Monday 16 September 2013

Rossi Rossi Rossi!

The future's bright. The future's purple. So I thought it was high time to give an update on Fiorentina. I have now been out in Florence for nearly 2 weeks and I finally got to see the Viola in action on Sunday lunchtime whilst eating in a cafe with a friend. It was Fiorentina V Cagliari (a smallish team from the island of Sardinia just off the peninsula of Italy). The game ended 1-1 in the end and whilst it was not the most exciting result there was still much to talk about come the full time whistle. I decided not to go to the game because I want to save up for when the big boys come to town like Juventus, Milan, Roma and also for a night of European football.



Fiorentina had a fairly successful time in the transfer window bringing in some real quality like Mario Gomez from Bayern and also Joaquin from Malaga. This is combined with the long awaited recovery of star striker Giuseppe Rossi (the fella referred to in the title). Rossi almost comes as a new signing because although he was bought back in January he has been sidelined for a long period of time due to a knee injury. Rossi is a class act and a natural goalscorer. Big things are expected of him this season in Tuscany and paired alongside Gomez up front could make Fiorentina a force to be reckoned with in Serie A.




Now Rossi is one of those many players that Manchester United have let go without really giving them a chance. Joining this list are players such as Forlan (arguably given a good chance yet deemed expendable and the Uruguayan went on to fulfill his talent in Spain at Villareal and Atletico Madrid), Gerard Pique (let go by United very young after hardly any playing time and is now one of the best defenders in the World) and now Paul Pogba. Pogba left United for Juventus last year on a free and almost instantly became a prominent fixture in midfield alongside Pirlo with some outstanding ball play, dynamic runs and a lethal long range shot. Now hopefully Rossi can prove his full potential shown at a young age if he can just avoid injury.

Gomez and Rossi have both already scored 2 goals each this season for the Viola and it means that after 3 games this season they lie in 3rd place with 7 points. It certainly felt as 2 points dropped on Sunday when the Sardinians popped up in the 89th minute to level the score and take a share of the points. It felt like all the more of a kick in the teeth for Fiorentina as they lost Colombian Cuadrado to a shoulder injury in the first half before Gomez too was taken off with a knee injury in the 2nd half. Gomez's injury looks more serious and he could well be out for a month, maybe that exciting partnership between him and Rossi will have to be put on hold. Not only this but Pizarro was dismissed late on for talking back to the Ref and all in all this left a very bitter taste in the mouth of the Viola fans, not least manager Vincenzo Montella.

Anyway, it is still early on in the season and Fiorentina remain unbeaten. The bigger tests are to come with Napoli and Juventus visiting the Stadio Artemio Franchi in October where hopefully I will be looking on from the Curva Fiesole surrounded by a sea of purple. Until then I thought I would leave you all with a motto becoming increasingly popular among the Florentines. It is aimed at Spanish midfielder Borja Valero. The architect of all things sublime and beautiful in the Viola midfield and Fiorentina's goalscorer on Sunday.


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