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La Viola coach slams 'negative' Rangers

02/05/2008

Fiorentina coach Cesare Prandelli has claimed Rangers do not deserve their place in the Uefa Cup final after their penalty shootout victory last night.

The Gers sealed a berth in the final of the European competition - their third cup final of an incredible season so far - after goalkeeper Neil Alexander saved from Fabio Liverani in the shootout and Christian Vieri blasted over.

Striker Nacho Novo sealed a 4-2 win from 12 yards to send Rangers on in the competition, despite spending most of the 120 minutes in Florence on the back foot.

And Prandelli - who saw his side miss a host of chances to clinch the win - said he felt that the poorer, less adventurous team "that renounced to play" were rewarded.

"We have to accept it," he said afterwards. "It has been a beautiful night but it could have ended better for us.

"I have to thank my players, who kept on fighting until the last minute.

"A team that has renounced to play has won, football is like this. Football sometimes awards teams that don't deserve it."

Prandelli said he felt his team "surely deserved more" against the Scottish league leaders, who the Fiorentina coach claimed "came here just to stop us playing our best football".

"We gave everything we had trying to score until the last minute of extra time," he continued.

"I'm sure we deserved to reach the final. Rangers came here just to stop us and got the result they wanted.

"I have nothing to say to my players. The game would have been more entertaining if we were facing a team ready to play a bit more."