Fagioli protests, Palladino replies: the phrase during the changeover and the interview

FLORENCE - Fiorentina fails to reach the third consecutive Conference League final : Viola surrenders in extra time after overturning Antony 's initial lead from a free kick with Gosens ' double header from a corner. Then, in the first extra time, Ezzalzouli scores the decisive goal that gives Manuel Pellegrini's Betis Sevilla the passage to the next round. Great disappointment for Raffaele Palladino , who has just renewed his contract until 2027 , who would have liked to celebrate his 50th time on the bench with the club with a different result: " There is disappointment and regret, we had prepared the match well - commented the Campania coach - . They have many champions and they unlocked it with a play. Then we were good at going 2-1 and we had a great second half: we could have gone 3-1 and in the first half of extra time we could have managed it better at 2-2. I can't ask for more from the boys, they gave it their all. We tried until the end: there is regret, but I am proud of my boys. For us it was a match where we wanted to get to the final. We didn't succeed, now we have to erase this defeat and finish the championship well".

Now it will be very important to avoid repercussions so as not to compromise the path in Serie A: "This is a wound, I have to be good at managing the group but they have always reacted well to difficulties. They are great men, they will know how to react immediately. There is an important position to consolidate: anything can happen in the race for Europe, still many clashes. Tonight there is a lot of disappointment, but we must be good at erasing it. We have three finals, we must try to get 9 points. Then you know how football is, the result of episodes and situations... But we have the obligation and the ambition to play three more important games. Everything is still open, this evening is certainly a disappointment and I have to worry more than anything about the mental aspect and managing it. It will not be easy, the boys really cared about it and I will have to work hard on it".

Regarding the goal conceded in extra time, he explained: "Unfortunately in football there are individual duels: defenders always have to think in a negative way, unfortunately here we had that second of delay. It also happened in the first leg and they are good in transition. These are things that have been tried and tested, now I don't want to get hung up on this goal and the boys gave it their all. It will serve as a lesson, to get to the final you have to be careful even about these little things that become big".

On Fagioli , who seemed rather disappointed when he left the pitch ( "But why, but why now" , the phrase he uttered before leaving the pitch), he commented: "He played 88 minutes, I substituted him to give the team some liveliness and freshness. I'm sorry to see him disappointed, but his teammates can also lend a hand. He had been cautioned, I didn't want to be left with 10 men. I had already changed Adli and I preferred to put Folorunsho in midfield to recover more balls in the middle. I certainly expected a little more from the substitutions, even if it wasn't easy. From some, however, yes. Adli was in difficulty in the first half, he hasn't played much in this period and is not in optimal physical condition. He didn't have a good game on the technical side, putting in a lot of effort. I put Richardson on, but in my opinion he came in well and did a good job" . Finally, on Kean's condition he revealed: "It seems that on the last sprint at the end he felt something".