Viola Nation - GattusopoliA Fiorentina blog for Viola fanshttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/50059/viola-fav.png2021-06-18T09:00:00+02:00http://www.violanation.com/rss/stream/223084432021-06-18T09:00:00+02:002021-06-18T09:00:00+02:00Friday Poll: Are Fiorentina lucky to have dodged a Mendes bullet?
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<p>The Portuguese agent brings a lot of baggage with him, as the Viola belatedly learned.</p> <p id="FPMooV"><a href="https://www.violanation.com">Fiorentina</a> and Gennaro Gattuso divorced after 22 days of marriage, setting a new Viola record for briefness of tenure and sending the club back into the hiring fray, where Claudio Ranieri and Paulo Fonseca seem to be the frontrunners to take over now. The real talking point, though, seems to be that Fiorentina have just barely wiggled out of the grasp of Jorge Mendes.</p>
<p id="joyP84">This wouldn’t have been the first time the club was in thrall to a big-time agent, as Fali Ramadani funneled talent through Tuscany for years under Pantaleo Corvino. That, of course, also <a href="https://www.violanation.com/fiorentina-latest-news-updates/2020/7/3/21312650/fiorentina-illegal-transfer-player-sale-agent-ramadani-della-valle-corvino-commisso-new-york-times">ended on a pretty sour note</a>, but such is the cost of doing business in the modern world. Clubs have to be prepared to enter into business relationships that don’t have any precedent in sporting history and that traipse through legal grey areas.</p>
<p id="KsDv5X">Mendes, though, is a step beyond. He’s been perhaps the world’s most visible agent for a nearly a decade and has worked with clubs (often being paid a retainer fee) to “spot” talent for them, which means that he funnels his clients to them. The first notable example is Chelsea in 2004; the London outfit hired Mendes client Jose Mourinho, then brought in Ricardo Carvalho, Paulo Ferreira, Tiago, and Maniche as well.</p>
<p id="Y8kd0F">He’s entered into even closer relationships with Wolverhampton Wanderers, Swansea City, and Valencia, stocking those clubs with his clients and raising concerns that he’s actually running the transfer policies there, which would be an obvious conflict of interest in representing both teams and players in negotiations.</p>
<p id="M0MkDK">While you can certainly defend Joe Barone’s stand against Mendes as the rare instance of a club sticking up for itself against Gestifute’s grasping tentacles, it’s not like Fiorentina’s transfer policy has been all that successful under the current regime. Where you stand on the whole thing really comes down to how you look at this sort of practice.</p>
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<p id="Maq5f7">Here’s your weekend thread. Stay loose.</p>
https://www.violanation.com/2021/6/18/22538822/friday-poll-are-fiorentina-lucky-to-have-dodged-a-mendes-bullet-gattuso-weekend-threadThe Tito2021-06-18T01:58:13+02:002021-06-18T01:58:13+02:00How productive were you today between 10:04am and 2:33pm?
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<p>I bet not as productive as Mendes and Gattuso</p> <p id="OlAQ45">At 10:04 (Italian time) this morning, Fiorentina announced they have mutually parted ways with Gennaro Gattuso. At 2:33 (Italian time) THE SAME DAY, Fabrizio Romano announces that the imminent signing of Paulo Fonseca as Tottenham’s head coach has been abruptly derailed, and Genaro Gattuso is now believed to be the man who will be announced in that same position shortly. </p>
<p id="Pa1acJ">What a difference a day and some much-needed information makes. I think fan’s initial reactions to the news of Gattuso divorcing Fiorentina were strongly impacted by the character of Gennaro Gattuso and the excitement he brought to the club. Hell, I was very excited by it. Gattuso is a man known for doing the admirable thing; giving up millions in Milan, not taking a check in Napoli to ensure his staff got paid in full, and supporting the players of OFI Crete, giving 30,000 euros to some, a few of whom had not been paid in a year. </p>
<p id="VdqmWE">From all accounts, Gennaro Gattuso is a great person with exceptional character, but even great people err too. Enter master puppeteer Geppetto, I mean Jorge Mendes. By now the picture looks clearer. After pillaging through several clubs recently, leaving them in financial ruins, Jorge latched onto (leeched onto) the genuine affection Rocco Commisso has for his fellow Calabrese. Gattuso made legitimate requests to start a project with Rocco. After some discussions there was an agreement. Prade received the list of desired players. What started off as a target list of players that Gattuso wanted, ended up in player inflation at rates even higher than what you see at your local grocery stores. </p>
<p id="OUztzy">Players were identified and negotiations started. Take Oliveira for example. Fiorentina made a fair market offer, in line with expectations from Porto. As they continued negotiations with Oliveira, they came back to find out that the cost of the player kept going up… and up… and up. Going back to the list they contacted more and more players, all of whom were clients of Mendes. Upon approach for them they found the same thing happen – inflation. </p>
<p id="O1mh2A">In sales, one of the fundamental rules of negotiation is “to never negotiate with yourself”. In Mendes’s brilliant world of business, his rule is “to always negotiate with himself”. He carefully placed himself inside with Gattuso and was negotiating both sides of these agreements, or so he thought. </p>
<p id="Et3Sz3">From what I have gathered, this isn’t only about fees and commissions. This is about a plan by Mendes to do business with himself and put more and more of his people inside of Fiorentina. In business this is called a hostile takeover. While it could have some short-term success, often it ends up in long term financial ruin that force companies to sell off their assets. And who would oversee those assets being sold off at a commissionable rate again? Yep, that Jorge Mendes.</p>
<p id="GXpf0I">Let’s look at Valencia. Valencia is in a world of hurt, finishing the 2020 season in financial ruins. In August of 2020 there was this announcement on Twitter, “The club can no longer pay the players. The financial situation looks dire. The leaders offered IOUs that the players logically refused. If no agreement is reached, the team will not be able to play any competition,”.</p>
<p id="xVqMz1">Why would a club as prestigious as Valencia face such hardships? For that you can look at <a href="https://www.transfermarkt.us/corruption-charges-against-lim-amp-mendes-prosecutors-used-tm-market-values/view/news/374820">corruption charges</a> brought against Peter Lim and Jorge Mendes to start. Going back a few years, <a href="https://www.espn.com/soccer/club/manchester-united/360/blog/post/2882084/man-united-should-be-wary-of-jorge-mendes-relationship-given-possible-conflicts">ESPN</a> put together an article on the relationship between Manchester United, Jose Mourinho and Jorge Mendes. It wasn’t complimentary.</p>
<p id="sMGMPQ">I am not connected enough to know Gattuso’s complicity in what played out nor if he came in with good intentions or not. History would suggest he is a stand-up guy. But if he is a stand-up guy and if Mendes is Geppetto that would make Gattuso Pinocchio, an analogy i am sure Gattuso wouldn’t like. The one thing I know about puppeteers is that sometimes puppets get tangled and they’ll fix it. Other times they get tangled and they just cut the strings. I hope Gattuso understands this. This ploy he and Mendes concocted to divorce themselves from Fiorentina may have gotten him a once in a lifetime shot in a large BPL club like Tottenham, but if he is not careful we may soon see Tottenham sign a £40million loan for Radamel Falcao and waste away his chances at proving how good of a coach he actually is. </p>
https://www.violanation.com/2021/6/18/22539256/how-productive-were-you-today-between-10-04am-and-2-33pmMike McCormack2021-06-17T19:36:38+02:002021-06-17T19:36:38+02:00OFFICIAL: Gattuso steps down
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<p>22 days.</p> <p id="rqWovB">In a stunning turn of events, Gennaro Gattuso and <a href="https://www.violanation.com">Fiorentina</a> have parted ways just 22 days after the World Cup winner signed on as the new Viola manager. The club released a <a href="https://www.acffiorentina.com/it/news/tutte/prima-squadra-maschile/2021-06-17/nota-acf-fiorentina">tersely-worded statement</a> confirming perhaps the biggest news in calcio over the past 24 hours.</p>
<aside id="OSfl8q"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"You’ve got to be kidding me","url":"https://www.violanation.com/fiorentina-latest-news-updates/2021/6/17/22535823/fiorentina-gennaro-gattuso-fire-quit-resign-rumor-daniele-prade-jorge-mendes"}]}'></div></aside><p id="pM7HU3">The sparsity of the language seems to confirm the rumors: that the rift between the sides developed around transfer policies and Gattuso’s agent Jorge Mendes. Specifically, Mendes was allegedly playing both sides of negotiations, looking to represent both the Tuscan team and his own clients in discussions, which allowed him to drive up fees and increase his own percentage. This led to a massive fallout with Joe Barone and the eventual split with Gattuso.</p>
<p id="EPLjez">Rino will land on his feet, as <a href="https://cartilagefreecaptain.sbnation.com">Tottenham Hotspur</a> are already linked to him. With the Premier League’s absurd finances strengthening them, they’re better able to pay the Gestifute tax, although hiring Gattuso—<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKUnGoEwlUw">who attacked Spurs assistant Joe Jordan in 2011</a>—is quite the conclusion to a coaching mess of their own, as Paulo Fonseca has just backed out of the job. This Viola episode will likely slide right off Gattuso’s back, just as his various on-field controversies have.</p>
<p id="9nu88V">Fiorentina, on the other hand, look pretty bad here. It’s no secret that bringing Jorge Mendes into your club means letting him dominate transfer policy to at least some degree: Wolves, Swansea City, and Valencia are all evidence. If the club didn’t want to work with Mendes in the long-term, ending its relationship with Gattuso was the right choice, although it feels a bit like asking for a divorce 3 weeks into a marriage rather than just, you know, not getting married in the first place.</p>
https://www.violanation.com/fiorentina-latest-news-updates/2021/6/17/22538732/official-gattuso-steps-downThe Tito2021-06-17T00:43:06+02:002021-06-17T00:43:06+02:00You’ve got to be kidding me
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<p>Chasing Rino away after just 20 days of summer vacation would complete the Viola’s descent into farce.</p> <p id="xvv9QH">Be still for a moment and listen to the world around you. No words, just ears. Do you hear that wailing and gnashing of teeth? You do? Well, it’s coming from Florence, and it’s justified. Because everyone’s heard the bombshell by now.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Gennaro Gattuso is set to leave Fiorentina with immediate effect just 20 days after he’s been appointed, confirmed. ❌ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Fiorentina?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Fiorentina</a><br><br>Problems on transfers strategy between Fiorentina board, Gattuso’s agent Jorge Mendes and Gennaro himself. They’re now working to part ways. <a href="https://t.co/iiXPKhx1uC">https://t.co/iiXPKhx1uC</a></p>— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) <a href="https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1405271422654500865?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 16, 2021</a>
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<p id="IDaY9X">Let’s be clear: this is from Fabrizio Romano, who’s generally reliable but not especially plugged into <a href="https://www.violanation.com">Fiorentina</a>. It’s also based on anonymous sources, which means there could be any number of agendas at play. Until the club or Gennaro Gattuso release a statement, we don’t know what’s happening, and it’s definitely wise to scream inside yourself until there’s confirmation from one of the parties involved.</p>
<p id="ZhFL6m">There are a couple of ways to look at this news. Perhaps this is Rino looking at the Viola org chart and deciding to stretch himself out so he can figure out where the limits of his power are. Especially if he’s been promised certain players and the club is reneging—following the reported breakdown of talks for Sergio Oliveira and Nicolás Gonzáles, that could be it—threatening to resign could be a way to see what exactly his connection with Rocco Commisso can get him.</p>
<p id="W5vJNy">Occam’s Razor, however, states that this is probably much closer to what Romano says it is. Adding the Oliveira and González situations to the news that Daniele Pradè and Joe Barone want to bring back Franck Ribery with guarantees of salary and playing time despite Gattuso’s disapproval only adds fuel to the fire.</p>
<p id="vcNQPj">Ringhio can surely find another gig elsewhere in short order, so the pressure is really on Fiorentina here to do something. Rocco’s back in the US for the next few weeks to visit family, but if this breakdown between the people running his team is real, he really needs to get on the phone with everyone and sort out what’s going on; even if Gattuso stays on, there will be a public perception of a rift, and that will only pile pressure onto everyone.</p>
<p id="xj7vlw">Gattuso, hailed as one of Italy’s best young managers, was seen as a breath of fresh air at a club that has gone dangerously stale. As a respected name in calcio and a fellow Calabrese, he seemed to have a good relationship with Rocco. If he walks away because Pradè and Barone can’t fulfill the promises they made upon signing him, it’ll set Fiorentina back years. Once you’re a laughingstock, you’re stuck with that label forever, and this is teetering on the brink of Zamparismo.</p>
<p id="pljVOL">Again, nothing here is definite, and this situation will likely take another few days to reach its conclusion; it could well be a typhoon in a teacup, and when Gattuso’s guided Fiorentina to their third straight scudetto in 2026, it’ll be the sort of thing we chuckle about. If it’s true, though, it would mark the sort of descent into incompetence that precedes relegation and full-blown rebellion from the supporters. Either way, it’s a pretty awful look, and it’s very hard to feel any excitement around this team right now.</p>
https://www.violanation.com/fiorentina-latest-news-updates/2021/6/17/22535823/fiorentina-gennaro-gattuso-fire-quit-resign-rumor-daniele-prade-jorge-mendesThe Tito2021-05-29T00:00:00+02:002021-05-29T00:00:00+02:00Friday Poll: What should Fiorentina do while everyone else is scrambling for a coach?
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<p>Getting Ringhio to sign on the dotted line so quickly feels like a massive win for the Viola, and they should enjoy it.</p> <p id="2Gm7gE">Whether or not you’re thrilled about it (and we largely are), Gennaro Gattuso is <a href="https://www.violanation.com">Fiorentina</a>’s new coach. The Viola signed him the day after the season finale, showing that sporting director Daniele Pradè and company had done their homework and were ready to go out and get their guy immediately. It’s the sort of decisive action that you associate with competently-run organizations, and it was very nice to see Fiorentina doing a competence.</p>
<p id="q1ea5R">That’s only been magnified since, as the Serie A coaching carousel has started spinning faster and faster, scattering passengers and ponies all over the place. To recap, <a href="https://www.serpentsofmadonnina.com">Inter Milan</a> nabbed Simone Inzaghi to replace Antonio Conte, <a href="https://www.blackwhitereadallover.com">Juventus</a> sacked Andrea Pirlo after just a year and brought back Max Allegri, Napoli are moving for Luciano Spalletti to replace Ringhio, Ivan Jurić blew up at the media on route to Torino, Roberto De Zerbi left Sassuolo for Shakhtar Donetsk, Claudio Ranieri’s done at Sampdoria, Bologna’s Siniša Mihajlović and Spezia’s Vincenzo Italiano have been linked with various jobs, and on and on and on. When the dust settles, Gian Piero Gasperini and Stefano Pioli may be the only returning head coaches in the league next year.</p>
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<p id="32ULeS">Here’s your weekend thread. Stay loose.</p>
https://www.violanation.com/2021/5/29/22457666/friday-poll-what-should-fiorentina-do-while-everyone-else-is-scrambling-for-a-coach-weekend-threadThe Tito2021-05-26T12:00:00+02:002021-05-26T12:00:00+02:00What to expect from Gattuso’s Fiorentina
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<p>It’s way too early to predict how Ringhio will approach this Viola conundrum for next year, but that won’t stop us from making some guesses.</p> <p id="Mbhbkj">By now, everyone knows that Gennaro Gattuso is <a href="https://www.violanation.com">Fiorentina</a>’s new manager. While some folks are more excited than others, the fact that the Viola went out and got their man the day after the end of a disappointing season can only inspire confidence amongst the supporters.</p>
<p id="uXWTkX">So how will Rino line up the side next year? That’s the trillion lira question, especially since the word is that club owner Rocco Commisso and sporting director Daniele Pradè promised some serious movement in the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/transfer-rumors">transfer window</a> this summer. With Nikola Milenković almost certain to leave and a host of other important players—Germán Pezzella, Bartłomiej Drągowski, Dušan Vlahović, Erick Pulgar, Franck Ribery—looking at uncertain Viola futures, it’s hard to predict what exactly the team will look like.</p>
<p id="EfGU0w">We’ll obviously have a much better idea once the preseason camp opens, of course, but Gattuso’s recent history does give us a few decent ideas of what to expect. With the eternal caveat that the mercato could change everything, here are five things that we’re pretty sure we’ll see from this group next year.</p>
<h1 id="41Y02o">1. The return of four at the back.</h1>
<p id="PNUhyp">Under Vincenzo Montella and Giuseppe Iachini, Fiorentina have mostly played a back three. Cesare Prandelli switched that for a moment, but we haven’t seen four defenders since Stefano Pioli was in charge. While Gattuso initially favored 3-defender systems, he’s used 4 almost exclusively since late 2015, when he was in charge of Pisa.</p>
<p id="cvjsBD">Assuming he continues that 5-year trend, Fiorentina have a lot of really interesting combinations in the heart of defense. Germán Pezzella looked washed for much of this year, but he’s only 29 and should have plenty of good years left. He’s always looked most comfortable as the deeper of a pairing, struggling a bit when asked to step forward to track a deep-lying striker. </p>
<p id="4AEDlq">Lucas Martínez Quarta complements that approach perfectly, as his energy and proactivity both with and without the ball could allow Pezze to focus on sweeping up. Igor’s another great option, as he’s left-footed and also great on the ball while offering a bit more discipline than LMQ. The Brazilian might be even better as a leftback, where he and Cristiano Biraghi could alternate on a game-by-game basis. On the right, Lorenzo Venuti’s solid enough but may be better suited to a backup role, although he may have earned the right to spend a year as the starter. While there’s certainly room to expand the options at the back, the cupboard is far from bare for Gattuso.</p>
<h1 id="RKd0Lo">2. A high-intensity approach without the ball.</h1>
<p id="x17b72">While Gattuso’s far from the blood-and-thunder, death-or-glory maniac that his detractors have accused him of being, his teams are quite active without the ball. Napoli were first in 2019-2020 and third in 2020-2021 in attacking third pressures, indicating a desire to hunt the ball in the opponent’s half. Their pressing numbers are much less impressive in the middle and defensive thirds, largely because they 1) had the ball so often themselves that they rarely needed to go win it back, and 2) because they recovered it so frequently due to their own high press.</p>
<p id="KCgX2E">In 2019-2020, Fiorentina were actually sixth in attacking third pressures, but they dropped to just sixteenth in 2020-2021. A lot of that is Iachini’s influence, as he’s always wanted his teams to sit off and maintain their shape rather than counterpress. Especially this past year, when such a passive approach didn’t solidify the defense, it makes sense to try the opposite thing.</p>
<p id="oXPgJx">The squad also suits a high-energy approach. Gaetano Castrovilli, Sofyan Amrabat, and Pulgar are all superb at pressing; all three have placed in Serie A’s top 10 for pressing actions in the past 2 seasons. Igor and LMQ have the pace to play a high line as well (although Pezzella’s always looked more anxious the farther from goal he gets), and Venuti’s occasionally brilliant at closing down up the pitch. This squad has the players to attack opponents without the ball, and that should suit Gattuso just fine.</p>
<h1 id="XqP3hq">3. Wingers, which will be crazy to see again.</h1>
<p id="ocClgf">It’s weird for a club that’s produced Federico Bernardeschi, Federico Chiesa, and Riccardo Sottil in short order, but Fiorentina haven’t used real wingers in years. Both Montella and Iachini favored a 3-5-2, which left wide attackers shoehorned in as either wingbacks or strikers. Chiesa never looked quite natural at either, while Sottil was obviously miscast as the former.</p>
<p id="MF2ujQ">Gattuso, though, likes width up the pitch. While he’s occasionally whipped out a 4-3-1-2 system, the vast majority of his games have involved wingers. He seems to particularly like inverting them to allow their fullbacks to overlap, which feels very modern and thus very out of place for Fiorentina these days; take a look at what he did with Lorenzo Insigne and, more importantly, Chucky Lozano in Naples, turning the Mexican into a genuine menace after a rough start to his Italian career.</p>
<p id="uC9Zor">The Viola, however, really lack those kinds of players. Sottil feels like a natural fit here, assuming he returns from Cagliari, and should be just the sort of player Gattuso’s gotten the best from before. Castrovilli could also start on the left wing, where he played with Cremonese for 2 years. Beyond that, though, the squad lacks wingers outside of Tòfol Montiel, who’s clearly done something unforgivable and won’t ever play in Florence. That should be the biggest area of focus for Fiorentina’s recruitment this summer, with at least a couple of new faces incoming.</p>
<h1 id="HdB7ZD">4. A united and cohesive squad.</h1>
<p id="sXkP04">I put this point in the least impressive spot in a 5 item list for a reason: it’s just extremely reductive. Gattuso’s proven to be more than just a shouty motivator. While he was, at the start of his career, a pretty limited tactician, he’s shown some nous recently, making some clever in-game adjustments for the Partenopei.</p>
<p id="3MtY2V">Too, it’s often a hallmark of lazy journalism to accuse players of not trying or of quitting on a manager. Unless you’re watching their daily interactions, it’s a bit absurd to psychoanalyze these professionals whose careers have revolved around giving maximum effort at all times for decades. However, the reports of the players having some sort of issue with Prandelli sure seems like the natural result of years without any organizational accountability, with players and personnel seeming content to coast.</p>
<p id="JdmW7y">Gattuso was originally a bit of a pushover at <a href="https://acmilan.theoffside.com">AC Milan</a>, refusing to criticize management for failing to provide him with reinforcements. At Napoli, though, he’s come into his own, reportedly locking horns with Aurelio di Laurentiis as he demands backing in the transfer market. He’s also shown a willingness to bench underperforming stars, most notably Dries Mertens. That sort of forceful enthusiasm should help him reshape the culture at Fiorentina considerably, and that’s perhaps the most important thing he could do.</p>
<h1 id="AB2sTA">5. More flexibility than you might expect.</h1>
<p id="vL1UuL">I’ve mentioned it a couple of times previously, but Ringhio isn’t just some rube who’s stumbled into well set up teams and told them to keep doing what they do. Sure, he’s kept the basic principles of his predecessors intact, but that’s more due to the fact that the squads at his disposal were suited to those tactics. Napoli, for example, are designed to keep the ball ticking around the park quickly, combine in the half spaces, and shoot from distance.</p>
<p id="aMEbyk">It makes sense that he’d encourage his players to do what they’re used to and what they’re good at, but it’s also worth pointing out that he’s got a trick or two up his sleeve. Whether that’s having a central defender take goal kicks short to the goalkeeper to provide more options when building from deep; rotating his tridente to form a 4-3-1-2 with Insigne as a striker; or tilting his midfield between a 4-2-3-1 and a 4-3-3, he’s demonstrated a willingness to adapt both in training and in games.</p>
<p id="NawJL2">It’s hard to predict how that’ll shake out with Fiorentina, largely because we don’t know how he’ll view Castrovilli and any new signings. Gattuso’s increased tactical flexibility, though, is encouraging. It makes sense that he’d get better at managing a team as he does it longer, and that’s largely been his trajectory so far. It’s also encouraging that he’s willing to look at what other teams are doing (that goal kick tactic) and follow suite if it makes sense. He’s not going to be Pep Guardiola and change shape for every opponent, but he’ll be a lot more adaptable than Beppe ever was.</p>
https://www.violanation.com/2021/5/26/22453695/fiorentina-gennaro-gattuso-new-manager-tactics-predictionThe Tito2021-05-25T17:19:33+02:002021-05-25T17:19:33+02:00OFFICIAL: Gennaro Gattuso is Fiorentina’s next manager
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<p>The Viola land their first choice, and the promise of a summer revolution follows. </p> <p id="oTvhfd">The Gennaro Gattuso to <a href="https://www.violanation.com">Fiorentina</a> rumors were quite the rollercoaster. Two weeks ago, he <a href="https://www.violanation.com/fiorentina-transfer-rumors-news-reports/2021/5/11/22430598/fiorentina-gennaro-gattuso-new-coach-manager-napoli-giuseppe-iachiniiii">was seen as a near guarantee for the Viola bench.</a> Then came news that he had rejected the Viola and was heavily considering Lazio. Even last night, a betting man would have seen Paulo Fonseca as the likeliest option to be Fiorentina’s new mister. However, in Calcio anything can happen in the blink of an eye, and that was once again proven today. Various journalists began reporting that the Fiorentina upper brass had begun a final intense push to lock up Gattuso after talks stalled with the Biancocelesti, and they succeeded. While no official contract length has been announced, various rumors seemed to agree on a two-year deal, potentially with the option for a third.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Welcome Gattuso ⚜️<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ForzaViola?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ForzaViola</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Fiorentina?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Fiorentina</a> <a href="https://t.co/42wWlCqt1y">pic.twitter.com/42wWlCqt1y</a></p>— ACF Fiorentina English (@ACFFiorentinaEN) <a href="https://twitter.com/ACFFiorentinaEN/status/1397201547289845766?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2021</a>
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<p id="LlcNEN">There are many reasons why this is a very exciting move for Fiorentina, and I’ll start with the most obvious: Fiorentina got their guy. Love or hate Gattuso, he has been Rocco’s #1 choice for months, even over managers with a higher pedigree such as Maurizio Sarri. This is a welcome change of pace from the Fiorentina of years past, who may have settled on a different option or given up altogether after Gattuso wavered two weeks ago. Instead, Rocco himself led the charge to lock up the manager that he wanted, and the Viola have all the pieces in place to fully back their new manager. </p>
<p id="FxZkzx">Speaking of backing, that’s another reason this move should excite every Viola fan. Through various sales, Fiorentina will have a war chest of over €100,000,000 to spend this summer without even needing to dip into Rocco’s Mediacom coffers. All reporting on the Gattuso to Fiorentina front has said that Gattuso wanted many technical guarantees (such as Dusan Vlahovic staying!) were he to take the job. Rocco has obviously accepted, and now a market frenzy will happen this summer. We have plenty of time this summer to go into more details about who we expect the Viola to buy and sell, but every fan should be buzzing at the prospect of a squad overhaul this summer, with a young and energetic manager who knows Serie A well. </p>
<p id="I6Onvg">Finally, Fiorentina now has a new catch-phrase. Thanks, Rino!</p>
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<p id="Z6IHkp">I’ll leave this short for now, but as I said I’m extremely excited- and you should be too. Fiorentina has been a club stuck in the mud the last few seasons, and Gattuso is just the man to come in and provide some enthusiasm while shaking up various front-office dynamics. Forza Viola!! </p>
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https://www.violanation.com/fiorentina-latest-news-updates/2021/5/25/22453008/official-gennaro-gattuso-is-fiorentinas-next-managerBen Lualdi2021-05-21T19:01:04+02:002021-05-21T19:01:04+02:00Friday Poll: Fonseca or Gattuso?
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<p>Which of the two favorites for the Viola bench do you prefer?</p> <p id="IiTuMZ"> At this point, we are in crunch time for the decision of who the next <a href="https://www.violanation.com">Fiorentina</a> manager will be. It’s hard to understate how important this decision will be for not just Fiorentina’s future but also for the popularity of Rocco Commisso’s ownership among the fanbase. Whoever the next manager will be, results will be expected quickly. </p>
<p id="e3Amrz"> Just over an hour ago, Gianluca Di Marzio confirmed what we all know. <a href="https://www.violanation.com/fiorentina-transfer-rumors-news-reports/2021/5/11/22430598/fiorentina-gennaro-gattuso-new-coach-manager-napoli-giuseppe-iachiniiii">Gennaro Gattuso</a> will either accept or reject Commisso’s offer early next week, and if rejected the Viola brass would turn to <a href="https://www.violanation.com/fiorentina-transfer-rumors-news-reports/2021/5/20/22251319/reports-paulo-fonseca-is-willing-to-coach-fiorentina">Paulo Fonseca</a> as plan B. Given Di Marzio’s reputation and all the other news out there, I’m willing to accept this as true. </p>
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<p lang="it" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Fiorentina?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Fiorentina</a> | Da <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gattuso?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Gattuso</a> a <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Fonseca?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Fonseca</a>, il punto sulla panchina viola<a href="https://t.co/wMIyND9cQp">https://t.co/wMIyND9cQp</a></p>— Gianluca Di Marzio (@DiMarzio) <a href="https://twitter.com/DiMarzio/status/1395763845180936194?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 21, 2021</a>
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<p id="q8zblr">What I want to know is, which one would you prefer? <a href="https://www.violanation.com/2021/4/30/22408073/friday-poll-fiorentina-manager-roberto-de-zerbi-gennaro-gattuso-weekend-thread">Gattuso was beaten soundly</a> in a poll against Roberto De Zerbi just two weeks ago, but his stock has only continued to rise amid reported interest from Lazio and <a href="https://www.blackwhitereadallover.com">Juventus</a>. In addition, Rocco seems willing to back Gattuso in a way different than Fonseca: Gattuso has been Rocco’s first choice manager for months. Or, does Fonseca’s tactical superiority win you over against Rino? Let me know below. </p>
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https://www.violanation.com/2021/5/21/22447633/friday-poll-fonseca-or-gattusoBen Lualdi