From Glasgow to Florence
On July 12, Polish goalkeeper Artur Boruc joined the Fiorentina with a two-year contract. This is his first time playing with an Italian team. Boruc played with Celtic, a Scottish soccer team in Glasgow, for five years. He started his professional career in Poland.
Cerci joins the Fiorentina
On August 26, midfielder Alessio Cerci signed a five-year contract with the Fiorentina, leaving AS Roma, the team where he started his career. Over the last few years, the 23-year-old has been on loan to other Italian teams. He turned down an offer from Manchester City, saying the Fiorentina was ‘the right choice’ for him.
Jovetic out for most of the season
During a training session this summer, Stevan Jovetic, one of the team’s main strikers, suffered damage to the ligament in his right knee. He is expected to have a couple of surgeries to repair the damage, and the lengthy recovery will likely keep him off the field for at least six months.
Fiorentina celebrates 84 years
The ACF Fiorentina was founded on August 26, 1926, by Luigi Ridolfi. Today’s team is the product of a merger between two older teams: CS Firenze and PG Libertas. In its 84 years, the team has played 73 of 79 seasons in Serie A and has won nine national titles and one European title.
Save the Children
ACF Fiorentina had announced that for the 2010-2011 season it would not have a sponsor and had ‘Il calcio è un divertimento’ (‘soccer is fun’) printed on the team jerseys. However, a week before the beginning of the season, officials announced that the team would be sponsoring the Save the Children Italia Onlus’s Every One campaign for the entire season. The jerseys now read ‘Save the Children.’ The Fiorentina is the only Italian team assisting Save the Children’s efforts to help address the needs of children in less privileged countries, where kids die every day from basic illnesses. The team is planning other marketing ideas to generate more support for the international cause.
Fiorentina’s first match a draw
On August 29, Fiorentina played its first match, which ended in a draw. Napoli was granted a goal after only a few minutes of play, considered the first ‘phantom’ goal of the season because the ball did not enter the net. In the second half, midfielder Gaetano D’Agostino tied up the match with his first goal for the Fiorentina.
End of the market-for now
On August 31, a few days after the first match of the season, the transfer market officially closed. Besides acquiring D’Agostino, Boruc and Cerci, the Fiorentina welcomed back Papa Waigo and Nikola Gulan, who were on loan to other teams. Left winger Massimo Gobbi was the only player to leave the Fiorentina after his four-year contract expired. The transfer market re-opens in January.
