stressed the importance of players leaving the pitch feeling that they have taken a step forward.

Vanoli said: "We will face a strong team that won the league two years ago. These are beautiful challenges, and we must face them with courage and without fear. I need to focus more on my team and we need to work on ourselves. I have told the players what I want, and we must leave the pitch convinced that we have taken another step forward."

Fiorentina's coach praised Napoli's strength, stating: "Napoli are a tough team, always strong and possessing a great group of players. They are certainly one of the contenders for the Scudetto, and there are many players capable of deciding the match at any moment. I am a bit impressed by how De Bruyne looks for spaces; he is a player who can trouble us thanks to his quality and ability to attack spaces."

Vanoli touched on his team's physical condition, explaining: "We are fine. I didn't take Atta to the Coppa Italia because he needed physical work, while Dragusin was out due to some stiffness, but he trained today, so everything is alright."

The coach stressed the importance of balance on the pitch, saying: "This team needs to play dual roles rather than just relying on the quality of the midfield players. We have talent from midfield to the front, but the problem is balance. We have quality players, but roaming around the pitch can make you lose your defensive balance. In the last two matches, we managed to give the team more balance, and against Napoli, I first want to see sacrifice and running for the teammate, and then we can fix other things."

Vanoli spoke about the importance of changes during matches, saying: "We have to get used to having five substitutions, and I am lucky to have many players who can come in and make their contribution. For me, Gnonto was the best on the pitch last night, and he did a great job. To build something, you have to start from this base: everyone must contribute to be a team, and every player must feel their importance and their significance to their teammate."

Regarding Beto and Pellegri, he clarified: "When you have two important players and you can choose between them, it is a positive thing for the coach. For the striker, the first goal is to score, but right now they need to help the team. They have different characteristics, and the good thing is that I can choose."

He also spoke about building the defensive line, saying: "In a four-man defense, the full-backs are among the most important players in both building and defending. Valdívia is developing, and he is a very attentive player who can become important in the future, but I also have Vieri, who surprised me with his desire and focus on learning. To support attacking quality, you also need players with characteristics that help you control the pitch, but this is a process that requires work and monitoring development match by match."

Vanoli concluded his remarks by praising several of his players, saying about Pedro and Mastantuono: "Pedro has proven to be an important player, just like Mastantuono. Depending on who plays, I always put one or the other first. The important thing is that they have the character, and if one of them doesn't feel that way, it's right for him to leave the ball to his teammate. The most important thing is to get things done for the team." He also praised Gonçalves, emphasizing that he is a player with great tactical ability who understands spaces well and can make a difference when playing between the lines.