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发表于 2008-8-26 11:45:43
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2007/08: Where It Ended
Fiorentina could not have asked for a better finish last term. A solid campaign built on Cesare Prandelli’s masterful strokes of genius saw a football renaissance in the Tuscan capital. The former Parma coach slowly but surely guided his side to a Champions League place, knocking off fourth spot favourites Milan in the process. In fact, it was the Rossoneri who were in command in fourth with just two weeks of the Serie A season remaining.
The turning point for Fiorentina was their 3-1 win over Parma in week 37 and Milan’s 3-1 defeat at the hands of Napoli. These results were key to La Viola’s cause, and qualification for Europe’s elite club competition was sealed on the final day of the season with a 1-0 win over Torino. The race for the top four finish had never come so close and it made for some nail biting viewing. However, like the passionate Viola tifosi, the team never stopped believing and Prandelli was finally able to paint the picture everyone involved with the club wanted to see.
Champions League football for the first time in almost a decade was secured and it felt like a Scudetto win as the club exceeded expectations. However, the final season push was not all smiles. I Gigliati were amongst the favourites to win the UEFA Cup, but a semi final penalty shoot-out loss to Glasgow Rangers denied them a final appearance for the first time in almost two decades. The team recovered, showed character, and the coach was able to steer his ship to towards what seemed like new found land for the club.
It wasn’t all Prandelli though as Adrian Mutu was influential in firing his side towards the pinnacle of Serie A. The Romanian hit-man smashed 17 goals in the league and five in Europe as he returned back to his best following his problems off the pitch. That tally was his best ever haul in a season and it can only be onwards and upwards for the striker and his side. He was able to silence the critics who believed the Tuscan side were doomed following Luca Toni’s sale to Bayern Munich before the start of the 2007/08 campaign. French goalkeeper Sebastian Frey was also a rock in goal and his superb performances week in, week out ensured Fiorentina could move forwards, knowing they had the protection from one of the world’s best stoppers in between the sticks.
Summer Activity
It was a turbulent few months on the transfer market. Many had feelings of déjà-vu when, like Luca Toni the previous year, Mutu was linked with a mega-money move to Roma, amongst other clubs. Speculation that the ‘King of Florence’ would leave was rife. The Romanian’s transfer soap opera was full of drama and action as ‘will he, won’t he’ headlines began to dominate the newswires and back pages.
For die hard fans, July 23 is a day to remember. Mutu was supposed to make his move to Rome after the club had given the transfer the nod and the wink. However, just as he was about to walk out, the Viola owners panicked, knowing that strikers who can hit 22 goals a season don’t come cheap and are hard to find. Andrea Della Valle met with Mutu and convinced him that the Prandelli project will prosper. The feather and ink was brought out to touch up the player’s contract and Mutu reignited his love for the Viola jersey, recently claiming that he wants to end his career there.
The ability to hold onto a striker like the Romanian showed the club’s ambition. Furthermore, they sent out a stark message to the rest of Serie A as sporting director Pantaleo Corvino spent over |
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