Dodo explains ‘annoying’ UECL losses, Brazil idols and De Zerbi love | OneFootball

Fiorentina full-back Dodo has named Roberto De Zerbi among his favourite coaches, has opened up about the ‘annoying’ losses in the Europa Conference League finals with Fiorentina and has revealed which former Brazil legends have inspired him most in a recent interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport.

“Roberto Carlos and Cafu,” were his answers when asked for his biggest football inspirations.

In terms of coaches, the Brazilian feels that De Zerbi has helped him the most on a tactical level, and that the Italian got the best out of him in his career so far.

“De Zerbi at Shakhtar started to change my way of playing. Not just as a full-back, but more of an attacker and more central on the pitch. He also used me as a midfielder. (Vincenzo) Italiano made me do it as well, telling me to play like I did at Shakhtar.

“Now (Raffaele) Palladino wants possession, he also wants to attack, but he asks that we are all together at the back.”

Dodo explains why both Conference League finals were ‘annoying’

Dodo was a member of the Fiorentina squad that lost in successive Conference League finals in 2023 and 2024. He was asked which of those two games frustrated him the most.

He replied: “They are both quite annoying because we always controlled the games and created chances. Now we try again knowing that anything can happen.

“The play-off with the Hungarians teaches you that you can’t trust anyone, but also that you can turn a situation around, like what happened to us against Basel in the semi-final in 2023.”

Dodo also feels that the level has been raised at Fiorentina after a productive summer in the transfer market. He feels that Moise Kean’s arrival has helped push the team on.

“Kean wants to make it, I can see it in his face. We are becoming friends. Gosens brings us experience, he has won before and runs so much that we all have to run with him. Gudmundsson was blessed by god, he has a gift. He has innate quality, he is very strong, but everyone has brought us something different.”