BATISTUTA NAMED NEW FIORENTINA MANAGER

Full name Associazione Calcio Firenze Fiorentina SpA
Nickname(s) Viola (Violet), Gigliati (Lilies)
Founded 1926 (AC Fiorentina)
Re-Formed 2002 (ACF Fiorentina)
Ground Stadio Artemio Franchi (capacity: 47,290)
Owners Diego and Andrea Della Valle
President Mario Cognigni
Head coach Gabriel Batistuta
League Serie A
2011–12 Serie A, 13th

Former fans favourite Gabriel Omar Batistuta has been named as Manager of Associazione Calcio Firenze Fiorentina SpA. After 5 years of unstability since Cesare Prandelli vacated the Helm for the Italian National Team managers role. Batistuta takes over the role vacated by Vincenzo Montella after Vincenzo Guerini Delio Rossi and Siniša Mihajlovic have all failed to take the La Viola Gigliati( The Violet Lillies ) back to the heights the enjoyed before their reformation after bankruptcy in 2002.




ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as simply Fiorentina, is a professional Italian football club from Florence, Tuscany. Founded by a merger in 1926 (refounded in 2002 following bankruptcy), Fiorentina have played at the top level of Italian football for the majority of their existence; only four clubs have played in more Serie A seasons.




Batistuta retired in 2005 and moved to Perth, Australia, but moved back to Argentina in 2007. Despite having completed his coaching badges in Argentina, he has no real involvement with football (instead he has prefered to play polo and golf). He expressed an interest in coaching Australia's national team and Argentina's team. During the 2006 FIFA World Cup he worked as a commentator for Televisa Deportes. Batistuta currently owns a construction company in Argentina and has been working as technical secretary in the professional football club Colón.

This is a surprise announcement but one the Fiorentina faithful will be extremely excited about.

Batistuta has legendary status and is the all-time highest goal score for Fiorentina with 168 goals in 269 games.

His Goal scoring heroics were carried over in to his international game with 56 goals in 78 caps.

After being coached by Marclo Bielsa and Cesare Prandelli you can expect some free-flowing attacking football from La Viola.

When asked for a comment Mario Cognigni replied. "we are delighted to welcome back a much loved son of the club who we hope will bring as much success as a manager as he did as a player."

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JOVETIC LEAVES LA VIOLA FOR LONDON

Stevan Jovetic has left A.C.F Fiorentina in a £23million move to Chelsea F.C, the deal was originally £20m plus Florent Malouda but the french-man could not agree personal terms with the Italian team.

It was no secret of the desire that Jovetic who was vice-captain of the team from Florence wanted to play Champions League football, it was originally thought he would see out the 2012-13 season but could not turn down the dizzy heights of Chelsea.

BATISTUTA SPLASHES THE CASH

RAUL ALBIOL LEAVES LOS GALACTICOS

Gabriel Batistuta has surprised everybody bulling pulling of what some describe as the coup of the summer by signing Raul Albiol from Real Madrid C.F for a meager £7.25million.

Albiol has not experienced the best of times at Madrid finding himself playing only 63 games in 3 years playing second fiddle to Pepe and Ricardo Carvalho and in recent times the movement of Sergio Ramos from Right Back to Centre Back.

With the emergence of Raphael Varane he was found surplus at The Bernabeu.



Batistuta has also met the release clause from Brazilian starlet Ademilson from Sao Paulo the wonder-kid is tipped to be future of the Brazil team at the tender age of 18 already making the move to one of Europe's most senior leagues.




Other Signings this Summer include


Remi Johansen £325k Center Midfielder



Willian Henrique £100k Striker - Touted as the next Ronaldo


Jores Okore £1.3Million Center Back


and

Craig Gordon £0 Goal Keeper


This Summer has also saw Batistuta add Ronaldo and Former Fiorentina Striker Christian Vieri to his backroom staff as a scout and coach respectively.

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BATISTUTA COMPLETES FIRST PRE-SEASON AS MANAGER

Gabriel Batistuta Has completed his first preseason as Fiorentina Manager, a mixed bag of results they were as follows



Most = Steven Jovetic 5 Adem Ljajic 3
Most = Adem Ljajic 2
Highest AMR. = Adem Ljajic 7.53

Overall Record

3 =
2 =
1 =

Their first competitive match will be against Carpi in the 3rd Qualifying Round Italian Cup at home.

FIORENTINA AUGUST REVIEW

Gabriel Batistuta has taken management in his stride so far after what was predicted to be an easy game for A.C.F Fiorentina against Serie C outfit Carpi at home. Las Viola's ended the match in a canter with a 3-0 victory.




In their only Serie A fixture Fiorentina were away to Atlanta a tricky opening fixture but one that they should win.




Batistuta also made 2 signings in the last week of August

Luca Antonelli


Juraj Kucka

Both came in for a combined total of 4.2million both from Genoa AFC, both bids were accepted over the managers head due to Genoa's poor financial situation that Batistuta cruelly exploited.

This added to the 5 goals scored by summer signing Ademilson in his first 2 games for the club are showing promise for the team from Florence, The only negative this month is the injury to star left winger Adem Ljajic, forcing Gabriel to re-call Juan Manuel Vargas from his loan at Genoa.

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