Read what Fiorentina coach Paolo Vanoli and Cher Ndour had to say about their upcoming Conference League match against Rakow.

How do you feel about this match? Is the team more relaxed after beating Cremonese?

VANOLI: “Winning boosts your self-esteem and confidence. Our match against Cremonese was a very important one and we put on an excellent performance. Now we must focus on this qualification game and not let our guard down, as our opponent made things difficult on various occasions in the first leg. We need to recover mentally because we only had a two-day break between this match and our last one. However, I think that our win at Cremona will help us recover faster.”

Could the upcoming international break affect your line-up choices?

VANOLI: “No, I’m only focused on tomorrow’s game because we’ve always said it’s a competition we care a lot about. We’ll give it everything to advance. My priority is to always choose the best line-up to reach the next round.”

What do you expect from tomorrow’s game?

NDOUR: “The pitch is not in the best condition, but that mustn’t be an excuse for us. Our opponents will be playing on the same pitch too. We know what kind of game awaits us regardless of the pitch and we’re ready to give it everything.”

Does your coach ask you to take more shots from outside the box?

NDOUR: “Throughout the week, we’ve worked a lot on shots from the edge of the box. The coach thinks my latest one was a bit of a lucky shot [laughs]. Jokes aside, taking shots from outside the box provides us with extra opportunities to score. We have players who are very good at it.”

Is Jacopo Fazzini’s new position a temporary one?

VANOLI: “I’ve always said that a position must be interpreted fluidly. In today’s football there are no longer specific positions. It’s something that is evident in all teams. Fazzini and [Albert] Gudmundsson have similar attributes and can play in multiple positions. What they’re currently doing provides a sense of balance for the team. However, to grow, they need to move around the pitch where there are spaces as well as closer to the goal. That’s something we need to work on and something they need to try to achieve.”

What’s your relationship with this competition?

NDOUR: “The Conference League is a prestigious European competition. The whole team and I have a close bond with the Conference League and we always give it everything we’ve got to get as far as we can. Our goal is to advance to the next round and we’re 100% focused on tomorrow’s match.”