Cesare Prandelli claims Fiorentina ‘betrayed’ him before he took the Italy job and that he has ‘regrets’ about how his Roma reign ended so abruptly.
Prandelli guided Fiorentina to consecutive Champions League qualifications between 2008 and 2009, but he left the club under a cloud as he was speculated to be on his way to rivals Juventus.
Before that, the 61-year-old was forced to step down as Roma Coach in the summer of 2004 due to his wife’s ill health.
Cesare Prandelli claims Fiorentina ‘betrayed’ him before he took the Italy job and that he has ‘regrets’ about how his Roma reign ended so abruptly.
Prandelli guided Fiorentina to consecutive Champions League qualifications between 2008 and 2009, but he left the club under a cloud as he was speculated to be on his way to rivals Juventus.
Before that, the 61-year-old was forced to step down as Roma Coach in the summer of 2004 due to his wife’s ill health.
“When I was at Fiorentina, after consecutive Champions League qualifications, I felt betrayed,” he told Corriere dello Sport.
“They told me they needed a change and that I, an ambitious Coach, could go wherever I wanted.
“The next day Della Valle told the newspapers that I wanted to go to Juventus when, in reality, the Bianconeri’s interest was there but it was Viola who were in a hurry to get Mihajlovic signed.
“So, out of respect for the city, I gave up the year I had left on my contract. I then I called [former Juve director Roberto] Bettega and told him nothing would happen.
“I have regrets about Juve and Roma, but more Roma. I dropped everything because my wife didn’t want to get better in the capital.
“The newspapers also wrote that I’d argued with Totti, but it wasn’t true. Indeed, everything was exciting at the start.
“Some journalists even came to my wife’s funeral to apologise for what they’d written.”
Prandelli has since taken up residence at Genoa, although he managed Krzysztof Piatek for only a matter of weeks…
“I’d just arrived at Genoa, but I was convinced that I’d lose him at the end of the season, not straight away,” he added.
“However, we couldn’t turn down such an offer [from Milan]. As for Juventus, I’m happier for the three points, which we really needed, than having beat them.”