Manuel Rui Costa may have left the Stadio Artemio Franchi in 2001, but his heart remains in Florence and he’ll be torn when Milan visit on Sunday.
<><FONT face=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular size=2>“Last season I finally got to play against Fiorentina and it was such a strong emotional moment for me,” the Portuguese star told RadioBlu. “This year will be different, as both teams are fighting for the top of the table. I’ll be moved, but will do everything to help my side.”
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<><FONT face=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular size=2>Third take on second in this showdown that also sees the two most prolific teams in Serie A face off. Few expected Fiorentina to do so well, but Rui Costa is proud of his former club.
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<><FONT face=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular size=2>“The Viola have a solid infrastructure behind them and that’s how they managed to achieve so much in a year. The secret to their success is this wonderful city, as Florence supported them through every crisis.”
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<><FONT face=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular size=2>Rui Costa wore the captain’s armband during his final term here, but his No 10 jersey now belongs to Stefano Fiore.
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<><FONT face=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular size=2>“Fiore is a talented young player who has achieved a great deal and he’s appreciated for what he is doing. As for comparing Luca Toni to Gabriel Batistuta, it’s an easy link to make because they both find it so easy to score goals, although they have different characteristics.”
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<P><FONT face=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular size=2>Rui Costa has struggled to live up to expectation following his club record £27m move to the San Siro, and the 33-year-old spends more time watching football than playing it nowadays.
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<P><FONT face=Arial,Helvetica,Geneva,Swiss,SunSans-Regular size=2>“I am personally a fan of the beautiful game and therefore of players like Fiore, Toni and Riccardo Montolivo. Coming back to what I regard as my second home will be an emotional moment, as there is a mutual love affair between myself and the city of Florence. It’s a love that will never pass, but on Sunday I must concentrate to give something to the club I play for.”</FONT></P>