November 2010
36 posts
2 tags
Fiorentina's missing stars
Fiorentina’s list of injured or suspended players for the weekend at the moment reads as follows.
Frey (out until April), Comotto (suspended), Kroldrup (suspended), Natali (probably out until week 16), Felipe (suspended); Zanetti (hopefully back this week), Montolivo (out until January), Jovetic (out until March) and Gilardino (out 2/3 weeks).
With Mutu just coming back from injury, Boruc...
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The Hunchback, Papa and Osvaldo...
They are three names that will probably never be written in the Fiorentina Hall of Fame. Their careers with the Viola were not the kind that would turn them into legends on the banks of the River Arno. But mention Massimo Gobbi, Papa Waigo and Pablo Daniel Osvaldo in that order and everyone who ever supported the Tuscan side will break into a beaming smile. Victories for the Florentines on...
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Fiorentini who have beaten Juventus in Turin #10 -...
Juventus 1-2 Fiorentina, 15 May 1988.
He would turn into a flying full-back for Parma later in his career but when playing for the Gigliati, Di Chiara was always an attacking wide midfielder with an eye for goal.
None were more precious than the mazy run which put the Viola two goals to the good against their great rivals.
Gigi De Agostini converted a penalty for the Bianconeri (unlike when...
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Fiorentini who have beaten Juventus in Turin #9 -...
Juventus 1-2 Fiorentina, 15 May 1988.
The Divin Codino, before the ponytail was even thought of, struck the opener in an end of season triumph against the club which would ultimately rip him away from Florentine hearts.
Baggio was the heir apparent to the great Giancarlo Antognoni and, after nursing him back from serious injury, he began to blossom in a purple shirt in the late 1980s.
This...
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Fiorentina who have beaten Juventus in Turin #8 -...
Juventus 1-2 Fiorentina, 28 April 1985.
He may not be the greatest Argentinian to play for the Florentines - that honour goes to Mr Batistuta - but he did achieve something Batigol never managed, a Serie A victory against Juve in Turin.
Having skippered his country to their maiden World Cup win in 1978 it was clear that Daniel Passarella was ripe for a move to Europe. However, his destination...
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Fiorentini who have beaten Juventus in Turin #7 -...
Juventus 1-2 Fiorentina, 28 April 1985.
If you are only going to score a couple of goals for Fiorentina, then one of them might as well be against Juve.
That was the case for young striker Luca Cecconi who never made much of an impression for the Viola but did help kickstart a comeback victory in Turin.
The Bianconeri had taken an early lead through Massimo Briaschi before the Florentines hit...
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Fiorentini who have beaten Juventus in Turin #6 -...
Juventus 0-2 Fiorentina, 11 May 1969.
It was the Viola’s capocannoniere in their second Scudetto year who completed the scoring in their most famous win in Turin.
Strong in the air and capable of anticipating a defender to the ball he enjoyed his finest goalscoring years in Florence between 1967 and 1970.
Although he played for a large number of clubs both before and after the Viola,...
calcio-nel-cuore asked: The "hair" pun? Genius. Also, love the new theme!
almadhi-deactivated20130319 asked: Hey Mr.Rinaldi I follow you on twitter too, you reckon Mija will make it this season? When will Jovetic return?
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Fiorentini who have beaten Juventus in Turin #5 -...
Juventus 0-2 Fiorentina, 11 May 1969.
The most important triumph for the boys in purple on their Serie A travels to Turin was undoubtedly the one where Cavallo Pazzo (Crazy Horse) Luciano Chiarugi opened the scoring.
Any victory away to the Bianconeri is special, but this one ensured the Scudetto came to Florence for a second time.
Chiarugi settled Viola nerves with the opener early in the...
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Fiorentini who have beaten Juventus in Turin #4 -...
Juventus 0-4 Fiorentina, 2 October 1955.
A local lad from nearby Pistoia, Magnini was part of a solid Fiorentina defence which was transferred en masse to the Italian national team during the 1950s.
He only scored a handful of goals for the Tuscan side but his most memorable was almost certainly on this trip to Turin.
He played more than 200 games for Fiorentina before ending his career in...
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Fiorentini who have beaten Juventus in Turin #3 -...
Juventus 0-4 Fiorentina, 2 October 1955.
The 21 goal hero of the Viola’s first Scudetto, Virgili struck twice in the famous triumph in Turin.
He averaged a goal every other game over more than 100 appearances for the Tuscan side and achieved similar feats once he moved to Torino.
Renowned for his bravery and battling approach, he was nicknamed Pecos Bill after the cowboy cartoon...
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Fiorentini who have beaten Juventus in Turin #2 -...
Juventus 0-4 Fiorentina, 2 October 1955.
The marvellous Miguel Montuori opened the scoring in what remains the Viola’s biggest ever top flight victory against La Vecchia Signora.
He finished the season with 13 goals in a campaign which would bring Fiorentina its first ever Scudetto.
Born in Argentina, Montuori was famously spotted by a Viola supporting priest while playing in Chile. The...
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Fiorentini who have beaten Juventus in Turin #1 -...
Juventus 2-3 Fiorentina, 19 January 1941.
Legendary Romeo Menti, who would die with the great Torino side at Superga in 1949, grabbed one of the goals in the Viola’s first ever Serie A victory in Turin.
The other scorers for Fiorentina were the wonderfully-named Giovacchino Magherini along with an own goal from the Bianconeri. The side also contained future Italy manager Ferruccio...
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Italy's Champions League trio walk the tightrope
There comes a moment in every team’s season when they must show their true value. It is unusual, however, for three sides to face such crucial encounters at the same time. But, for a trio of Serie A outfits, this week will tell us much about their Champions League aspirations.
Roma could put themselves within touching distance of the last 16 if they can beat Bayern Munich in the Olimpico....
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“We came to play our game against Milan and created three or four chances before...”
– Sinisa Mihajlovic
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The love song of G. Omar Batistuta
There may never have been a more pure explosion of joy from a Fiorentina player or for fans of the Viola. Gabriel Omar Batistuta has just smacked a raking free-kick into the top corner of Sebastiano Rossi’s goal to effectively clinch the Italian Super Cup for the Tuscan side against Milan in the San Siro. He wheels away in delight looking for a television camera into which he bellows his love...
“I am disappointed and angry. We talk a lot about how to deal with these things...”
–
Cesare Prandelli on the racist abuse of Mario Balotelli
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The Upright Tower of Pisa
Nobody will ever get the Florentines, or other Tuscans in general, to love the people of Pisa. Residents of the city most famous for its tilting tower are the butt of jokes - and worse - right across the Granducato. Indeed, the Vernacoliere, a Livorno-based comic packed with the rude and crude humour of the region, would probably go out of business without its jibes against the birthplace of...
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“Players like Mario have that little something extra. They are 20-year-old boys...”
–
Cesare Prandelli before Italy v Romania friendly
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“The man to turn the match had to be Gilardino. After a game full of sacrifice...”
– Gazzetta Dello Sport
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Milan's deal with the Diavolo: drop Dinho and...
Max Allegri must be about as happy as his surname suggests. Milan sit top of the league, a derby victory is in the bag and Zlatan Ibrahimovic is banging in the goals in Serie A like he has never been away. Nothing can wipe the slightly scary grin off club vice-president Adriano Galliani’s face. All is right in the Rossonero world.
Well, almost.
There’s the little matter of the...
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Is this Serie A's greatest weekend ever?
There may have been bigger weekends in Serie A but it’s a struggle to remember them. Over Saturday and Sunday the top six teams - who sit within five points of one another - will all go head to head. The winning sides could put a big stamp on their Scudetto credentials.
Normally, the Milanese derby would be mouthwatering enough. In recent seasons we have got used to the Rossoneri having...
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The Ugly Sisters: which of Italy's six flawed...
At the peak of Italian football’s powers it boasted proudly of its Sette Sorelle – the Seven Sisters. They were the group of top teams who were considered to have the financial clout and player potential to challenge for the Scudetto. At the same time they flaunted themselves across Europe, gathering covetous glances from across the continent. Their present day equivalent has shuffled its...
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“This is better than the Golden Ball award. Compared with this other personal and...”
– Roberto Baggio on his World Peace Award.
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Lecce's Luigi De Canio: the last man standing in...
With the sacking of Gian Piero Gasperini at Genoa and the departure of Cesare Prandelli from Fiorentina in the summer, a quiz question came to mind.
Who is the current longest-serving Serie A coach?
My first thought was under-pressure Giampiero Ventura at Bari and the odds are short on him being the division’s next casualty.
However, courtesy of those fine people at Opta, I am assured...
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The first flight of the donkeys - when Chievo...
The Stadio Artemio Franchi in Florence has seen some famous events over the years. David Bowie and Madonna have gigged there, Giancarlo Antognoni almost died on the pitch during a match and it hosted a World Cup quarter-final at Italia ‘90. Nine years ago, however, it was the runway from which the Flying Donkeys of Chievo Verona first took to the skies. Read more at Football Italia
“Quando si tratta d’esser migliori o peggiori degli altri ci basta di non...”
– Curzio Malaparte - Maledetti Toscani
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Can Milan avoid Real Madrid disaster?
I can still remember exactly where I was when the dramatic events unfolded. My uncle’s living room, his giant satellite dish trained on the RAI signal as the game was played out. A scoreline still burned in the memory.
Milan 5 Real Madrid 0.
How long ago it all seems now as that same fixture comes around again. Carlo Ancelotti, who scored the first and went on a clenched-fist run of...
Inter v Tottenham: Are we in for another 4-3...
I have been wondering about it since I watched the first match between the two sides. What was the real verdict to be delivered from that game?
Inter appeared to be in complete control, so much so that I almost switched off the match. Then the Gareth Bale show began and the Nerazzurri nearly got a shock. What implications, if any, does it have for the return match?
The most obvious is that...
Tumblr Tuesday
If you don’t read them already you really should…
http://iltifosi.tumblr.com/
and
http://italocalcio.tumblr.com/
That is all.
THE EX FACTOR: Week Nine Scores & Scorers →
serieaexfactor:
Only 13 goals in Serie A making it a tough week in the game too, only 5 of those counting here. First weekly win of the season for Giancarlo & Gav, sharing in Carey’s second time on top of the pile. Here’s the scorers;
2. Fiorentina ~ Pazzini, Quagliarella Udinese ~ Muntari, Quagliarella …
The comeback starts here!
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Catatonic in Catania
Sunday night is a time for the Blues. The weekend is gone, work is looming and all the great plans laid out on Friday evening have evaporated. Maybe a last glass of Saturday night’s leftover Primitivo - in the rare event that such a thing exists - can dull the pain.
The only other pick-me-up is a last fix of Italian football with a bit of red-hot Posticipo action. A final buzz, perhaps,...
