Montella: Fiorentina deserved to beat Roma
Friday, March 13, 2015
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"We deserved more," said Vincenzo Montella after his ACF Fiorentina side were held 1-1 at home by the club with whom he made his name, Serie A rivals AS Roma.
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Thursday's UEFA Europa League Italian derby between ACF Fiorentina and AS Roma, drawn 1-1, was more than just any old game for the man on the home bench.
After making just shy of 250 appearances for the Giallorossi, Vincenzo Montella, or the Aeroplanino – the little aeroplane as he became affectionately known for his distinctive goal celebration – began his coaching career with a caretaker spell at Roma in February 2011.
He spent just four months in the capital, leading Roma to a sixth-placed finish, but earned his stripes in a record-breaking season with Calcio Catania, priming himself for an anticipated return to Rome. For one reason or another, that failed to materialise. Roma instead chose Zdeněk Zeman, and in 2012 Montella moved to Fiorentina.
The rest, as they say, is history. On Thursday night, it was the present, with Montella experiencing his own derby within a derby, and almost coming away triumphant in the UEFA Europa League round of 16 first leg. "I'm always sorry to concede at home," he said. "I think we deserved more, but we think it's all still wide open."
Seydou Keita's equaliser means Montella has to go back to the Stadio Olimpico next Thursday aiming to upset the supporters who once worshipped him with a win or a high-scoring draw. Ever the professional, that does not faze him. "We'll go there to play an open game, looking to win," Montella said.
The Viola have already beaten Roma in the capital this season, Montella triumphing for the first time against his former club in the Coppa Italia thanks to two goals from Mario Gomez, who missed Thursday's game through injury.
To be certain of reaching the quarter-finals, though, Montella must do what none of his predecessors on the Fiorentina bench have managed and beat Italian opponents in a European game. If he succeeds, Roma may have even more regrets about letting him get away.