Even Bernardeschi’s exes think he’s great

Federico Bernardeschi is generally acknowledged to have his head on right for a young superstar. He’s extraordinarily productive on the pitch, to the tune of producing 0.7 goals + assists per 90 minutes in Serie A. He has, time and again, pledged his loyalty to boyhood club Fiorentina, despite interest and the promise of megabucks from the likes of Juventus, Inter Milan, and Chelsea. He’s good for a goofy video involving a scarf or the occasional very silly haircut. All in all, he’s a swell dude.

On a more personal level, he’s also been one of the sensations of Italy, as his relationship with model and reality television star Veronica Ciardi was admired throughout the peninsula as being that of a model celebrity couple. They mostly minded their own business and didn’t produce an incessant, saccharine drip of social media posts. On the rare occasions they discussed their relationship, you’d come away with the impression that they were just like a regular couple, but way more famous.

However, Ciardi just posted on her Instagram that she and Berna split up about 5 months ago, although they plan to remain friends. She went on to compliment the winger for being a “special guy.” It sounds like they just didn’t feel that way about each other any more. There was no other motive given, although the gossip blogs are rumbling with all sorts of garbage as Ciardi, 31, is 8 years Fede’s senior and first gained public attention for her relationship with Sarah Nile on Big Brother.

So, what does this mean for Fiorentina? If we’re being totally honest, probably nothing. Berna is a model professional and should know how to separate his personal affairs from his professional life. He’s still recovering from a calf strain and wil be unable to take the pitch for another week or two. Hopefully, the combination of injury and breakup, however tame, doesn’t dampen his spirits too much.