Gattusopoli

After another season spent battling relegation and listening to Giuseppe Iachini’s hoarse exhortations of “GIOCA, GIOCA, GIOCA,” Fiorentian fans were very ready to find a new manager, one who could help the establish the club as the site of a serious project, one who could bring back some success or at the very least some dignity.

It seemed like DS Daniele Pradè and company had gotten that bang on when they hired Gennaro Gattuso, recently let go by Napoli. Rino had done well enough with the Partenopei and AC Milan before that, showing a knack for managing players and steadily improving as a tactician. There was a lot to be excited about.

That excitement was short-lived, as Gattuso stepped down as Viola mister after just 22 days, citing differences with Pradè and Joe Barone over the club’s transfer policy. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that Fiorentina balked at bringing in a raft of Jorge Mendes clients at inflated prices, and that Mendes yanked his man out of town in retaliation.

While the Viola did well to twist from the clutches of one of the sport’s most nefarious figures, it’s naive at best that they didn’t expect the problem when they brought on Gattuso to begin with. The result, though, is that Fiorentina are looking for a new manager just 3 weeks after hiring one, and that’s pretty embarrassing for everyone involved.