Football
Ben Gladwell, Italy correspondent 8y

Fiorentina boss Paulo Sousa plays down meeting with Zenit St Petersburg

Fiorentina coach Paulo Sousa insists he is 100 percent committed to the Serie A club despite spending an evening with representatives of Russian Premier League side Zenit St Petersburg last week.

Zenit's current coach, Andre Villas-Boas, recently announced he will be leaving the club in June when his contract expires and is likely to take a sabbatical from the game.

Sousa, 45, said he had nothing to hide after being spotted eating with a group of Russians, who are reportedly keen on luring him to their club next season.

"I don't always have to justify who I eat out with," Sousa said ahead of his side's 2-0 defeat at Empoli on Sunday.

"I went out to eat with some very interesting people again this week. I know how football works and I can understand there being concerns, but I have a contract. I'm the coach of Fiorentina and I'm very focused on this.

"There are 21 points to be won and we want to get back to winning ways right away, and all of my energy is channelled into this."

Fiorentina director general Andrea Rogg added to Mediaset Premium when asked about the presence of Zenit sporting director Henk van Stee at the stadium: "Zenit's presence does not create ambiguity.

"Sousa guides a squad that has achieved great results, so it's only right that he says he's concentrated on the last seven rounds of the season.

"We want to continue together, especially as we have a two-year contract plus an option for another year.

"The coach has sent no signal that he doesn't want to continue together, so we're not considering that as an option. We don't perceive this being a possibility. Sousa has the right attitude."

However, Mediaset pundit and former Italy goalkeeper Giovanni Galli claimed that the meeting with Zenit is not the first time he has spent time in company of other clubs.

"I know that around a month ago, there was some contact between Sousa and Juventus, who clearly wanted to sound him out and get to know the Portuguese's plans in case their negotiations with [Massimiliano] Allegri don't reach a conclusion," he told Tuttosport.

Allegri, whose contract expires in the summer, is being linked with a move to Real Madrid, where Zinedine Zidane has yet to convince club bosses that he is the right coach moving forward.

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