Report: Della Valles will focus on Fiorentina again

Although the death of Davide Astori has rocked Fiorentina to its very foundations, there are still some okay things happening at the club. The Viola have won 3 straight matches and are just 3 points away from the Europa League spots, as the team has solidified at the back and through the midfield. Now, there’s some more good news from the mouth of president Mario Cognini: Andrea Della Valle is returning to the board.

Della Valle stepped down from the board a year ago, citing the unrealistic expectations of supporters. At the time, we thought it meant that the DVs were going to sell the club; sure enough, the brothers mentioned that they were listening to offers this summer, although nobody stepped forward with a concrete proposal. As the fans protested the departures of most of the starters from the previous season, relations between owners and fans took a sour turn, to the point that the relationship didn’t seem salvageable.

But in the wake of the captain’s passing, the DVs have stepped up to the plate. They’ve agreed to pay out the remainder of Asto’s contract to his partner and daughter, and Andrea has been mingling with the tifosi at the various memorials around town. Apparently, those interactions have restored his faith in the project (although Cognini admits that a sale hasn’t been ruled out).

Nobody has ever doubted ADV’s enthusiasm in anything, really; he’s always worn his heart on his sleeve, and his willingness to dive headfirst into Fiorentina is one of his most endearing qualities. Having him back in the fold could very well be a sign that Diego is fixing to loosen the purse strings for the first time since 2013 and buy some top talent. If that’s not his intention now, having Andrea in his ear all the time could persuade him. Given the performance of the team this year—with the youngest squad in Serie A rounding into form—that could mean a marquee attacker or two, which could easily push the Viola back into the thick of the race for the Champions League.

Of course, that’s a pretty significant extrapolation. It could also be that this is going to be the exact same cycle we’ve seen before, with the Della Valles exhibiting a renewed commitment to the Viola before falling out with management, leading to tensions with the supporters and a withdrawal of financial resources. But, given the circumstances of Andrea’s return, we’re choosing to believe that this heralds another period of investment and achievement.