A Fiorentina blog for Viola fans
Pre-match Antonio Conte trotted out his expected XI, including the iron midfield pairing of Scott McTominay and Stanislav Lobotka, who’ve been playing twice a week, 90 minutes a game, for the past month+. Paolo Vanoli opted for an attacking midfield with Marco Brescianini and Giovanni Fabbian ahead of Nicolò Fagioli, with Roberto Piccoli unexpectedly recovering […]
Late news Antonio Conte doesn’t do anything unexpected, trotting out the XI everyone expected. Paolo Vanoli, on the other hand, springs some surprises. The big one is up front, where Roberto Piccoli gets another start; apparently his injury wasn’t that serious despite a lot of reporting that he wouldn’t be able to play this one. […]
When I was a teenager, I played rugby on a team full of grown-ass men. As the youngest person on the roster, it was an educational experience. Not so much in the sport, perhaps, but the social aspect of rugby is well-documented and pretty true. The guys were a close-knit bunch and kindly opened their […]
Another Saturday game pits two teams at opposite ends of the table against each other. The student against the master. The fresh turd against the newly-shined shoe. You get the idea. The reverse fixture ended in a comprehensive 1-3 defeat for the good guys back in September. Things have certainly changed since then but the […]
Ah, the January mercato. The best place to undo all the damage from the summer mercato and commit all kinds of new, unforeseen damage. Under the direction of acting DS Roberto Goretti, that’s what Fiorentina’s aiming for, anyways. Also, apologies for the limited pickings here. I spent much of the month with my computer in […]
Fiorentina continued its midseason makeover today with the news that Hans Nicolussi Caviglia’s loan has been terminated early. The midfielder won’t return to Venezia, though, and will instead head up the road to Parma on another loan for the rest of the year. The deal will oblige the Ducali to pay €6 million to keep […]
Pre-match Paolo Vanoli made it very clear that he doesn’t particularly care about the Coppa Italia. Oliver Christensen, Luca Ranieri, Niccolò Fortini, Jacopo Fazzini, and Jack Harrison all started. 19-year-old leftback Luis Balbo made his senior debut as well, which was a massive surprise. Marco Brescianini and Giovanni Fabbian also made their first Viola starts. […]
Late news Paolo Vanoli just went crazy. Fiorentina clearly doesn’t care about the Coppa Italia. But hey, at least we can get a look at Luis Balbo, who’s making his senior debut. Lineups Fiorentina (4-3-3): Christensen; Balbo, Ranieri, Comuzzo, Fortini; Bresciani, Fagioli, Ndour; Fazzini, Piccoli, Harrison Como (4-2-3-1): Butez; Moreno, Diego Carlos, Ramón, van der […]
This Coppa Italia round of 16 fixture pits two opposite clubs against each other. On one side is Fiorentina, a fading giant of the game, raging (or perhaps just grumbling) against the dying of the light as it slips deeper into the relegation zone following a defeat against Cagliari on Saturday. On the other side […]
Pre-match Neither side made any shocking changes. Manor Solomon got his first Viola start in place of the injured Fabiano Parisi. Fiorentina’s badge got an update in memory of the late Rocco Commisso. There was also an impressive pre-game display from the club ahead of kickoff and a moment of silence that went better than […]
Late news Paolo Vanoli hasn’t sprung any surprises, picking the XI everyone predicted. It’s the same one he’s picked for the past month with the exception of Manor Solomon making his first start in place of the injured Fabiano Parisi. Fabio Pisacane, on the other hand, makes a positive change, bringing in an extra attacker […]
Fiorentina has a chance to haul itself out of the relegation places at the expense of a rival for the drop this weekend when Cagliari (15th place with 22 points) comes to town, although the Sardinians are coming off a high following a win over Juventus last time out. The match will be played on […]
Every episode of this podcast runs the emotional gamut but, in the wake of Rocco Commisso’s passing, this one did in particular. Your favorite Fiorentina podcast idiots opened the pod with a long conversation about the man and his Viola legacy. After that, we lightened the mood by handing out our usual weekly awards before […]
Well, that didn’t take long. After a week or so of negotiations, Edin Džeko has joined Schalke 04 in the 2. Bundesliga for “a little compensation fee” or €1 million. He’ll sign a 6-month contract with an option to extend should die Königsblauen achieve promotion, which looks likely for a club that’s 4 points clear […]
Sunday’s Derby dell’Appennino wasn’t just Fiorentina’s best performance of the season. It was also a chance for both sides to get some business done, business that’s now finished with that rarest of transfers: the swap. The Viola get Giovanni Fabbian from the Oscar Mayers and send them Simon Sohm in exchange. Swap deals are often […]
Like a cargo barge running at half power, Fiorentina is ever so slowly turning its season around. The best performance of the season came on Sunday at Bologna, with a well-fought 1-2 away win finally giving the supporters something to cheer. Those supporters, however, won’t get a chance to do that on the road again […]
In the aftermath of the Cremonese win, Paolo Vanoli talked about how, with a good transfer window, he’d be able to shift the team to a 4-2-3-1. I found that comment a bit odd, as Vanoli’s only rarely played a 4-2-3-1 in his career, during which he’s mostly relied on some form of 3-5-2, as […]
Pre-match Bologna centerback Martin Vitík suffered an injury in the warmup so Vincenzo Italiano replaced him with Nicolò Casale. Fiorentina, despite reporting to the contrary, delayed debut starts for Manor Solomon and Marco Brescianini. The only change was on the touchline, where Daniele Cavalletto took over for Paolo Vanoli after the mister got sent off […]
Late news Vincenzo Italiano ssnds Emil Holm straight into the starting lineup despite his recent bout with the flu. Much to the Swede’s relief, Moise Kean is out with an ankle injury, leaving Roberto Piccoli to labor up front. In fact, Fiorentina hasn’t changed its XI at all despite reports that new signings Manor Solomon […]
Fiorentina announced today that club owner Rocco Commisso has passed away at the age of 76. All of us here at Viola Nation offer his wife Catherine, children Giuseppe and Marisa, and the rest of his family and friends our condolences. Commisso bought Fiorentina from the Della Valle brothers in 2019. After a rocky start […]
It’s time for the Derby dell’Appennino. Ready? No? Well, hopefully Fiorentina is, given that the team’s shown signs of life lately, taking 8 points from its past 5 games. Bologna, on the other hand, has taken just 5 points from its last 5 and generally looking pretty fragile. As we all know, though, current form […]
From David De Gea to Pablo Marí, from Borja Valero to Marcos Alonso, we’ve seen a total of 16 Spanish players represent Associazione Calcio Firenze Fiorentina over the club’s entire history. However, the very first Spaniard to represent La Viola was none other than Guillermo Amor Martínez. Born in Benidorm, Spain, Amor became obsessed with […]
After snapping up Manor Solomon and Marco Brescianini, Fiorentina’s January revolution thunders on with the news that the Viola are working on a deal for Leeds United’s Jack Harrison. Per Nicolò Schira, the 29-year-old will join on a 6-month loan with an option to make the move permanent until 2029 for €10ish million. I haven’t […]
Fresh off the worst-refereed match of the Serie A season, Fiorentina returns home to take on scudetto challengers AC Milan. The 18th-place Viola have a chance to make it 3 straight in the league without a loss for the first time this season but the Rossoneri; a win could thrust them out of the relegation […]
Just a few days after the whispers began, Fiorentina confirmed that it’s signed Marco Brescianini on loan from Atlanta. Per Nicolò Schira, it’s a 6-month loan with a €2 million initial fee and a €10 million option to purchase the 25-year-old should the Viola avoid relegation from Serie A. If that happens, Brescianini will sign […]