The summer was supposed to be one of rebirth for Fiorentina. After several seasons marked by disappointed hopes and missed meetings, the Tuscan club decided to strike hard to change dimension and entrusted the keys to its project to Fabio Grosso. The former 2006 world champion, crowned by his good work at Sassuolo, arrived in Florence with the mission of restoring order, giving a clear identity to this team and above all transforming the ambitions of management into concrete results. To support its new coach, the Viola did not skimp on resources. The transfer window was particularly spectacular, with more than 150 million euros invested in transfer fees, for a total amount announced around 165 million euros taking into account the various costs of the operation. Fiorentina notably offered Christ Inao Oulaï for 26 million euros, Arthur Atta for 25 million and Mateo Pellegrino for 22.5 million. Beto also landed for 18 million euros, while young Brazilian defender Viery cost 15 million. Giovanni Fabbian and Marco Brescianini also strengthened the midfield for 13 and 10 million euros. Without forgetting Wilfried Gnonto, Franco Mastantuono, Radu Drăgușin, João Mário, Alieu Njie, Víctor Valdepeñas, Pedro Gonçalves and Álex Jiménez. On paper, all the ingredients seemed to come together to make this new adventure one of the great stories of the Italian season.
This summer frenzy quickly fueled real anticipation around the Florentine project. Fiorentina had given the feeling of wanting to move up a gear, by recruiting massively and offering Grosso a profoundly renewed group. The objective was no longer simply to build a competitive team, but to create a team sufficiently armed to look higher in the standings and find a place corresponding to the historic ambitions of the club. The leaders had agreed to take significant financial risks to give their coach the means to achieve his ambitions. The Florentine market looked like that of a club that wanted to change its status, while the arrival of Grosso further reinforced the idea of a new start. In the purple environment, the enthusiasm was palpable and expectations had understandably skyrocketed. With such a substantial investment, a coach with a certain reputation and a largely remodeled workforce, Fiorentina approached this season with the label of a club which should quickly show signs of progress. But just a few weeks after this summer euphoria, the contrast is striking. The dream of a new cycle is already turning into a nightmare and the spectacular transfer window carried out by management is starting to look like a huge waste.
Three defeats in three days
Because on the ground, nothing works. Fiorentina completely missed its start to the championship and remains on three defeats in three days of Serie A, which already condemns it to occupying last place in the ranking alone. The scale of the disaster is all the more striking given that expectations were high after such a costly transfer window. Against Torino, the Viola nevertheless believed they had the ideal scenario when they opened the scoring after returning from the locker room thanks to Pellegrino, taking advantage of an error from Perri. This realization should have allowed Grosso’s men to free themselves and finally regain confidence, but it ultimately only delayed the inevitable. Torino, who remained on three consecutive defeats including a humiliating premature elimination in the Coppa Italia against Monza, quickly turned the situation around thanks to Rolando Mandragora, former Fiorentina player, then Che Adams gave the visitors an additional advantage. Unable to react even though it had taken the lead, Fiorentina gradually sank into fear and helplessness.
In the Franchi stands, frustration then gave way to massive anger. The whistles accompanied every minute of the end of the match and Fabio Grosso was directly targeted by the Curva Ferrovia, with chants loudly calling for his departure. The final whistle thus triggered a real explosion of discontent, equal to the disillusionment caused by this catastrophic start to the season.“Do I still feel able to work? I defer to the decisions of my superiors. It’s a shame to lose this match, we could have done so much better, especially in the first half. Then, in the second half, we broke the deadlock and things no longer went in our favor. From the first action, we failed to control the match. We are very disappointed, this atmosphere deserves another result”lamented Grosso on DAZN. The scene that followed almost alone sums up the state of crisis in which Fiorentina already finds itself.
After the final whistle, the Artemio-Franchi stadium was transformed into a court, the Viola supporters copiously jeering at their team and especially Grosso now at the heart of all the criticism. The coach tried to get closer to the public with his players, briefly applauded the stands before quickly returning to the locker room, leaving his men to suffer the bronca alone. A striking contrast then appeared since the Torino players received a real ovation on their return to the locker room. Florentine supporters also gave a warm welcome to Ignazio Abate’s men, a symbol of the special ties that unite the two clubs. But the strongest moment came when Rolando Mandragora, accompanied by Cristiano Biraghi, advanced towards the Curva. The former Viola midfielder, who scored against his former club, was applauded and celebrated by an audience who threw him “Thanks guys” and a vibrant “Rolando, you are one of us”. The evening could hardly have been crueler for Grosso. Beaten once again after leading the score, bottom with zero points and already contested by its own supporters, Fiorentina sees its enormous summer investment turn against it. Barely launched, the Grosso project already looks like an industrial disaster.
