Fiorentina coach Paulo Sousa said Tottenham Hotspur’s second goal was decisive in deciding their Europa League faith, as the Viola crashed out of Europe’s secondary competition at the round of 32 stage.
The Viola were hammered 3-0 by Spurs at White Hart Lane on Thursday night thanks to goals from Ryan Mason, Erik Lamela and a late own goal by defender Gonzalo Rodriguez.
“As long as the score remained 1-0 we were still in the game,” Sousa told Sky Sport Italia following the game.
“We knew that they were a very good team. We needed to do better in controlling the timing of the game and we also lacked the final ball in attacking situations.
“But I’m happy for the guys. There are some important goals ahead for us.
“We wanted to move forward in all competitions but now it’s not possible.
“The boys, however, have pride, the same pride as our fans.”
The Viola now face second placed Napoli on Monday in Serie A as they look to close the gap at the top of the table.
“Now it important to recover as soon as possible, we have a journey to make and I have to make the best decisions to be able to make the most of a game against a difficult opponent,” he added.
“I always start from the premise of doing well and I am a coach who thinks positive.”
