Leonardo showed his determination during a press conference in the run up to the Serie A match against Fiorentina: "We are in a situation where we cannot slip up. Not only tomorrow: we mustn't slip up in any of the remaining matches,"

"I don't think the team is tired and I don't think there are any problems. I've seen it in only one match: the one we played and lost on Sunday. That's all. I don't believe in an away-match crisis. We must always try to take control, no matter where we are playing. We must make the play and try to maintain this type of control when we are playing away, too. We must push the team further up the pitch in order to make use of their best qualities," 

"The criticisms aimed at Eto'o? You must have a brass neck to criticise someone like Eto'o. There's no way that an 'Eto'o problem' exists," he explained.

Pandev? I think he has improved a lot," he replied when asked about the Macedonian. "It's true that he has always come on at difficult stages of the match. He was first choice for a long time, then he was out of the team, then the system changed. It isn't easy for him. Continuity is what he needs and I'm sure that he'll respond well when the time comes."