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Following the departure of Federico Bernardeschi, there’s a hole in Viola fans’ hearts and Federico Chiesa is ready to fill it.
Son of Enrico Chiesa, Federico made his debut against Juventus way back on opening day last season. It was just the beginning of what would be scintillating debut season in Serie A. Chiesa born in Genoa began his youth career with Settignanese in Tuscany before making the switch to Florence.
The 16/17 season was a poor one for so many reasons. However, Chiesa was arguably the greatest revelation of the season. He plays the game like a kid in the park, he has an abundance of energy which is so contagious it drives the whole team forwards. Chiesa is a very direct winger and his determination is one of his greatest assets. Also, his ability to beat a man which is such a good trait to have as a winger, why he can be a nightmare at times for full backs. Chiesa also has an eye for goal, he scored three goals and added another three assists across all competitions.
What Chiesa can improve upon is his defensive mindset, he needs to learn the other part of the game and with Pioli opting to play full backs opposed to Paulo Sousa’s system, he will need to work in tandem with most likely Bruno Gaspar and make sure the Brazilian isn't isolated. This something that takes time and with Chiesa still a teenager it seems almost harsh to make him do the dirty work, you just want him to roam free and attack. However, if he wants to be a complete winger he will need to master both sides of the game.
He’s got immense talent and this sadly come with transfer rumors, with the likes of Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund, Napoli and Manchester United all being credited with interest.
Federico will no doubt will have a more important role in the team and that comes with added pressures. Although he just needs to keep doing what he does best and now one of the key players in the team he is bound to add more goals and assists to his name. He’s without a doubt the focal point of Fiorentina this season.