From Michael Kayode to Gianluca Mancini, from Federico Chiesa to Nicolò Zaniolo, we’ve seen quite a few players go from developing at Fiorentina’s academy to thriving in Europe’s top five leagues, and the latest to do so could very well be Niccolò Pierozzi. Born on September 12, 2001, Pierozzi was 10 years of age when […]
about 12 hours ago | 0 reads
Pre-match Paolo Vanoli rested as many of his starters as he could but the number of absences meant some of the regular starters had to go as well. Oliver Christensen retained his role as Conference League goalkeeper, while Niccolò Fortini, Pietro Comuzzo, Giovanni Fabbian, and Jacopo Fazzini all got opportunities. Raków Częstochowa boss Łukasz Tomczyk, […]
2 days ago | 0 reads
Late news Paolo Vanoli’s gone with a surprising number of starters in this one. Maybe he’s hoping to arrest the string of poor performances but it’s more likely that injuries and absences have left him with few other options. Oliver Christensen, Niccolò Fortini, Pietro Comuzzo, Giovanni Fabbian, and Jacopo Fazzini are the notable additions to […]
2 days ago | 1 read
With 1o games left in the Serie A season, Fiorentina’s fate is still dangling. While the Viola are fully out of the relegation places on points rather than head-to-head for the first time since match day 7, the Viola lead Cremonese by a single point in the race for safety, setting up what will probably […]
3 days ago | 0 reads
When we last recorded two weeks ago, things looked pretty good. Fiorentina had won back-to-back Serie A games for the first time all season and had easily dispatched Jagiellonia Białystok in the Conference League to boot. Butterflies fluttered in the sunlit meadows and the badgers danced their most joyful dances. To the unwise, it seemed […]
3 days ago | 0 reads
Following a cowardly but necessary point against Parma at the weekend, Fiorentina’s forced to stop thinking about its possibly terminal Serie A campaign and focus again on the Conference League round of 16. The Polish opposition is Raków Częstochowa, 4th in the domestic league and a point behind Jagiellonia Białystok. As an amusing aside, if […]
4 days ago | 0 reads
Pre-match Robin Gosens, Cher Ndour, Albert Guðmundsson, and Roberto Piccoli all came into the XI, although Ndour’s inclusion was the only surprise as the other three were all replacing absent starters; Moise Kean and Manor Solomon were in street clothes in the stands alongside the suspended Fabiano Parisi. Also in the stands was a banner […]
6 days ago | 1 read
Late news Paolo Vanoli reverts to the 4-3-3ish shape that had been working. Robin Gosens fills in at leftback. Cher Ndour gets the nod ahead of Marco Brescianini. Roberto Piccoli starts up front because Moise Kean isn’t fully fit, although he might be able to feature off the bench. Carlos Cuesta’s also dealing with some […]
6 days ago | 2 reads
Fresh off a 3-0 humiliation at Udinese, Fiorentina staggers back to the friendly confines of the Stadio Artemio Franchi hoping to regenerate some positive momentum after grinding to a halt with successive defeats last week. The opponent is Parma, which has 33 points and has achieved the pleasant security of the mid-table bourgeoisie for now. […]
7 days ago | 4 reads
In a tradition nearly as storied as the Festival di Sanremo, the calcio press is picking through the rubble of how Serie A sides did in European competitions this year. The Champions, Europa, and Conference Leagues have all set their matchups for the round of 16. As usual, everyone’s trying to figure out what it […]
8 days ago | 1 read
Amidst even more smoldering wreckage from this accursed Fiorentina season, here’s a little distraction for you. It’s the attacking cohort of that inexpressibly fun 2012-2013 Viola team that rocketed to 4th place behind a bunch of charismatic players and a tactical approach that made them shine. Federico Bernardeschi made the bench for several games but […]
11 days ago | 3 reads
Pre-match With Dodô suspended, Paolo Vanoli took the extraordinary step of reformatting the entire team into a 3-5-2 with Daniele Rugani in the heart of defense and Jack Harrison at right wingback. Albert Guðmundsson got the nod alongside Moise Kean up top. First half It was instantly apparent that the return to a back 3 […]
12 days ago | 3 reads
Late news Kosta Runjaić opts for a 3-5-2 featuring old friend Nicolò Zaniolo up front with Keinan Davis, who may not be fit for the full 90. Using Poland international Jakub Piotrowski feels a bit pointed given that the Viola are an honorary Ekstraklasa team now. Paolo Vanoli has gotten wacky at the back, handing […]
12 days ago | 3 reads
As the business end of season looms, Fiorentina enters a stretch in which it desperately needs maximum points to escape relegation. Back-to-back Serie A wins for the first time this season have generated a bit of momentum and even hoisted the Viola out of the drop zone, albeit only on tiebreakers. The trip to Udinese […]
13 days ago | 2 reads
Every fan base criticizes its team for its transfer policies. Fiorentina fans have had a stronger case than most of late, given the catastrophic failure of the summer mercato. We’ve talked through that enough and I’m tired of it so I decided to investigate what I perceived as a Viola-specific transfer failing: the club’s obsession […]
15 days ago | 2 reads
After back-to-back wins in Serie A for the first time this year and a resounding Conference League triumph thrown in there for good measure, your favorite Fiorentina podcast idiots are in a fine mood and ready for a rare positive episode. And yes, we realize that this is probably why that second leg of the […]
16 days ago | 4 reads
Pre-match Paolo Vanoli went with another odd lineup in the cup, including Dodô at right wing. Adrian Siemieniec picked his strongest XI, including Taras Romanczuk and Afimico Pululu, who were both suspended for the first leg. It was very clearly an opposing set of ideas, with the hosts hoping to hang onto the lead even […]
16 days ago | 3 reads
Late news Paolo Vanoli continues with his typical cup competition tinkering. It’s mostly the backups this time with the exception of Marin Pongračić, Rolando Mandragora (who didn’t play against Pisa due to suspension), and Dodô (suspended for Udinese on Monday). The latter takes up an unfamiliar right wing position ahead of Niccolò Fortini. Robin Gosens […]
16 days ago | 4 reads
Against all odds and common sense, Fiorentina’s suddenly one of the form teams in Serie A, with only 3 teams performing better over the past 3 games. Add in a big win over Jagellonia Białystok in the Conference League knockout round last week and there’s hope that the Viola have turned a corner in this […]
18 days ago | 3 reads
Pre-match With Rolando Mandragora suspended and Albert Guðmundsson only fit for the bench, Daniele Cavalletto didn’t have many choices to make for his XI. On the other side of the aisle, Oscar Hiljemark shuffled things a bit without really shaking them up. Viola boss Paolo Vanoli was forced to watch from the stands after his […]
19 days ago | 2 reads
Late news Paolo Vanoli will watch from the stands and his lieutenant Daniele Cavalleto hasn’t done anything too wacky. Cher Ndour was the obvious replacement for the suspended Rolando Mandragora and everything else is as expected, including Albert Guðmundsson on the bench. Pisa boss Oscar Hiljemark—who is 33 and should still be a difficult Genoa […]
19 days ago | 2 reads
All things considered, Fiorentina fans have had a lot more things to cry about than to smile about this season. With 13 games left, La Viola occupy the relegation zone and find themselves on track to descend to Serie B for the first time since 2004, with the Tuscany side currently sitting six points above […]
20 days ago | 3 reads
Fresh off spanking Jagiellonia Białystok in the Conference League on Thursday, Fiorentina returns home for a stiffer test in the Tuscan derby against Pisa. This fixture ended scoreless last time around, albeit in the Stefano Pioli days. The Nerazzurri have just 15 points and look like a lost cause. A defeat here would all but […]
21 days ago | 3 reads
We already Remembered Some Guys last week with a glimpse at the goalkeepers and defenders. Let’s continue that important work with a look at the 2012-2013 midfield. I’ll get to the forwards in the next week or so. Alberto Aquilani’s career peaked at the Franchi although he bounced to Sporting, Pescara, Sassuolo, and Las Palmas […]
22 days ago | 3 reads
Pre-match Adrien Siemieniec was without stars Taras Romanczuk and Afimico Palulu but otherwise sent out his strongest side. Paolo Vanoli picked a distinctly second-choice XI, making 8 changes from the group that beat Como at the weekend and Fabio Paratici explained that the club’s made a conscious choice to “divide the Conference League from Serie […]
23 days ago | 3 reads