Solomon will ‘talk about football, not politics’, Brescianini sees ‘ambitious’ Fiorentina
New Fiorentina signings Manor Solomon and Marco Brescianini were unveiled at a press conference today: ‘I’m not here to talk about politics, I’m here to play football,’ said the Tottenham loanee.
Solomon and Brescianini have already made their Fiorentina this month, but they were officially unveiled at a press conference at the Viola Park today.
Brescianini’s unveiling press conference at Fiorentina
“I chose Fiorentina because the history of the club speaks for itself. I was presented with an ambitious project, and I accepted immediately. I want to thank the Commisso family and the directors for bringing me to Viola,” Brescianini told reporters.
Brescianini made his Fiorentina debut as a substitute on Sunday, hitting the crossbar in the dying minutes of an eventual 1-1 draw against Milan.
“I didn’t sleep for two or three nights,” admitted the ex-Atalanta midfielder.
“I found a very united group with great qualities,” he continued.
“We all want to make a turning point, and we can’t wait to get on the field and fight.”
On Sunday, Fiorentina will travel to Bologna for a Serie A match against their ex-coach Vincenzo Italiano.
“It will be a very difficult game. They play man-to-man, but the coach decides how to best prepare for this match,” Brescianini said.
Solomon has already made three Fiorentina appearances, all as a substitute, but his move to the Franchi came with political controversy in Italy. Solomon was even booed by Lazio fans during a Serie A match last week.
Solomon’s unveiling press conference at Fiorentina
“It wasn’t the warmest welcome, but I’ve experienced it before in Spain, and I know it could happen,” said the Israeli winger.
“I’m not here to talk about politics, I’m here to play football. If we go to a different stadium to play away, sometimes it happens, but I accept it. I’ll just do my job. I’m here to play football.”
Solomon spent the first part of the season on loan at Villarreal, but his move from Spain was unrelated to political matters.
“It had nothing to do with politics. I’m Israeli, I’m jewish and I love my country, but as I said, I’d like to leave politics aside and only focus on football. What happened in Spain didn’t influence my decision,” he reiterated.
“I’ve been here for just two weeks, so I can’t say much about Serie A, but I know there’s a big difference. Everyone knows the Premier League is really fast and attractive, the tempo is really high, and Serie A is more tactical, but I’m looking forward to this experience.”
Solomon went on to explain why he picked Fiorentina despite their struggles this season.
“When the opportunity came up to me, I look to the table and said: ‘Oh my god, it’s unbelievable Fiorentina are last,’ but I looked at it again and after speaking with the directors I saw what kind of club it is. Great heritage, great history.
“I like challenges, and I think this is a big challenge. I’m certain that with the new manager and with these players, we can turn the page. I saw good stuff, and I’m sure we’ll stay in Serie A and build from there. There’s a great training centre, great people around the club. The staff is really good, so I’m convinced that if we continue as we did in the last two games, we’ll stay up.”
The Tuscans have climbed the table since Solomon’s move as they now sit 18th, three points below safety, with five points in the last three games.