With club officials hoping to rebuild the squad, the Fiorentina will not
look the same next season.
Midfielders
Marco Donadel and Mario Santana both left for Napoli, and the Viola’s hero
Adrian Mutu went to Cesena. It is also reported that the Viola’s versatile
midfielder Juan Vargas is currently fielding offers from Real Madrid,
Barcelona, Juventus and Liverpool, which has already stated that it is willing
to spend 20 million euro on him.
Although
every departure will hurt Fiorentina, Mutu’s is the most heartbreaking. He wore
the purple jersey for five years, was named the best player in Serie A in
2006-2007, and is the fifth highest goal scorer in the club’s history. ‘The
club will always be in my heart after the wonderful experiences there,’ he told
the local press.
Other
star players who look like they are headed for the door are Riccardo Montolivo,
who is being courted by Rome and Milan; and Alberto Gilardino, who is said to
want more money next season. Club officials, however, are already eyeing a
replacement for Gilardino: striker Maxi Lopez from Catania.
There
is also a continuing problem with teams poaching Italy’s developing talent. The
most recent case is Manchester United’s luring of the 15-year-old goalkeeper
Gollini. The main reason that young Italian talent is vulnerable to poaching is
Italy’s rule prohibiting players from signing professional contracts before age
18; the signing age is younger in other national leagues in Europe.
However,
there is some bright news on the horizon. Fiorentina coach Sinisa Mihajlovic
officially stated that he will stay in Florence rather than take the Inter
Milan coaching job.
In
addition, Fiorentina acquired fullback Noronha Romulo from Brazil for 2.5
million euros. The 24-year-old has been dubbed the new Cafu for his speed and
intelligence.
Goalkeeper
Sebastien Frey has also said that he would like to stay in Florence. Meanwhile,
the Viola made an offer for Manchester United’s Alessio Cerci; they also seem
to be in talks to purchase 23-year-old Brazilian Paulo Bezerra Maciel Junior,
known as Paulinho, who plays for Corinthians.
