September 15th, 1999
The protagonist's redemption

Toldo: "It was like winning the lottery"

"On Monday I had studied carefully the two Arsenal penalty takers, but then another one 
kicked: I didn't know what to do, luckily I threw myself in the right direction" - Cois: 
"We had a crisis"


by Alessio Da Ronch

FLORENCE - The revenge is not as sweet as he had expected. Francesco Toldo got it in the 
most important moment and in the most difficult way, but he cannot celebrate it properly. The 
home tie, indeed, make Fiorentina start with a handicap, seeing that in the next two games the 
viola will have to play away from home, first against Barcelona and then against Solna. The big 
Fiorentina keeper, anyhow, looks satisfied: "Also because - he says - tonight's point against 
such an aggressive Arsenal is undoubtedly a point earned".
He was the real protagonist of the game on Fiorentina's side. He saved Kanu's penalty, he saved 
a very powerful kick by Ljundberg and he always gave certainty to the defence. He knew it, he 
had no doubt about it, he had even told Trap about it when he had met him in the hotel, in the 
morning: "Yes - he tells - I wanted to make up for that mistake at all costs. What happened in 
Reggio made me so sorry, such a mistake is something that lies heavy on your conscience, a real 
blow to your heart. Now I am happy, because I managed to give back to the team what I had taken 
away from them and to the supporters what they were due".
His two exploits against Arsenal have different meanings, the first was the result of technique 
and reason, the second exclusively of instinct: "When I found Ljundberg in front of myself I 
had no choices. In that case the keeper can do nothing else but play in advance, he must dive 
to cover the goalpost. It went well. On the penalty, instead, everything started wrong. I had 
studied the whole week with my team-mates Taglialatela and Mareggini how the Arsenal penalty 
takers did that. It's something we often do. Well, we studied two different players, analysing 
them in details. Then, on the field, I found a third one in front of myself, the one I knew 
nothing about. At that point it was a lottery: I threw myself to one side, the right side".<br> 
However, he didn't see such a bad Fiorentina: "It was undoubtedly hard, but we knew this right 
from the beginning. But it's different to say that it was our demerit. We defended a lot, it's 
true, and we didn't succeed in counter-attacking as we wanted, but we had a few chances and 
good free kicks, too. It's a good point earned".
Sandro Cois, who always scored in the first two games, analyses more carefully the viola's 
problems: "They put un in difficulties more than once and I think the result is the best we 
could get today. Why did we have such a crisis? Well, they are very well organizes and they 
made the ball roll at a very high speed. We made it slowly and, most of all, those who had the 
ball moved little. We didn't manage to press on Vieira, who is undoubtedly a very good player, 
as we wanted either". A negative game, though, does not reduce the faith in the team: "No, 
we are not worried, we are full of resources and we will know how to take advantage of that. 
We are working really hard, playing twice a week, and the tiredness often shows. The use of 
the back-ups will be important at the right time. But we will be ready for the Championship. 
We don't underestimate Verona, we have learnt that there are no easy games a long time ago and 
we care about the Championship as much as about the Champions League".

Taken from La Gazzetta Dello Sport
www.gazzetta.it/lagazzetta
English translation by Maddalena (www.acfiorenina.net/enricochiesa)