Fiorentina coach Vincenzo Italiano was left delighted after their Europa Conference League win at Sivasspor.

The Viola had a 1-0 first leg lead from the Stadio Artemio Franchi and cruised into the quarterfinals after a 4-1 win in Turkey.

Italiano said, “We suffered a little with their initial vehemence, but we reacted well to equalise and then take control, though it was tricky on a really awful playing surface.

“With this pitch, we knew that we had to make the most of set plays and Milenkovic did very well with his goal. In fact, this was why we had chosen him tonight.

“We had studied Sivasspor, so we knew what this team was capable of and wish them all the best for the future. We did our homework, and this I think shows how much we care about the Conference League."

The match ended on a sour note as a Sivasspor supporter ran onto the pitch and punched defender Bianco before he was taken away by stewards.

“Bianco being punched is just shameful, he didn't even see the guy coming and now he has a broken nose," Italiano told Sky Italia.

“It seemed like a celebration, the crowd was pushing their team forward and this gesture ruins everything, despite it being a victory for us.

“It's terrible that a 20-year-old is the victim of such violence on what was a marvellous evening and is a blemish on what for the most part seemed to be a very nice crowd."