Palladino pleased with Fiorentina ‘reaction’ against Juventus | OneFootball

Raffaele Palladino is pleased with Fiorentina’s reaction against Juventus and says Riccardo Sottil’s late equaliser was ‘a relief.’

Fiorentina earned a vital point away at Juventus, getting a 2-2 draw at the Allianz Stadium.

They went down twice, but first Moise Kean and then Sottil levelled the score in Turin.

“The reaction was an important aspect. I cared about the performance against a top side and a great coach,” Palladino said at a post-match press conference attended by Football Italia.

“I was sure the lads would put in an excellent performance. The approach wasn’t great, but levelling the score twice against Juventus should not be underestimated. We dedicate this draw to our fans, who greatly motivated us yesterday, and Edoardo Bove, who is here with us. We all love him.”

Palladino pleased with Fiorentina ‘reaction’ against Juventus

FLORENCE, ITALY – DECEMBER 12: Head Coach of ACF Fiorentina Raffaele Palladino gestures during the UEFA Europa League 2024/25 League Phase MD6 match between ACF Fiorentina and LASK at Stadio Artemio Franchi on December 12, 2024 in Florence, Italy. (Photo by Gabriele Maltinti/Getty Images)

Juventus coach Thiago Motta was unhappy with the lack of clinicality from his players.

“Juventus could have scored the third goal, but we remained in the game until the end and that Sottil goal was a relief. It was like we took that shot together,” said Palladino.

“Balance is needed. Perhaps we are doing more than we expected, but we want to continue and be competitive. This an ambitious group. I saw in the players’ eyes that they wanted to play an even game against a top side.”

Their next home game is against Antonio Conte’s Napoli in Florence.

“We get to the game with great enthusiasm. I saw happy lads because reaching such a result at minute 87 is positive. We face another big team like Napoli; we have already studied them, and we can’t wait to meet these teams,” said Palladino.

“I hope they continue with this energy and desire. We’ve never truly trained in these three months as we’ve played every three days, so we haven’t had time to train. I expect further growth. We know it’s not easy because we face top teams, but if we improve our mentality, we can get satisfaction.”

What does he expect from the winter transfer window?

“I believe the January window is very long, and there are many games as well,” said Palladino.

“Usually, I don’t want to do much in January. I’d keep all my players because I love them all, but the club knows what to do if we need to improve somewhere.”