Mihajlovic
is here to win
In his June 3
press conference, Fiorentina’s new head coach, Sinisa Mihajlovic, expressed his
desire to get the team back into the Champions League: ‘For me it’s an honor to
coach the Fiorentina. I know that the Tuscans are tough; so am I. Therefore, I
think we’ll get along very well.’ Mihajlovic’s two-year contract has an option
clause for a third year.
Prandelli
thanks the Fiorentina
Before the
Fiorentina could officially announce Mihajlovic as the team’s new head coach,
Cesare Prandelli and his technical staff had to formally resign. After doing
so, they publicly thanked the football club and its staff in a press release:
‘Thanks to everyone’s energy and commitment, we were able to write an important
page in Florence’s soccer history.’
D’Agostino
is now Viola
On June 3, the day
of his 28th birthday, midfielder Gaetano D’Agostino was signed to play for the
Fiorentina; he has a three-year contract with an option for a fourth year. The
Fiorentina co-owns D’Agostino with his previous team, Udinese. At his official
presentation on June 9, he said, ‘I have always dreamt of coming to Florence.’
When asked about the new coach Mihajlovic, he said, ‘I think he has a winning
mentality.’
Orgoglio
Viola
The ‘tessera del
tifoso’ was introduced to Fiorentina fans on June 8. The prepaid bankcard (the
card itself is free) will be replacing the traditional season ticket. With this
new card, entrance into the stadium will be much quicker and tickets for away
games can be uploaded onto the card. After adding money to it, fans can also
buy food, drinks and other merchandise at the stadium. The card became
available as of June 14 at the folowing banks: Banca CR Firenze, Intesa
Sanpaolo, Cassa di Risparmiodi Pistoia and Pescia and Banca dell’Adriatico.
New prices
for season tickets
Season tickets for
2010-2011 will cost less than they did last year. With the new ‘tessera del
tifoso,’ season tickets can be purchased from official sales points on June 21.
Uncertain
future for some players
With the new head
coach and already one new player, the future for many of the Viola teammates is
uncertain. Benched by a nine-month ban for doping, striker Adrian Mutu might be
one of the players to leave; he is rumored to be heading to Turkey to play with
Fenerbahce. Depending on offers, goalkeeper Sebastian Frey, who has a contract
until 2013, might also be leaving the team. One of the most highly sought-after
players, Peruvian Juan Manuel Vargas, could be moving on to Real Madrid or
Inter. Genoa is on the verge of signing Marco Donadel, ande Gianluca Comotto
might be joining Lazio.
Summer
training in Cortina
The Fiorentina
will be training in Cortina D’Ampezzo from July 15 to 30. Fans are welcome to
stay in Cortina and watch the players prepare for the upcoming season.
Friendly match against Tottenham
After the summer
training, the Fiorentina will play a friendly match against Tottenham on August
7, in London.
