For those of you still wondering what all of the commotion was last Sunday afternoon – what with the purple flags and scarves and frantic people – well, the city’s beloved football team, the mighty Fiorentina, had finally won a match. Actually, it was one of the few matches they have won all season, but it was an important one, as the victory has kept the team from being relegated out of the Serie A Championship league for next year.
Such a fate would have been fitting, had they lost, given the performance over the season. But, Fiorentina fans are like none other, as they have been loyal and supportive throughout the worst of times. In the end, it seemed as if it was the sheer determination of these loyalists that guided the players on the field to their best game of the year. Not only did the match end in a 3-0 home-game victory against Brescia, but both Bologna and Parma played to ties, against different teams. In the end, Fiorentina, Bologna, and Parma finished with 42 points each. But, Fiorentina had winning records against both of these teams, which means Fiorentina is in, and the other two must fight it out in two different games to determine who takes the final spot in Serie A next year.
The game itself was filled with 90 minutes of constant cheering and chanting at the Franchi Stadium and ended in a thrilling victory. The players from victorious Fiorentina then filed onto the centre of the field and, along with 40,000 nerve-wracked fans, listened to radios to get the scores of the other critical games. Then, just before the score from the last game came in, with thousands of fingers crossed, the stadium fell into total silence. Ten seconds passed, twenty seconds, thirty – it seemed like hours – forty seconds, then the score was announced! They had both tied! Fiorentina had prevailed! The stadium exploded into a roar of cheersof victory. And, of course, festivities began immediately as free wine was served to all before they had even left the stadium.
With no other logical place to go, the celebration moved to the centre as thousands of fans swarmed the streets honking and cheering and waving purple banners. Even David in Piazzale Michelangelo was draped with a festive banner in honour of the occasion.
As the dust settled, and upon more sober reflection, “what really happened here?” seems like a good question. Let’s see, Fiorentina won a game, and instead of coming in 19th or 20th place, they tied for 17th. Yet, the people of Florence celebrated this victory as if the team had just won the World Cup! Truly, there must be no other fans like this – anywhere, in any sport. Viva la Fiorentina! Viva Firenze!
