2020-2021 End-of-year grades: Goalkeepers

Bartłomiej Drągowski

What happened: The Polish international was the main reason Fiorentina will be blessed with Serie A football again next season. His heroics in goal can not be understated, he was simply magnificent. His large frame enables to him to reach shots he has no business saving but also allows him to save quite a few penalties a season. On top of that, he often makes double and triple saves which is simply absurd. As the season progressed he got more and more vocal and really started to emerge as a force on the backline.

Final stats: 36 appearances, 55 goals conceded, 8 clean sheets, 2 penalty saves, and one glorious beard.

Best moment: There were a lot of great highlights this season for the young Pole, but the recent fixture against Lazio really stands out. Could be recency bias or the fact that win all but secured salvation for the Viola, but he was immense. Only credited with three saves, but they were all massive ones at that. Even thwarted Ciro Immobile on a few offside chances as well. As a goalkeeper there are some games where you feel like you can save everything and no matter what shots come your way, you can’t be be beaten. That had to be the feeling for Bart in that Lazio game.

What’s next: The rumor mill is hard at work with Bart being linked to a number of the bigger European sides. The rumor with the most legs seems to be that he will be on his way to Borussia Dortmund for a measly €10-12m this summer. BVB offered €10m and Fiorentina is said to be asking closer to €15m so it shouldn’t be too much of a negotiation. If this is the end for Bart’s run in Florence, we are so grateful for all he’s given us. It’s a shame the rest of the team didn’t play up to his level or else this team could’ve been scary good.

Final grade: A-. There just wasn’t any player on the roster who came remotely close to having as profound of an impact on the club this season. If Fiorentina doesn’t have him in front of the old onion bag there is a high percentage chance we would playing the likes of Monza and Cittadella next season. While he excels aerially, in 1-v-1’s, and on penalties, his distribution leaves a bit to be desired. Given Gattuso’s penchant for building out of the back you can see why Fiorentina may want to cash in now. It’s easy to overlook the lackluster distribution when he’s making otherworldly saves, but in order to fully buy-in to Rino’s system, it MUST start at the back. Vlahović will get a lot of the plaudits (and rightfully so), but if you ask me (which you are by reading this article), Bart was La Viola’s MVP this season.

Pietro Terracciano

What happened: Pietro once again solidified himself as one of the best backups in Serie A with success in limited appearances. He took part in all three of Fiorentina’s Coppa Italia games, two of which went a full 120 minutes. In addition to the Coppa, he played four times in Serie A both off the bench and as a starter. When he does play he doesn’t produce the heroics of Drągowski, but he is super reliable. He plays a very safe game and always seems to be in charge of the troops. He had the unfortunate privilege of playing vs. AC Milan and Napoli but was able to snag two clean sheets off of Cagliari and Crotone.

Final stats: 7 appearances (3 in the Coppa and 4 in Serie A), 5 goals conceded, 3 clean sheets, and 1 penalty save.

Best moment: The best moment for Terracciano came on the final match of the season against the relegated Crotone. While the game itself was pretty awful and had the pace of a turtle, the Fiorentina number two made three saves en route to a clean sheet. There weren’t many to choose from because of how good Bart was, but finishing the season on a semi-high note was nice.

What’s next: I doubt he’ll go anywhere this summer and will most likely remain Fiorentina’s backup custodian and Coppa Italia specialist. I wouldn’t be surprised if Gattuso brings Ospina or Meret over from Napoli as they already have a really good idea of how his system is to be played. There are a ton of great young options in Serie A like Cragno, Musso, and Audero so there will be no shortage or replacements for The Dragon. However, if we end up rocking with Pietro as our number one, that would honestly be fine with me. If he’s given some consistent playing time I think he could rise to the occasion and surprise some people.

Final grade: B-. Three clean sheets in seven appearances is nothing to scoff at and is pretty impressive given how sporadic his minutes were. He’s always been the consummate professional cheering from the bench and giving his all when called upon. I can’t remember a backup I’ve enjoyed having more than Terracciano. Overall he was very solid and capable in his limited exposure.