January 18th, 2000
Toldo warns Fiorentina: «Let's not underestimate the Italian Cup»

by Alessio Da Ronch

VENICE - Station of Venice, stop we're getting off. Francesco Toldo takes the suitcase and 
changes train, he leaves the convoy directed towards the Champions League, and rooms on that 
more modest and slow one that heads for the UEFA Cup. And think that in July the viola wagon had 
been coupled to the scudetto train, together with 6 more, then the crisis of results, especially 
in the away games, and the consequent change of route. "That's the way it is - Toldo admits - we 
cannot delude ourself, we had better think about the 7th place which would however open the 
doors of Europe to us. I do not want not to think about something worse, even if I realize that 
at this rate in some time we could find ourselves setting for a different target. We must 
absolutely take a turn in our championship, we have the qualities to do that, therefore it only 
depends on us. At this point, though, a success will no longer be enough to turn the situation 
upside down, it will take a series of positive results in the away games".
The viola goalkeeper is sitting on the sofa in the hotel which the management chose as training 
center. The training is over, Trapattoni kept silent, planning the revenge in the Italian Cup, 
Firicano can harldy repress the anger for the expulsion: "But the worse - he says - is that this 
Fiorentina gives confidence to the opponent and this makes anyone dangerous". The young 
midfielder Pagluca, meanwhile, joined the list of the injured, while Pierini is recoverable for 
the Bari game. "In these games - Toldo continues - it is anger which makes the difference. We 
have it in Florence, far away from the Franchi, we do not. We cannot even grab to the fact that 
we got the goal against at the 93th minute, because in the ten previous minutes Venezia had been 
dangerous at least three times".
"But what is wrong - the goalkeeper analyzes - is the attitude. We cure the games very 
thoroughly, then we make a mistake that penalizes us. But now, we have to leave everything 
beyond us and think about the Italian Cup, which becomes a path to Europe, therefore, more and 
more important. The game will be hard and will be fought, a battle on an icy field". He still 
remembers the elimination he endured 6 years ago exactly because of Venezia. Out of that viola 
team only he and Batistuta are left: "And it is for that we cannot have fear, back then 
Fiorentina was back from a hallucinatory experience, this time were feeling more confident". 

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