West Ham need to beware Fiorentina’s dirty tactics in Wednesday's Europa Conference League final, according to left back Emerson.
Fiorentina boss Vincenzo Italiano has spoken of his side’s plan to tactically foul West Ham and Emerson, an Italian international, says it is typical of a team from his homeland.
Emerson can become the first player to win the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League and said: ‘They try to stop the game. It’s their style. We need to take this on.
‘In Italy I know it very well. It is their mentality and we need to respect this, but we need to put our mentality on them.
‘They know we are a physical team. We have a lot of quality up front one versus one. We run a lot. It is a strategy for them and we need to escape that.
‘I like English football more — it is more attacking. It is because of this that the Premier League is the best in the world. The game is open and both teams try to win.
‘When we play people like this, when they try to stop the game, mentally you want to do something different and then it is foul, foul, foul. We need to try to find a solution.’
Emerson, 28, has tattoos of the two trophies he won with Chelsea and has reserved space on the back of his left leg for the Conference League hat-trick.
‘I always have space,’ he added, smiling.