Fiorentina Need To Keep Vincenzo Italiano As Napoli Loom

Finals are often decided on moments, and Vincenzo Italiano was no doubt running such moments through his head as he woke up this morning.

One of Italy’s most promising coaches has been on the end of not one, but two, losing finals in the space of a fortnight. Fiorentina fans were dreaming of potentially winning two trophies in a matter of weeks, having not won anything for 22 years.

Think back to the Coppa Italia final in Rome; those chances Luka Jovic spurned in the final quarter of the game. Fiorentina were 2-1 down after being a goal up, and had Jovic put one of them away and brought the game into extra time, the momentum might’ve shifted in favour of La Viola and the outcome might’ve been very different. Simone Inzaghi might’ve lost a cup final for a change.

Against West Ham in the UEFA
EFA
Europa Conference League final, history repeated itself. Chances, which on the whole were in short supply, were wasted. Giacomo Bonaventura’s perfectly executed finish dragged Fiorentina back into a game they’d dominated, at least in terms of possession.

Both sides had barely threatened, but West Ham’s penalty had given David Moyes’ side the lead. Bonaventura’s finish five minutes later restored the balance. Fiorentina were in the ascendancy and had Rolando Mandragora not placed his shot wide of Alphonse Areola’s post with the goal gaping just minutes later, the game – and the trophy – likely would’ve headed to Florence and not East London. Moments.

Italiano’s admitted his team was ‘distraught’ after losing two finals in as many weeks, but the truth is he was let down by poor finishing in both games. The margins ever so fine at the highest level. Yet despite the lack of silverware, Italiano’s reputation remains unsullied, and he refused to be drawn on speculation linking him to the Napoli job.

Italiano will talk with Fiorentina president Rocco Commisso soon, with the season over, and the Italian-American should do everything in his power to keep the 45-year-old.

Italiano would be a perfect fit for the Napoli job, considering his system at Fiorentina is similar to how the new Serie A champions played under Luciano Spalletti. Moreover, Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis is reportedly a fan of Italiano. Even with the failure to win any trophies this season, it’s highly probable that Italiano is still high on De Laurentiis’ list in the post-Spalletti landscape.

Italiano, for his part, should demand a more consistent striker from Commisso than his current batch. Fiorentina looked more threatening in attack against West Ham with Arthur Cabral leading the line after the Brazilian replaced Jovic at half time, but Cabral isn’t a consistent scorer of goals: he’s managed seven in Serie A this season. Jovic fared even worse, with just five.

Fiorentina enjoyed much of the possession against West Ham in Prague, but most of it was sterile, lacking in real penetration or vigour. Italiano could also be criticised for not using Jonathan Ikone in the final, instead opting for Christian Kouame. Not utilising Cabral from the start was also a bit of a strange move from Italiano, considering the Brazilian had been first choice for the majority of Fiorentina’s games in the competition.

Italiano’s approach to both games can’t be faulted, but cup finals are won and lost on the small details, and even though he lost both, they likely won’t be the last he features in.

Regardless, Fiorentina should do everything to keep him, and Napoli should do everything to land him because, along with Roberto De Zerbi, he’s Italy’s brightest coaching prospect. Eventually, the moments will go his way.