Serhiy Rotany watched his team fall short as Ukrainian side "Polissia" was eliminated from European competitions following a second defeat to Italian outfit "Fiorentina". The Italians secured a 3:2 victory in the return leg of the Conference League playoff round, completing a convincing 6:2 aggregate win.
"The 3:0 score speaks to Fiorentina's class," – admitted Rotany after the first leg defeat in Ukraine, where his team struggled to compete with their more experienced opponents.
Stefano Pioli's men dominated the tie from the start, winning the first match 3:0 on Ukrainian soil. The Italian coach had shown respect before that initial encounter, calling Rotany a "cunning coach" during his pre-match press conference.
"Fiorentina" didn't have it all their own way in the second leg, though. Despite ultimately claiming a 3:2 victory, they faced more resistance from the Ukrainian side who managed to find the net twice. By then, however, the damage from the first leg was too significant to overcome.
Interestingly, while dealing with their European campaign, "Fiorentina" has remained active in the transfer market. The Italian club recently extended a contract with Kean and acquired a defender from Premier League side Brighton. Meanwhile, they've seen Brekalo depart for Real Oviedo after terminating his contract.
Youssouf Ndur, one of Fiorentina's players, acknowledged the challenge posed by the Ukrainian team: "Defeating Polissia wasn't easy, especially doing it while playing with fewer men."
For "Polissia," this European adventure provided valuable experience against top-level opposition. Rotany himself described the tie as "a great test" for his squad. Despite showing more fight in the second leg, they ultimately lacked the quality to trouble the Serie A side across both matches.
The fixtures were overseen by referees from different countries – an Azerbaijani crew for the first leg in Ukraine and Spanish officials for the return match in Florence. Could "Polissia" have fared better with different officials? Probably not, given the clear quality gap between the teams.
Meanwhile, veteran striker Edin Dzeko made his 1034th career appearance during this period, entering the top-10 list for most matches played in the 21st century – a remarkable achievement for the Bosnian forward.
