Frey and Montolivo out
The Fiorentina is
experiencing difficulties with many players out with injuries. This
week, two more players joined them on the bench: goalkeeper Sebastien
Frey and midfielder Riccardo Montolivo. Frey has a knee ligament
injury that will most likely keep him off the field for the rest of
the season. Polish Artur Boruc, acquired this summer from Celtic,
will be taking his place. Montolivo, who has been struggling on the
field with an ankle injury, will be out for at least six weeks after
surgery.
Della Valle clears the
air
After ex-head coach Cesare
Prandelli commented about Fiorentina players being ‘spoiled,’
Diego Della Valle held a press conference on November 5 to clear the
air. Besides Della Valle’s disappointment in Prandelli’s
criticism of the team, he also talked about how Prandelli was the one
who wanted to leave the Fiorentina to coach the team’s rival,
Juventus. Della Valle said he found out through the club’s
president in Turin and approached Prandelli. At the time, Prandelli
turned the situation around and said that he was being pushed out of
the Fiorentina. Della Valle said that he’s not happy with
Prandelli, but wishes him the best. He concluded the press conference
by saying, ‘[Prandelli] didn’t want to stay in Florence. What is
better than being Italy’s national coach?’
Three more points for
the Fiorentina
On November 7 for the
first lunchtime match at Franchi stadium, Fiorentina played its 10th
game of the season against Chievo. Only seven minutes after ex-Roma
player Alessio Cerci came in to substitute Marco Marchionni late in
the second half, Cerci scored his first goal for the Fiorentina.
Chievo were unable to get the ball past Boruc, allowing the
Fiorentina to win 1-0 and move up to 11th place in the Serie A
rankings.
A loss in Rome
The Fiorentina headed to
Rome to play the 11th match of the season on November 10. Roma scored
its first goal at the last minute of the first half and then another
goal within the first minutes of the second half. Viola striker
Alberto Gilardino scored the team’s first goal in the second half,
followed up by another goal for Roma. Gaetano D’Agostino kicked a
free kick past the Roma goalkeeper to end the match 3-2. The
Fiorentina dropped to 13th place.
Viola moves up
The Fiorentina played
Cesena on November 13 at Franchi stadium. After an uneventful first
half, the second half proved to be livelier. Cerci kicked the ball
into the box and Gilardino turned it around to score. The match ended
1-0 thanks to the Fiorentina defense, which failed to give Cesena a
chance to score. The Fiorentina moved up one spot in the Serie A
rankings with these three points.
Fiorentina plays
Reggina for TIM Cup
On November 25, the
Fiorentina will be playing against Serie B team Reggina in the fourth
round of the TIM Cup competition.
