Fiorentina 2 Juventus 1
Juve defender Banucci surely made an error in saying this was only another match for his team. For la Viola it is the game of the season, an opportunity to set right the penalty awarded and scored by Liam Brady at Catanzaro and the one denied to us at Cagliari that presented the 1981 scudetto to the Turin outfit: the sale of Baggio and having to play matches at Avellino, a Juve stronghold. Juve, with 6 scudetti in a row, are a formidable team. They have the Italian defence, Khedira and Marchisio bossing the midfield and Higuain up front. They are not far behind the giants of Champions League soccer – Bayern, Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Fiorentina’s owners the Dalle Valle brothers who own Mr Tod shoes are criticised for their lack of ambition and being mean in the transfer market. Our jewel is Federico Bernardeschi who has scored 9 times this season. The curva Fiesole did a choreograph of the legendary Antognoni now appointed to the board and Bernardeschi is his heir apparent and stands alongside Di Sisti, Baggio, Rui Costa as one of the midfield greats. Another young Federico, Chiesa, is the son of Enrico who played in the same Parma side as Juve stalwart Gigi Buffon.
John Pargiter messaged and I advised him that at less than evens he should lay (bet against) Juve. La viola are always a formidable team at the Artemio Franchi and in a febrile atmosphere the referee might just over look the odd foul. In fact he refereed well and fairly though Juve did complain. We were the first to get going and Badelj, Vicino and Borja Valero won the midfield battle whilst Kalinic, the subject of a 45m euro bid from China, Chiesa and Bernardeshi looked dangerous offensively. It was no surprise when Kalinic clipped the ball past Buffon for us to take the lead. In the second half the cross from Badelj might have had the merest of touches from Chiesa who undoubtedly deceived Buffon as the cross eluded him. 2-0. Although Higuian pulled one back the Viola, fortified by the crowd, more than hung to achieve a memorable victory and stop the Juve juggernaut.
I always try to make a comparison to the Premier League and I see similarities between Tottenham and Fiorentina. Both had their best days in the fifties and early sixties and were the first sides from their country to win a European trophy, the old Cup Winners Cup. Spurs’ project is based on exciting young players like Alli, Dier and Fiorentina have Bernardeschi and Chiesa. It’s increasingly hard to compete with the big boys in the market but developing along the lines of youth is one way of doing so. Fiorentina and Spurs fans have to manage their expectations but beating Juve (or Arsenal) always helps.
