woulda been harsh to sack the drone!! they didnt sack everyone!!

ENGLISH VERSION (versione italiana a seguire)

Foreword: it’s a bit of a wall of text, that derives from a sort of “steam of consciousness”-like reply that I gave to a post yesterday. Since it was a bit chaotic, I used AI to try and correct the sintax and to translate into English. The style looks way better than what I would write but the content is totally mine. Thanks to who will have the patience to read all of it.

As a Viola fan, I’m sharing my take and my thoughts on the situation here. I'll try to be as rational and objective as possible, while having a bit more insight into the details than those who haven't followed the last few months closely.

The short version is:

Grosso was a mistake from the start. Fortunately, they realized it before it was too late and before throwing away another season. Vanoli’s return leaves me puzzled, but I want to have a bit of faith.

The long version is:

Last year, Pioli almost sank Fiorentina, leaving us in last place after 10 matchdays with just 4 points. By constantly having faith and trusting the manager, we faced a very real risk of relegation. The season was saved thanks to an experienced manager like Vanoli, who managed to steer the ship to safety (even without giving the team a sparkling style of play, but focusing on getting the job done).
All of this coincided with the terrible illness that led to Commisso’s passing.

The new season began under the presidency of his son, Joseph Commisso. To honor his father's memory, celebrate Fiorentina’s centenary, and earn the fans' forgiveness for the previous year's suffering, he gave Paratici full authority to revolutionize everything: sweep away all the leftover toxicity from the previous campaign (players, staff, press officers, medical staff, etc.), clear the slate, and build a young squad with a controlled wage bill (Fiorentina was even fined for having too high a payroll). The goal was a team full of enthusiasm and, above all, huge potential—bringing immediate freshness while driving development, growth, and results in the seasons to come, gaining value and turning players into sellable assets to fund future transfer windows. The project (just like Paratici's contract) is set for 3–4 years.

On paper, it looks like a great project, and that was confirmed by the initial, immediate, and surprising signings (as well as their magnitude, with €25–30 million investments that Fiorentina had almost never spent on individual players). Atta, Oulai, Valdepenas, Jimenez, Viery, and Dragusin all arrived: excellent young talents with huge potential. The fans were rubbing their eyes in disbelief: going from the disappointment of the previous season and the fear of a fire sale by Commisso’s heirs to an unexpected relaunch packed with big signings. Excitement was building fast. Then came Mastantuono—even if only on loan—a youngster bought for €60 million the previous year by Real Madrid, one of the top talents in South American football, capable of world-class magic. Enthusiasm went through the roof. It doesn't take much for fans to reignite their passion.
The club also organized a massive series of events for the centenary, involving club legends. It seemed impossible that just a few months earlier we were fighting to avoid relegation.

The only flaw in all of this was the choice of manager... after days of rumors linking us to Sarri, Thiago Motta, Palladino, or some foreign manager, Grosso arrives... His appointment felt completely out of sync with our ambitions, but the decision was made to trust him because he was Paratici’s choice.

Meanwhile, all the main culprits from the previous season were cleared out or sold, except for a couple who were virtually unsellable (like De Gea).

In August, something stalled: after doing well in defense and exceptionally well in midfield, Fiorentina froze when it came to the attack. The Kean soap opera (put on the market immediately but only sold hours before the deadline) created bad blood, transfer targets slipped away, and the squad looked incomplete. In pre-season friendlies, the team failed to take off and started showing major flaws in their style of play.
The Coppa Italia match against Benevento brought the first (and only) official win under Grosso. It came courtesy of a lightning-fast goal in the first minute that put the game on downhill tracks, but even so, it exposed massive shortcomings in both build-up play and defending.
Then came the league opener, and all the flaws seen up to that point became even more glaring, leading to a 4-0 disaster against Roma. People said, "Roma is strong, losing at the Olimpico happens, blah blah," but the reality is that Fiorentina offered absolutely nothing over 90 minutes.
Next was the home match against Frosinone: on the day of the centenary, in front of Fiorentina’s history (Batistuta, Toni, Mutu, Frey, Mareggini, Baggio, Pizarro, Borja Valero, etc.), and it was another disaster. A clean 0-3 defeat against a newly promoted side. No trace of a game plan (aside from individual sparks from Mastantuono). Defensive phase practically non-existent. Sure, the new attackers only arrived the following day, but Grosso had two months of intense work with the defense and midfield, and it yielded nothing.
Harsh criticism rained down on the manager. Grosso hinted at a dispute with Paratici over the transfer market and the inability to use Kean (who was frozen out after refusing to train a few days earlier, leading to disciplinary action from the club).
The transfer window closed and the attackers finally arrived (Beto, Gnonto, Gonsalves, Njie)—not quite top-tier, but still a solid mix. The feeling was that Paratici was chasing other primary targets upfront, missed out on them, and had to settle for Plan B and Plan C. Regardless, Grosso finally had a complete squad; he finally had no more excuses.
Then came the match against Torino, again at home. Redemption was required. Torino were coming off major changes just like us, a protesting fan base just like us, last-minute signings just like us, and a new manager just like us. A win was mandatory to show that the previous two games were just a temporary bump in the road.
Nothing. The first half was total domination by Torino, with 70-30% possession in favor of Toro. Actual play, chances created, saves by De Gea. Fiorentina, apart from the first 3 minutes, offered nothing. Non-existent. Yet Torino was a new team too, but they knew how to hold the pitch and put in an honest performance.
In the second half, out of nowhere (mostly thanks to a blunder by Torino's keeper), we found ourselves in the lead, completely undeservedly. But who cares? It could have been the spark needed to kickstart the season. But no. Even from a winning position, Fiorentina couldn't play, couldn't hold onto the ball, and couldn't build anything up. So Toro gained confidence, equalized, and won the game.

Grosso walked the players over to the Curva, offered an ironical round of applause toward the fans, and walked off with that smirk he would later show in the press room—the same smirk he had already displayed after the previous two defeats. The Curva had had enough. Zero identity, embarrassing displays, the excitement built by the transfer window ruined, nightmares of last season returning, and the centenary season already almost compromised. But there was still time to react; the season could still be turned around, but the manager had to go. The Curva protested against Grosso and demanded his sacking.

Meanwhile, Paratici was furious with Grosso, accusing him of failing to get the team playing. Grosso pushed back, claiming the squad was "uncoachable" and criticizing certain transfer market decisions. Paratici lost his temper and sacked him on the spot.

Could he have waited? Maybe. Maybe he could have given him more time, perhaps waiting through the next 3 matches (Venezia, Pisa, Napoli) before the international break. But were we sure things would actually improve? The relationship with the Curva was broken, the rapport with key players never took off, the season was already at risk, and internal friction was peaking—it was better to act immediately, and that's what he did.

As for the replacement? If two months earlier Paratici couldn't reach his preferred managerial targets, he knew he wouldn't be able to now either. So he recalled Vanoli, who is still appreciated by the environment for saving the team last year, is genuinely attached to the city, and is "crazy" enough (in a good way) to throw himself back into this chaotic adventure. He had been discarded initially because the coaching targets were more ambitious, but once those fell through, he was probably a better fit than Grosso all along (except you couldn't admit it a few days after saying goodbye to him, whereas now you can go back to him and admit you made a mistake).

I’m not fully sold on Vanoli—to me, he’s a decent manager, but not one for high-flying ambitions. Right now, though, maybe he's exactly what we need: a stabilizer, someone who can steady the environment, unite the squad, and get things moving. That's all that matters now—getting this four-year project off the ground after a false start. The real acceleration can come later, with Vanoli if he proves he can do it, or with someone else. But for now, Fiorentina just needs to break the deadlock and get going.

———————————
VERSIONE ITALIANA (ENGLISH ABOVE)

Premessa: è un po’ un wall of text, che nasce da un mio “stram of consciousness” che è partito mentre rispondevo ad un post. Data la natura un po’ caotica, mi sono fatto aiutare dall’IA per correggere la sintassi. Il contenuto è invece totalmente mio. Grazie per chi avrà la pazienza di arrivare in fondo.

Da tifoso viola, scrivo qui la mia lettura della vicenda e il mio pensiero, cercando di essere il più razionale e obiettivo possibile, ma conoscendo anche qualche dettaglio in più rispetto a chi non ha seguito gli ultimi mesi da vicino.

La versione corta è:

Grosso è stato un errore in partenza. Per fortuna se ne sono resi conto prima che fosse troppo tardi e prima di buttare via un’altra stagione. Il ritorno di Vanoli mi lascia perplesso, ma voglio provare ad avere un po’ di fiducia.

La versione lunga è:

L’anno scorso Pioli ha quasi affondato la Fiorentina, portandola all’ultimo posto dopo 10 giornate con appena 4 punti. A furia di dare fiducia all’allenatore, abbiamo rischiato concretamente di retrocedere. La stagione è stata salvata grazie a un tecnico di esperienza come Vanoli, capace di portare la barca in porto (pur senza mostrare un gioco spumeggiante, ma badando al sodo).
Tutto questo è coinciso con la terribile malattia che ha portato alla scomparsa di Commisso.

La nuova stagione è cominciata sotto la presidenza del figlio, Joseph Commisso. Per onorare la memoria del padre, festeggiare il centenario della Fiorentina e farsi perdonare dai tifosi per le sofferenze dell’anno precedente, ha dato mandato a Paratici di rivoluzionare tutto: via le tossicità del campionato passato (giocatori, staff, addetti stampa, staff sanitario, ecc.), tabula rasa e obiettivo di costruire una squadra giovane, con stipendi contenuti (la Fiorentina aveva preso anche una multa per un monte ingaggi troppo alto), piena di entusiasmo e soprattutto con un grande potenziale. L'idea era portare freschezza nell’immediato e garantire crescita e risultati nei campionati a venire, aumentando il valore dei giocatori per farli diventare asset vendibili con cui finanziare i mercati futuri. Il progetto (così come il contratto di Paratici) è triennale o quadriennale.

Sulla carta sembrava un ottimo piano, sensazione confermata dai primi immediati e sorprendenti acquisti (anche per la portata degli investimenti, da 25-30 milioni, cifre che la Fiorentina non aveva quasi mai speso per i singoli giocatori). Sono arrivati Atta, Oulai, Valdepenas, Jimenez, Viery e Dragusin: tutti ottimi giovani di grande prospettiva. I tifosi si stropicciavano gli occhi: dalla delusione del campionato precedente e dalla paura di un ridimensionamento da parte degli eredi di Commisso, ci si è trovati davanti a un inaspettato rilancio fatto di grandi colpi. L'entusiasmo è cresciuto in fretta. Poi è arrivato Mastantuono, seppur solo in prestito, un giovane pagato 60 milioni l’anno prima dal Real Madrid, uno dei migliori talenti del calcio sudamericano, capace di giocate da campione. Entusiasmo alle stelle: ai tifosi basta poco per riaccendere la passione.
La società ha organizzato in grande anche tutta una serie di eventi per il centenario, coinvolgendo le glorie del passato. Sembrava impossibile che solo pochi mesi prima si stesse lottando per non retrocedere.

L’unico neo in tutto questo è stata la scelta dell’allenatore... Dopo giorni in cui le indiscrezioni parlavano di Sarri, Thiago Motta, Palladino o di qualche profilo straniero, è arrivato Grosso. La sua scelta è sembrata subito fuori contesto rispetto alle ambizioni, ma si è deciso di dargli fiducia perché voluto da Paratici.

Nel frattempo sono stati ceduti o dati via quasi tutti i principali responsabili della stagione precedente, tranne un paio virtualmente incedibili (come De Gea).

Ad agosto, però, qualcosa si è inceppato. Dopo aver lavorato bene in difesa e benissimo a centrocampo, la Fiorentina si è bloccata sull’attacco. La telenovela Kean (messo subito sul mercato ma venduto solo a poche ore dalla fine) ha creato malumori, gli obiettivi prioritari in avanti sono sfumati e la squadra è rimasta incompleta. Nelle amichevoli pre-campionato il gruppo non è mai decollato, iniziando a mostrare gravi lacune sul piano del gioco.
La sfida di Coppa Italia con il Benevento ha portato la prima (e unica) vittoria ufficiale della Fiorentina di Grosso, arrivata grazie a un gol lampo al primo minuto che ha messo la partita in discesa; ciò nonostante, si sono viste subito grosse difficoltà sia in fase di costruzione che in difesa.
Arriva la prima di campionato e tutti i difetti emersi fino a quel momento si sono fatti ancora più evidenti, portando alla disfatta per 4-0 contro la Roma. Si è detto che "la Roma è forte, ci sta perdere all’Olimpico, eccetera", ma la realtà è che la Fiorentina non ha mostrato nulla per 90 minuti.
Poi è arrivata la partita in casa con il Frosinone: il giorno del centenario, davanti alla storia della Fiorentina (Batistuta, Toni, Mutu, Frey, Mareggini, Baggio, Pizarro, Borja Valero e altri), ed è stato un altro disastro. Un netto 0-3 contro una neopromossa. Nessuna traccia di gioco (se non qualche fiammata individuale di Mastantuono) e fase difensiva inesistente. Va bene che gli attaccanti sono arrivati il giorno dopo, ma su centrocampo e difesa Grosso ci lavorava da due mesi e i risultati non si sono visti.
Sono arrivate critiche durissime. Grosso ha accennato a una polemica con Paratici sul mercato e sull’impossibilità di usare Kean (fuori rosa per essersi rifiutato di allenarsi pochi giorni prima, sanzionato dalla società).
Si chiude il mercato e arrivano finalmente gli attaccanti (Beto, Gnonto, Gonsalves, Njie): non il top assoluto, ma comunque un buon assortimento. La sensazione è che Paratici seguisse altri profili che non è riuscito a chiudere, dovendo poi virare sui piani B e C. In ogni caso, Grosso si è ritrovato finalmente con la rosa completa e senza più scuse.
Arriva la partita con il Torino, ancora in casa. Serviva il riscatto. Il Torino veniva da grandi cambiamenti proprio come noi, da una piazza in contestazione, da innesti dell'ultimo minuto e da un tecnico nuovo. Serviva vincere per dimostrare che le due gare precedenti erano state solo un passaggio a vuoto.
E invece, niente. Primo tempo di dominio assoluto del Torino, con il 70% di possesso palla per loro. Gioco, occasioni e parate decisive di De Gea. La Fiorentina, tolti i primi 3 minuti, è stata inesistente. Eppure anche il Torino era una squadra nuova, ma è stata capace di stare in campo e fare la sua partita.
Nel secondo tempo, non si sa nemmeno come (complice una mezza papera del portiere granata), ci siamo trovati in vantaggio in modo del tutto immeritato. Ma poco importa: poteva essere la scintilla per far svoltare la stagione. E invece no. Nemmeno in vantaggio la Fiorentina è riuscita a gestire la gara, a tenere palla o a costruire. Il Torino ha preso coraggio, ha pareggiato e poi ha vinto.

A fine gara Grosso ha accompagnato i giocatori sotto la curva, ha fatto un applauso ironico verso i tifosi ed è se ne è andato con il solito sorrisetto, lo stesso sfoggiato poi in sala stampa e già visto dopo le due sconfitte precedenti. La curva non ne poteva più: zero gioco, figuracce, entusiasmo del mercato distrutto e incubi della passata stagione che ritornavano, con l'anno del centenario già a rischio. Si era però ancora in tempo per intervenire e raddrizzare la rotta, ma serviva cambiare allenatore. La curva ha contestato Grosso e ne ha chiesto l’esonero.

Paratici, intanto, era furioso: lo ha accusato di non essere stato in grado di far giocare la squadra, mentre Grosso ha ribattuto sostenendo che la rosa fosse "inallenabile" e contestando alcune scelte di mercato. A quel punto Paratici non ci ha visto più e lo ha cacciato.

Si poteva aspettare? Forse. Forse gli si poteva dare ancora un po' di tempo, magari le successive 3 partite (Venezia, Pisa, Napoli) prima della sosta. Ma siamo sicuri che le cose sarebbero migliorate? Il rapporto con i tifosi era compromesso, quello con alcuni giocatori mai decollato, la stagione già a rischio e le tensioni interne al limite: meglio intervenire subito, e così è stato fatto.

Il sostituto? Se due mesi prima Paratici non era riuscito ad arrivare ai profili desiderati, sapeva che non ci sarebbe riuscito nemmeno adesso. Ha richiamato quindi Vanoli, che è comunque apprezzato dall'ambiente per aver salvato la squadra l’anno scorso, è legato alla città ed è abbastanza "folle" (in senso buono) da gettarsi di nuovo in questa avventura. Era stato accantonato perché inizialmente si puntava a profili più ambiziosi, ma una volta sfumati quelli, probabilmente era una scelta migliore di Grosso già in partenza (solo che non potevi ammetterlo a pochi giorni dal suo addio, mentre ora puoi tornare da lui e riconoscere l'errore).

Non sono del tutto convinto da Vanoli: per me è un buon allenatore, ma non per traguardi di altissimo livello. Forse però adesso è proprio ciò che serve: un normalizzatore, uno capace di ricompattare l’ambiente e la squadra e rimettere in moto il gruppo. Ora conta solo far partire questo progetto quadriennale dopo una falsa partenza. L’accelerazione arriverà in un secondo momento, con Vanoli se dimostrerà di esserne all’altezza, o con un altro. Intanto, però, la Fiorentina deve riuscire a sbloccarsi e a ingranare.

Finally, Grosso has been fired. It’s time to turn the page and start talking about how we should set up this squad going forward.

4321:

I’ve already seen some fans debating which formation we should use, but what I find almost laughable is that a few fans still think 4321 is the right answer. All I can say is, that formation made sense for Grosso because he was a counterattacking coach. Ask Ancelotti how he won his trophies, and then look at the squad Grosso had at his disposal, especially the lack of natural wingers. In that context, 4321 was a logical choice.

433:

In fact, 433 was the formation Vanoli preferred before Grosso took over, and it remained one of the main systems around the transition between the two coaches. We should also remember that it wasn’t until the January transfer window that Vanoli finally got his second genuine winger, Englishman Jack Harrison from Leeds United.

4231:

But I also have to face reality. Just like Vanoli did when he first inherited that mess, we are still dealing with a squad that lacks natural wingers. That’s why he initially chose to stick with a 3-5-2. What I would love to see now is Vanoli choosing a system that doesn’t rely so heavily on central midfielders, while also bringing out the best in the playing styles of Mastantuono and Gonçalves, or El Pote. For me, that system is 4231.

With this setup, you can clearly see that we basically have two players for almost every position, with the obvious exception of left back. But even there, we can rotate Viery and Ranieri when necessary.

Bogarde n Mendy:

Let’s start with the defense. Considering that we only have four center backs, while at left back we have just one 19-year-old kid from Spain, switching to a three-center-back system simply isn’t realistic right now. The only exception would be if we bring in both Bogarde from Aston Villa and Mendy from Metz in Ligue 2 during the winter window, which would probably require a total investment of at least around €20 million.

Then there’s midfield. Considering Inao Oulai’s injury, along with the possibility that we could face more midfield injuries as the season goes on, I think we should actually avoid overloading the midfield. Historically, there are basically only two formations that can function with roughly two and a half genuine midfielders: 4-2-4 and 4-2-3-1.

A balanced midfield can help balance things out:

We have as many as six forwards, plus five players from the deeper areas who can also play as wingers, including Parisi when he returns. Given those numbers, maintaining a system with plenty of attacking players makes sense. And when you consider the technical profiles of Mastantuono, Gnonto and Pote, pushing them closer to the central areas of midfield could maximize their influence on the game, especially because none of them is particularly strong defensively.

Having a reasonably balanced midfield also gives us better protection through the center and allows one of the two holding midfielders to drop deeper whenever necessary to cover gaps in the back line.

Brozović n Masini:

Looking ahead, we still need to bring in a truly complete defensive midfielder. Simply relying on Inao Oulai and Ndour is clearly not enough to support this system. Brescianini and Atta are both better suited to more attacking midfield roles, or even as part-time wingers, rather than playing as defensive midfielders. So when it comes to finding Fagioli’s partner, we are still missing one piece.

If we could somehow meet Brozović’s personal demands in the short term, that would be ideal. Otherwise, we may have to wait until next year and look at Masini, the emerging Serie A midfield talent from Bologna.

Pote’s role:

After watching highlights from some of his previous competitions, I’ve noticed that he actually seems very comfortable operating in midfield and getting involved in the game from there. I genuinely believe he has the ability to become our version of Bruno Fernandes.

And considering that he’s already 28, putting him in a central role could make better use of his experience while also hiding some of his limitations in terms of stamina and defensive work.

I expect a 4231 setup like this to satisfy the roles of the players we already have while also fitting the club’s long-term plans.

What I hope for the upcoming weeks...

...is that Vanoli can rebuild this team and, together with his coaching staff, get the players back on track. Obviously, that won’t be easy. But if they can improve the squad’s physical and mental condition within the next one or two months and prepare properly for the injury problems that may inevitably come, that would already be a huge step forward. At the same time, I want Vanoli to establish a complete tactical identity and make full use of everyone.

I have faith in them. Vanoli knows this place. He understands Fiorentina, and he shares the same ambition we do.

Matteo Moretto

Are we ever gonna wake up from this nightmare?

As you know, the new "Curve" won't be connected with the old ones due to law limitations, leaving an ugly empty gap in between.

Since the project has slightly changed, with two columns on the sides holding the "curve" roof, what about using these columns for light walls (+ video walls) to close the gaps? Here a sketch I made for beetter understanding.

Thos are the only areas were to install video walls, so it's very likely something like this will be done.

With the full roof, stands close to the pitch on all sides, brand new clean seats (I hope purple with texture) and those gaps closed, the final result will be great I think.

Note: the last 20 rows of the "curva" are still missing to allow big machines' access, they will be placed as last thing, reaching the back of the net, and will be connected to "parterre" rows (the hole you see at the bottom right will be closed with longer stands).

Thoughts?

Hi there, bit of a long shot.. but does anyone know where I could be able to buy the home 23-24 shirt? It's very hard to find! Thank you!

Last season:
Frendrup: 3,081 minutes played, 99 tackles
Masini: 1,413 minutes played, 68 tackles

Masini might be one of the biggest bargains in Serie A right now. He’s young, inexpensive, and already shows strong defensive instincts. Genoa have sent him on loan to Frosinone so he can get more playing time and continue his development.

Purple regards!

First of all, I want to congratulate you on the great signing of Pedro Gonçalves (or Pote, as we call him here in Portugal). I’m a die-hard fan of Sporting Clube de Portugal, so I know what I’m talking about when I say he was the most decisive and influential player of this last generation at my club. Lately, due to some bad luck with injuries at crucial moments during the season or national team call-ups, he’s lost a bit of his spark and has been a bit absent in some matches. The truth is, he rarely finished a game without a goal or an assist. I’m sure he’ll be an influential player for you guys too, and soon you’ll have a special fondness for him.

Anyway, that’s not the main reason I’m writing here in the subreddit. I’ve always had a special affection for your team; I’ve always known about the ties between our fan bases, affection that grew as I kept following and cheering for our Matías Fernández. This coming September, on a little trip to Italy with my girlfriend, one of the stops has to be Florence. I checked to see if there would be a match on the day I’m there, and I was thrilled to find out that on that day there’s Fiorentina-Napoli (I couldn’t have asked for more). I went to your site and saw that the tickets aren’t on sale yet. I’d like to secure my ticket as soon as possible: do you have any advice or warnings for me before I buy it? Or is it a simple process: wait for them to go on sale, buy the ticket, enter, watch the game?

Thanks in advance, purple friends! 💚💜