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Empoli coach, Roberto D’Aversa, spoke at a press conference on the eve of the crucial Tuscan derby against Italiano’s Fiorentina.

Roberto D’Aversa, coach of Empoli, spoke just over 24 hours before the Tuscan derby against Fiorentina managed by Italiano, scheduled for tomorrow, Sunday, April 27th at 3:00 PM.

The blues have a huge need to earn points to climb out of the relegation zone. After the Coppa Italia semifinal, lost to Bologna, Empoli now needs positive results to stay in the top flight.

ESULTANZA EMPOLI ( FOTO DI SALVATORE FORNELLI )

Empoli, D’Aversa’s words

Tomorrow is an important match, how is the team mentally and physically prepared?

“In these days, we have differentiated our work, we know that tomorrow’s match is important primarily because it’s a derby. We know how important it is for our fans, Fiorentina is doing great things. We need the will and determination because our safety also depends on this. The spirit of Thursday can lead us to achieve our goal.”

What more do you ask from the team tomorrow?

“Tomorrow the team must be concrete, conceding as little as possible. We must take advantage of the goal-scoring opportunities we create, we are good at creating them but sometimes we don’t finish despite the situation being right. In both phases, I ask for concreteness because there is no more room for error at this point.”

Scoring in Bologna was positive. What Fiorentina do you expect?

“Scoring always feels good regardless of the result being negative. We work to score goals, the boys need to be ruthless in converting. I’m sorry for Kean, I would have liked him to be there if the reason for his absence is that. Fiorentina is a complete team, in some positions, they have triple roles. They have a strong squad, it’s a mistake to think that the absences of Dodò and Kean could favor us.”

Is there a particular leader in the group from whom you expect a leadership role?

“There can be several, but with different characteristics. There’s Grassi, who can speak as a captain at the right moment; there can be a silent leader like Ismajli and a technical one like Viti, who speak little but at the right moment. I expect a lot from Fazzini, Solbakken, Anjorin, they haven’t been very lucky with injuries and I hope they can give us a boost towards the goal.”

How do you see Esposito and Colombo?

“We hope to see their names on the scoresheet tomorrow, in some instances, they have also been unlucky.”

Could Solbakken and Kovalenko be surprises in the final stretch?

“It’s right to mention Kovalenko as well, he’s a player who has performed very well also in terms of the amount of work. He’s a technically sound player who can be useful to us. I’m considering the fact that I have the possibility to count on a few more players, also for their experience. Solbakken is a player I’ve always wanted for his characteristics, he’s versatile and I hope he can give us something extra in this final stretch of the season.”

Pezzella is one of the most important players, how is he and how crucial is he?

“I know him very well, unlike the past, he now has even more maturity and can play well for the full ninety minutes. With Cacace suspended, I would like to avoid talking about him, I wouldn’t want anything to happen to him (laughs). He’s a player who has improved a lot, all those players who play on his side are severely limited.”

With Ismajli likely to return, can you move Marianucci as a wingback?

“Marianucci was on the list of players to send out on loan when I arrived, but with daily work, he has shown that he’s a player of quality. He can be married, or not, we have to think about not becoming complacent. I say this in general, also speaking for myself, in this case, presumption takes over and there’s no more room for growth. The difficult thing is to confirm, he must continue to work on improving with the team and individually, if he wants to aspire to play in top teams, he must work a lot more. But he’s a complete player.”

What Fiorentina will you face?

“Fiorentina has important qualities, it’s not the same as in the first leg, they have found their identity. They are also doing well in Europe, they have acquired a certain mentality. At home, they have beaten Milan, Atalanta, Inter, Juventus, it will be a complicated match. We have to rely on the fact that we have put them in difficulty, then to secure the result, you have to make as few mistakes as possible.”