ACF Fiorentina

[RomaShield27]

Unbelievable events. Never heard of anything like it. After watching this latest video, Fiorentina are absolutely right to fire him, what he done was despicable. Ljajic is only still a kid, a teenager, doesn't deserve a reaction like this.




Official: Fiorentina fire Rossi
By / Wednesday May 2 2012

Fiorentina have officially fired Delio Rossi after he attacked Adem Ljajic in a dugout brawl. “Unfortunately we had to take this decision.” There were astounding scenes in the 2-2 draw with Novara when Ljajic was substituted after 36 minutes and sarcastically applauded the Coach, apparently also hurling insults. Rossi lost his calm and attacked the teenage player, grabbing him by the neck and raining down a series of blows on his head when falling into the dugout.

“Unfortunately it was a serious incident and it’s all the more amazing considering he is such a calm person, but we had to fire the Coach. In recent years this club has done great things with certain values and unfortunately we had to take this decision to sack the tactician. Tomorrow morning we will take more decisions and there will be time to find a replacement.

“It’s the last decision we wanted to take, but we feel it is also for his own good. I hadn’t realised what happened at the time, as I was in the stands and you cannot see it from there. We talked and he gave his explanation. He is ready to apologise, as he is such a good man, as proved throughout his career, but I had to make this decision. We are sorry for Rossi, as he does not deserve to be seen all over the world acting this way, but it was a serious incident and we had to fire him.

“There has been so much stress that accumulated over the last few months, although there can be no justification. When he sees the footage too, he will realise exactly what happened. There will also be punishment for the player, as he provoked the Coach, even if there should not have been such a reaction.

“Again, tomorrow we will discuss what exactly happened and what Ljajic said. Tomorrow we begin again. It’s sad that we were almost safe and are now in this situation, but we need one more point.”

[RomaShield27]

Rossi explains Ljajic reaction
http://www.football-italia.net/18413/ro ... c-reaction / Friday May 4 2012

Sacked Fiorentina boss Delio Rossi has explained why he attacked one of his own players on the touchline in midweek. The tactician, subsequently dismissed for his actions, punched Adem Ljajic after a brief verbal exchange following the player’s early substitution. The former Lazio boss left the Stadio Franchi in silence on Wednesday after the 2-2 draw with Novara, but spoke to the media today.

“It’s hard for me to be here as I’ve come to say goodbye to the city of Florence,” he stated. “I’m not good with words and I’ll just say what I think, even if I’ll keep some thoughts to myself.

“Unfortunately my time here is over, it was an adventure that I still believe in and I thank the Della Valle family. I’m saddened about the incident and I say sorry to the people of Florence, my players, the club and Ljajic.”

Although Rossi wouldn’t go into specifics, he did seem to intimate that 20-year-old Ljajic had insulted him and his family.

“I’ve never slapped anyone, but I demand respect for the club I train and my family,” Rossi continued. “That is why I reacted.

“Certain lines should not be crossed. If someone touches my family, I can’t pretend that I didn’t hear it. I’ll rightly pay the price as my actions were disgraceful, but they were humanly justifiable.”

The man who replaced Sinisa Mihajlovic earlier in the campaign has been heavily criticised in the media for his actions.

“I want to underline something,” he continued. “I’ve heard some things that have annoyed me. A lot of moralists have made judgements without being there, without knowing my story.

“There is an Indian proverb that says that before making a judgement about a person, you have to walk in their shoes for two days. I believe in that. I think words can often cause greater wounds than swords. I’ve never raised my hands to my children, never mind someone else.”

Rossi has been replaced by Vincenzo Guerini for the last two games of the season and the axed tactician has underlined that the club now need to think about safety.

“The boat is almost in the port, but it hasn’t docked yet,” he added. “The ball is still rolling and what is needed now is that the people of Florence stay close to the squad and the Della Valle family. “I’ve always said that Coaches and players come and go, but the colours remain.”

[Lupa]

http://en.violachannel.tv/breaking-news ... ector.html

Prade to Fiorentina. Not the way to improve things.

[RomaShield27]

/ Aug 24 12:29 PM BST / Posted by James Horncastle

There is no greater sorrow than to recall happiness in times of misery, wrote il Sommo Poeta, the Supreme Poet, Dante Alighieri in the Inferno, the first part of his epic 14th century poem the Divine Comedy. The words of Florence's most famous son were used by Guerin Sportivo to describe the mood at the city's football club Fiorentina over the last two years.

Nostalgia for the Cesare Prandelli era, when the team reached the semifinals of the UEFA Cup, recorded back-to-back fourth place finishes in Serie A and enjoyed Champions League football for a couple of seasons, has exerted a strong emotional hold on the supporters. Fiorentina played attractive football. They uncovered quality players. That was a Fiorentina they were proud of, a successful club that identified with the city of Florence and stood for what was right.

Fair-play initiatives were launched, such as the Terzo Tempo post-match handshake and the Cartellino Viola or Purple Card to recognize gestures of sportsmanship. The charity Save the Children was invited to sponsor shirts. Since then, Fiorentina have descended into their own Dante's Inferno. The decision to replace Prandelli with Sinisa Mihajlovic after his appointment as coach of Italy's national team in 2010, was never understood and accepted by the supporters.

Where was the continuity?

Fiorentina had gone from one extreme to another: Mr Nice to Mr Nasty. There was disconnect. Fan protests expressed dissatisfaction with Fiorentina's owners, the Della Valle family. They were accused of losing interest and with some justification.

Disillusioned after the mayor Matteo Renzi and the local council mothballed their ambitious plans for a new stadium; disappointed by Prandelli leaving his post and abandoning a long-term project with Mantovani's Sampd'oro as its model; disenchanted at the lack of gratitude received from the stands after saving the club following its bankruptcy and re-start in Serie C2 under a new name Florentia Viola a decade ago, they withdrew into themselves and asked in an open letter if the conditions still existed for them to continue their patronage otherwise they'd step aside.

It was as if a black cloud hung over Fiorentina. The atmosphere was almost unreservedly negative and, unsurprisingly, the results were too. Playing in this environment conditioned the players. Captain Riccardo Montolivo, sensing that a cycle had come to an end and that the club's ambitions had been scaled back, announced that he would not be signing a contract extension once his existing deal expired in 2012. If the man wearing the armband no longer believed in Fiorentina, then why should the rest of the dressing room?

Players no longer appeared committed. They turned up late for training, out of shape and were seen out partying in Florence's night clubs until the early hours before matches. The squad had its spoiled brats – teenagers and early 20-something protégés who had yet to do anything of note in their careers but had come into money too fast and far too easily.

Alessio Cerci seemed to exemplify this bad attitude at the club. Asked to move his illegally parked Maserati while dining out one evening in Florence, he apparently had the nerve to tell the traffic warden that he'd only do so after finishing his meal. Already in the doghouse with Fiorentina supporters, his reputation wasn't enhanced when, after being dropped for a Coppa Italia tie, his girlfriend went on Facebook and appeared to infer that she hoped they were knocked out.

All told, Fiorentina appeared to have lost its identity. Mihajlovic was sacked midway through his second season and Delio Rossi welcomed as a new saviour. At risk of relegation, they needed a miracle. "I am not Padre Pio," Rossi warned. He certainly wasn't to prove a saint. On seeing Adem Ljajic sarcastically applaud and insult him on being substituted against Novara in May, Rossi grabbed the player and appeared to strike him in the dug-out. It was completely out of character, a heat of the moment incident indicative of the tensions surrounding the club at the time. Still, there was no excuse and it brought shame on the club. Fiorentina had no option but to fire him on grounds of misconduct.

While the club survived, it had hit rock bottom in a figurative sense. Enough was enough. "The wide Sargasso Sea was a water park in comparison with Fiorentina," wrote Benedetto Ferrara in La Repubblica. Stability needed to be restored. Fiorentina could no longer look back and wallow in self-pity after finishing 11th, 9th then 13th. They had to move on.

"The city that invented football deserves a team worthy of its history," proclaimed Andrea Della Valle. What he meant was clear: It was time Fiorentina underwent a renaissance.

The club's director of sport Pantaleo Corvino was let go after losing the golden touch that had happened upon the likes of Stevan Jovetic. He was replaced by Daniele Prade, a capable if modest operator on the transfer market with experience of working on a shoestring at Roma. He has used the contacts he made at his former club to great effect. The day after a Bruce Springsteen concert at the Artemio Franchi in June, Fiorentina announced that their new boss would be Vincenzo Montella.

One of the emerging young coaches in Serie A, the former Roma striker and caretaker manager, proved a revelation in his first full season as a head coach. He guided Catania to their highest ever points tally in the top flight and an 11th place finish, showing himself to be a tactician of real promise.

Still, at a training camp in Moena the same old problems reappeared. Granted half a day off by Montella, some of the players went to a local restaurant. A few too many drinks were had, there was damage done to personal property – including, oddly enough, to two stuffed partridges -- and it was alleged that money had been thrown disrespectfully at the owner.

While some of the principal troublemakers remain at the club, though for how long it remains to be seen, it hastened Fiorentina's desire to clean house. "Who plays for us has to be ultra motivated," Prade insisted. "I will put everything I have into generating enthusiasm and getting Fiorentina back to where they belong."

It might be said that he has already succeeded in realizing the first part of his aim. Fiorentina have certainly whet the appetite with their signings this summer.

The loan of Italy international goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano from Palermo with a view to a permanent deal is a real coup, not only for his quality but because he was born and bred in Florence and is a Fiorentina fan who sat in the Curva Fiesole as a boy. His commitment to the cause is unwavering and its hoped that, within a dressing room that hasn't perhaps appreciated what it means to play for Fiorentina, he will bring a renewed respect for the shirt.

In front of him, there's a new centre-back partnership comprising Facundo Roncaglia, a Copa Libertadores finalist with Boca Juniors last season, and Gonzalo Rodriguez, another Argentinian picked up from relegated La Liga outfit Villarreal.

But it's the midfield and, in particular, the surprising capture of another one of Villarreal's best players, the playmaker Borja Valero for 6 million pounds that has got everybody talking. As was the case with Swansea landing Michu from Rayo Vallecano, it's a wonder why he escaped the attention of Europe's biggest clubs.

The arrival of Valero would be enough on its own to satisfy most supporters, so imagine the delight of the Fiorentina faithful when, in addition to him, they tied up deals for two former Roma alumni, the tempo-setting regista David Pizarro and mercurial Alberto Aquilani. Moreover, there's South American flair too in Chilean free-kick specialist and trickster Matias Fernandez, a £3m punt from Sporting Lisbon, and high-flying Colombian Juan Cuadrado, another loan, this time from Udinese, who scored one of the best goals in Serie A last season for Lecce against Siena, dribbling from his own half, bamboozling a couple of defenders with a series of step-overs then cheekily lobbing the keeper.

Question marks linger about whether new striker Mounir El Hamdaoui from Ajax is a good piece of business or not. He certainly doesn't arrive with the reputation of a Luca Toni or an Alberto Gilardino, but as long as Fiorentina resist temptation if a lucrative bid for last season's top scorer and the club's star player Stevan Jovetic arrives from Juventus, they should still have the needle in attack to go with the thread of their midfield, which is now, without doubt, one of the best in Italy.

So can Fiorentina make it back to where they belong and qualify for a place in Europe again? The Champions League still seems out of reach, not least because only three places are available, but the Europa League does appear to be a possibility even if the competition is admittedly fierce.

For romantics, this is a Fiorentina side that makes the heart palpitate like few others in recent memory, evoking the time of Manuel Rui Costa and Gabriel Batistuta. "I have a team full of quality players," Montella claims. "The only path open to us is that of looking to put on a show. It's a difficult job, but one thing's for sure. I too would have had a lot of fun playing for this Fiorentina."

[maro]

[RomaShield27]

http://afootballreport.com/post/3002780 ... s-transfer

[DCGweez]

[red]

Good signing.

Provides a bit of balance after all the ball-playing midfielders they've signed this summer.

[forzaitalia]

Yeah he'll do a decent job.

Looks like Fiorentina could be getting Savic too from Man City as part of the Nastasic deal. He looked really dodgy for City at times last season but must have something about him, still young too.

[DCGweez]

Luca Toni a Fiorentina player according to reports.

[Bagg10]

[RomaShield27]

lol Bagg. Cant believe Luca Toni is gone back to Fiorentina. Wonder what Italiamia thinks about it.

[DCGweez]

[DCGweez]

[RomaShield27]

http://blogs.thescore.com/footyblog/201 ... iorentina/
Posted by Paolo Bandini under Fiorentina, Luca Toni, Serie A on Oct 30, 2012

This time there was no tear in his eye. As Luca Toni wheeled away to celebrate scoring against Lazio on Sunday, his face betrayed nothing but that familiar goofy grin, accompanied, of course, by his trademark hand-cupping-ear gesture. After a five-year hiatus, the forward was back doing his thing in front of an adoring crowd at Fiorentina’s Stadio Artemio Franchi. Both he, and they, were revelling in the moment, with the Viola 2-0 up with just seconds left to play.

Toni had already re-opened his account a little over a month previously, in another 2-0 win over Catania. On as a substitute and making his first appearance of this second spell with the club, Toni had required less than a minute-and-a-half to find his way onto a Stevan Jovetic pass and gratefully slot it home from five yards out.

His joy on that occasion, though, was accompanied by so many other emotions that they could scarcely be processed. Less than three months earlier, Toni’s first child had been stillborn. This was his first competitive game of football since. After celebrating initially in his customary fashion before the home fans, he was seen to stop, kiss his hand and point to the sky.

“This goal is for everyone who stayed with me in these difficult months,” said Toni afterwards. “I dedicate it to those that are here and that those that are no longer with us.”

In the dark days that followed his son’s death, Toni had contemplated giving up football altogether. Out of contract following a six-month stint with Al Nasr in Dubai, he began to question his priorities. “I wanted to finish with football and find more time for [my partner] Marta,” he said. “But at times she was stronger than me. Over time I thought about it a lot and decided I wanted to close my career in a positive way.”

There could be few places more fitting for him to do that than in Florence. This might not be where it all began for Toni, but for a player whose nomadic career has taken in stops with 14 different clubs over the past 17 years, this is a city that feels more like home than most. It is the place where, at the age of 28, he was transformed from just another journeyman into a forward of international renown.

Toni had arrived at Fiorentina in 2005 in scintillating form, but it was here that he took his game to the next level. His 20 Serie A goals for Palermo the previous season (he had scored 30 in Serie B the year before) were still viewed by many as a flash in the pan for a player who had spent most of his career in the lower divisions.

He disabused the sceptics of that notion during an incredible first season with the Viola, scoring 31 goals in Serie A to become the first Italian ever to win the European Golden Shoe, awarded to the continent’s top goalscorer. Having paid roughly €10m to acquire the player from Palermo, Fiorentina found themselves turning down reported offers of close to €25m from Inter just a year later.

His goals propelled the club to second place and a Champions League berth, before a 30-point penalty resulting from the Calciopoli scandal deposited them back in mid-table. A year later he would score 16 goals in 29 appearances, though a further deduction would once again keep the team from qualifying from Europe’s top competition. In-between he won the World Cup, a key figure in Marcello Lippi’s side.

These were the best days of Toni’s career, and it was with a heavy heart that he left for Bayern Munich in 2007. By then 30 years old, and anxious to have his shot at the Champions League, Toni could not wait around another season.

His time in Germany would prove mixed – a brilliant first year, in which Toni scored 39 goals across all competitions, followed by a productive second one, but eventually also by a huge falling-out with the club’s hierarchy. By December 2009 he was telling reporters that it would be easier for him to win the lottery than stay in Munich. He returned to Italy with Roma, before bouncing on in quick succession to Genoa and then Juventus.

By the time Toni left the Bianconeri to join Walter Zenga’s Al Nasr, his career appeared to be winding down – yet when his contract ended and he returned to Italy this summer Fiorentina were not the only ones to show an interest. For a time Siena appeared to be the frontrunners, with the Viola distracted by their own pursuit of Dimitar Berbatov.

When that move fell through in bizarre circumstances—Berbatov had his head turned first by Juventus, then Fulham, after Fiorentina had already purchased the player business class tickets to fly out and sign his contract—Toni offered the perfect alternative. Indeed, while the Bulgarian had the advantage of being four years younger, the Italian in many ways seemed a more appropriate signing.

Fiorentina, after all, had been seeking this summer to restore not only competitiveness to a team which dipped perilously close to relegation last year, but also a sense of shared purpose to a dressing room that had lost it. A club which had until recently been renowned for its attractive football and commitment to fair-play initiatives had lately been making headlines for all the wrong reasons.

This was a team whose signature moment of 2011-12 had arrived when their then manager, Delio Rossi, came to blows with one of his players, Adem Ljajic, in the dugout. Whose off-field reputation was tarnished by tales of arrogant misdemeanour encapsulated in a report that Alessio Cerci had at one point informed a traffic warden that he would not move his Maserati from a restricted parking bay until he was done with his dinner.

The club’s owners, the Della Valle family, were accused of being complicit, seeming to lose enthusiasm for the project after their plans for a new stadium failed to come to fruition. Now they sought to change that impression with a complete overhaul, bringing in a young and dynamic manager in the person of Vincenzo Montella, as well as a new sporting director in Daniel Prade.

Impressive signings were made, from Borja Valero and Matias Fernandez to Alberto Aquilani and David Pizarro, but the arrival of Emiliano Viviano on loan (with a right to buy) from Palermo felt especially significant. Here was not only a gifted young player, but one who had grown up in Florence as a huge fan of the club.

“Sometimes he will spontaneously start to sing the chants of the Curva,” said Toni. “And we will all join in. It’s a nice way to help us to become more of a group.”

While not a boyhood fan, Toni fit a similar mould, a player with a genuine affection for the club and its owners. “If I am here it is because of Andrea [Della Valle],” he said. “The thing I would like is to see him be happy again. He has suffered so much in the last few years because he is such a fan.”

There was a hope, also, that Toni’s experience might enable him to offer leadership to the team. If that is not necessarily a natural role for a man who has made a career of being selfish on the pitch, then certainly he seems to have their respect. After the team’s captain, Manuel Pasqual, was substituted in the game against Catania, his deputy Jovetic attempted to give Toni the armband. The gesture was politely declined.

Toni has indeed sought to offer guidance to his team-mates, even if some of it is not always appreciated. There have been reports of the odd heated exchange with Jovetic, whom Toni would like to see take a few less shots from long range when a pass might have served the team better.

To date, though, it would be hard to argue that Toni’s presence has been anything other than a good thing for Fiorentina. His power and ability to hold the ball up are qualities that this squad would otherwise lack, and the quality of his turn and finish for the goal against Lazio demonstrate that his technical ability is undiminished.

It is a safe bet that the fans at the Stadio Artemio Franchi will be witnessing that celebration several more times this season. Hopefully, without the need for any more tears.

[DCGweez]

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blogs/pit ... 43490.html

Horncastle on Fiorentina and Montella.

Fiorentina giving up the least amount of shots/game in Serie A.

http://www.whoscored.com/Statistics

[RomaShield27]

[DCGweez]

http://it.eurosport.yahoo.com/notizie/s ... um=twitter

Terrible news.

[DCGweez]

[DCGweez]

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blogs/pit ... 25z;_ylv=3


Study this Ed.