Football Season Guide

Fiorentina

In


Houssine Kharja (mid)(Inter); Andrea Lazzari (mid)(Cagliari); Gianni Munari (mid)(Lecce); Romulo Caldeira (def)(Atletico Paranaense); Felipe Dalbelo (def)(Cesena, end of loan);

Out


Sebastien Frey (gk)(Genoa); Andrea Seculin (gk)(Juve Stabia); Mario Alberto Santana (mid)(Napoli); Vlada Avramov (gk)(Cagliari); Gianluca Comotto (def)(Cesena); Gaetano D'Agostino (mid)(Udinese, end of loan); Adrian Mutu (att)(Cesena); Marco Donadel (mid)(Napoli)

In the past season, Fiorentina seemed to be duo-fold. During the first half, they were rather dull and, for some time, flirted with the struggle to avoid relegation. During the second half, they became much more solid and, at times, brilliant. They did not go higher than the ninth standing in the table but this was enough for coach Mihajlovic to obtain a re-confirm in charge of the team. Truth be said, for most of the campaign, he had had to deal with a squad plagued by the long-lasting injuries. Now, it has to be seen whether he will be able to repeat all the good things, in term of play and results, done when he was in Catania. The transfer campaign brought some radical changes in Florence. Two key players like Frey and Mutu were shown the door. Alongside them, Comotto, Santana, D'Agostino and Donadel left. All players who had some importance for the team. However, they were all properly replaced. Frey's substitute, that is Boruc, was already at Mihajlovic's service. As for Mutu's replacement, he was sidelined due to a one-year-lasting injury: Jovetic's return is going to be fundamental for the team, if he manages to reach a decent form early enough. Kharja, Lazzari and Munari are excellent midfielders and they will all be struggling for a place in the starting eleven. There is just one big question hanging over Fiorentina: will Gilardino and Montolivo remain? Both players expected to leave and, if forced to stay, it has to be seen how much they will be willing to contribute to the team's successes. If they left, though, it is dubious that they could be properly replaced in no time. Thus, leaving a big hole in the middle of the park and in the attack. Some of Fiorentina's future might depend on this.

Target


Fiorentina aim at a qualification to the European competitions. The squad is solid enough to fight for the European football but the form of some key players, Jovetic in particular, will be fundamental to reach such a result. And the “Montolivo and Gilardino affair” could be decisive too.