Vanoli: ‘Not easy for Fiorentina to go from fighting for Europe to fighting for survival’

Paolo Vanoli says that it is ‘not easy for a team like Fiorentina to go from fighting for a European place to fighting for survival, but has expressed his pride at his players after picking up a big 2-1 victory away against Como in Serie A on Saturday afternoon. 

The 2025-26 season has been one to forget for Fiorentina, who have found themselves in the bottom four for the vast majority of the campaign. 

The Viola managed to lift themselves out of the bottom three on  Saturday afternoon thanks to a 2-1 victory away against Como, who had beaten them 3-1 in Tuscany in the Coppa Italia at the end of January. Nicolo Fagioli and Moise Kean were enough for Vanoli’s side to hold onto, despite a second-half own goal from Fabiano Parisi. 

You can see how the action unfolded on the Football Italia Liveblog.

Vanoli reacts to Como 1-2 Fiorentina victory

“I congratulate the guys, we played a great game with a lot of sacrifice and showed that with organisation and intensity, we can beat teams like Como,” Vanoli said in his post-match interview with DAZN.

“We have to keep our feet on the ground, keep our heads down and think about the next one, first in the Conference League and then in the league.” 

Vanoli was asked what he makes of goalscorer Fagioli and the form that he has been on as of late. 

“He has great qualities, he defends well, we are working hard and he is improving a lot, the numbers say so. He made me a bit angry in the first 15 minutes, then he recovered. He has goals in him, he has to arrive with more determination and malice.” 

And on the team in general, Vanoli added: “Since I arrived, I’ve tried to get this message of how to achieve safety across. It’s been a difficult transition, it’s not easy for a team like Fiorentina to go from a goal like fighting for European place to fighting for survival. 

“We have to have courage and everything I have done, I’ve done to try and find new solutions, because this is a team with lots of quality.”