After locking up fourth place thanks to their recent 1-0 victory over Bologna, Fiorentina can end the season with relative calm as a difficult yet rewarding campaign is set to end this Sunday against Torino.
Adding to that, the club reiterated that coach Vincenzo Montella will “100%” be staying with the club next season and it would seem as though the positives are certainly outweighing the negatives despite the Viola’s failure to capture the Coppa Italia earlier this month.
The positives didn’t stop there as Mario Gomez has been included in the Viola’s squad for Sunday’s season finale, a welcome sight given all of the tribulations the German has gone through this season.
His injuries have cost him a place on Germany’s World Cup squad for this summer’s World Cup in Brazil, a bitter blow for the 28-year-old who’s chances of featuring at another major tournament may be decreasing by the day given the dearth of talent at Joachim Low’s disposal.
Super Mario’s misfortunes this season could turn into a blessing for the new season as the Viola striker will have all summer to recover from his bad luck and be even further motivated to help the Viola improve on their top four finish.
Having him return for the season finale is already a bonus as things stand as it shows he is on the right track to returning to being the vaunted penalty area talisman that the Gigliati thought they were getting.
While it is not known whether the German will take the pitch, strike partner Giuseppe Rossi is expected to start for the first time since injuring his knee against Livorno in January.
Fiorentina and Italy fans will be delighted, but also cautious, when the 27-year-old lines up on Sunday. It will be a joyous occasion as it will be the definitive confirmation that Rossi is back and ready to hopefully lead the Azzurri to success this summer in Brazil.
However given his track record and most of all, his bad luck, it may be a long 90 minutes for onlookers as the ultimate goal is for Rossi to get through the match unscathed.
The universe can only be cruel for one person so many times. Let’s hope that it doesn’t decide to make Pepito its target once again.
For two players the Viola will be looking to next season, Sunday’s match against the Granata could prove to be Juan Cuadrado’s last in a Viola jersey with speculation rife that he is set for a €30 million summer move to Spanish hotshots Barcelona.
Nothing is set in stone at this time, especially since the Viola still have to resolve their co-ownership deal with Udinese for the Colombian, but with every passing goal it does seem as though the bright lights of Europe’s top clubs are shining ever brighter on the winger.
It would be a bitter blow to see him leave considering the growth he has gone through over the past two seasons. With the Viola fielding no strikers on several occasions, it was Cuadrado’s play (along with Borja Valero) that kept the squad afloat when it would have been easy for things to rip apart at the seems.
While nobody can predict what the summer may hold Viola fans should take in the Colombian’s performance on Sunday because after that…well let’s not think about that yet.
There will be one more club focus looking back on the Viola’s season so look out for that in the coming weeks. Until then enjoy the final weekend of Serie A for the 2013/14 season.
Follow Adriano Boin on Twitter: @Boin44
