David Pizarro claims that Fiorentina have a duty to pick themselves up and use Thursday’s Europa League game with PAOK as a turning point for their season.
The Viola take on the Greek Super League leaders at the Stadio Artemio Franchi on Thursday evening on the back of a 3-1 defeat at Sampdoria in Serie A last Sunday.
The 35-year-old midfielder addressed the pre-match press conference on Wednesday afternoon and claimed that the team must give more in order to start winning games.
“We have to find the right balance. We’ve had difficulty in the league, now it’s time to leave the tuxedo at home and start pedaling,” said the former Roma and Inter man.
“It is up to each of us to look inside ourselves and give a lot more. I am convinced that it is feasible, seeing the players in training.
“Sometimes we play games at the highest level, and then sometimes instead we perform like we did in Genoa [vs. Sampdoria]. We can do much much better.
“[Taking off the tuxedo] means waking up. In the three-hour trip back from Genoa to Florence we were in complete silence and this means it affected us because we did not expect to perform like that.”
Vincenzo Montella’s men have won just three games in Serie A this season, but have won all of their Europa League matches so far, but Pizarro insists that they need to remain focused on their domestic form.
“This year Serie A is proving to be quite balanced and we have to stop looking at the table until we manage to put together a run of positive results. Then comes the Coppa Italia and we will always remain focused from game to game. [Focusing on the cups] is our worst enemy.
“It’s a European match and so it’s always difficult. However I repeat our worst enemy is concentration. If we remain 100 per cent focused we can beat anyone. Otherwise we risk looking foolish especially if we then go around saying that we want to finish third [in Serie A].
“In my experience and from what I’ve seen the past few days I am convinced that this will be the turning point.
“Returning to Florence from Genoa was like a funeral. We have an obligation to the club; the players have to be able to get up.
“I’m not angry. I like to play football, not speak about it. Talking about it is for the journalists.”
Follow George Gibson on Twitter: @George_Gibson9
