Vincenzo Montella claims dropping Juan Cuadrado woke him up ahead of Fiorentina’s derby with Empoli. “He’s never trained so hard.”

It kicks off on Sunday at 14.00 GMT, click here for a match preview.

Cuadrado put in such a bad performance in the 2-1 Europa League defeat to Dinamo Minsk that Montella hauled him off after just 24 minutes.

Vincenzo Montella claims dropping Juan Cuadrado woke him up ahead of Fiorentina’s derby with Empoli. “He’s never trained so hard.”

It kicks off on Sunday at 14.00 GMT, click here for a match preview.

Cuadrado put in such a bad performance in the 2-1 Europa League defeat to Dinamo Minsk that Montella hauled him off after just 24 minutes.

“We put the team in a pre-game training retreat because at this time of year many South American players are thinking more about packing their bags than anything else,” said the Coach in his Press conference.

“Quite simply, we needed them to be concentrated. This game can put us right back in the running for third place.

“Since Friday Cuadrado has been training consistently and with an intensity I’ve never seen before. He’s never trained so hard. I expect a lot from him.

“I don’t think tactics made the big difference, but rather a change in attitude and spirit from the whole team.”

This is a special game for Montella, who began his playing career at Empoli.

“Empoli know how to act in any situation, they have strong pressing tactics and are a complete squad. In order to beat them, we’re going to have to play our best football.

“It goes without saying how proud I am of Empoli. I spent my adolescence there and the club feels like a family. In terms of youth academies, they set the example. I saw President Corsi on Monday. It is like a family derby for me and I hope Corsi will see me as a little brother and let me win!

“I tell the Empoli fans to enjoy themselves, as we need a wonderful day of sport together.”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Tickets Kit Collector