Prandelli: ‘Focus on Bayern, not on Mutu’

(GSM) – Fiorentina will not face Bayern München packed with self confidence: La Viola lost four of their last five Serie A matches and Cesare Prandelli will have to do without several important players.

Ahead of the Champions League clash with in form Bayern, Prandelli played down the absence of star player Adrian Mutu. The Romanian forward has been provisionally suspended after the Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) said that he tested positive for the appetite suppressant drug sibutramine.

“Mutu? We’re also missing Cristiano Zanetti and Alessandro Gamberini, who were also important players. It’s no good thinking about who’s missing,” Prandelli told reporters.

“We must focus on Bayern, knowing that we want to leave the stadium with the possibility of playing to progress in Florence.

“We have to re-find our squad’s spirit,” he added.

“We are taking on a very strong team and we have to play with enthusiasm and the will to show that we deserve to be here.”

Bayern said they were taking nothing for granted despite the difference in the respective teams’ recent form. The Bavarian giants have won their last twelve matches and are favourite to qualify for the quarter-finals.

“Only washing machines come with guarantees,” said captain Mark van Bommel. “We know we’re on good form, but it can vanish very quickly.”

“Fiorentina are a very good team, as they’ve shown in the Champions’ League,” added coach Louis van Gaal. “They took more points than we did in the Group Stage.

“I’ll be very, very pleased with a 1-0 win.”