The opening words from Charles Dickens’ famous 1859 novel “A Tale of Two Cities” may read like a overused modern cliche, but it’s safe to say that it encapsulates everything that was the 2013/14 season for Fiorentina.
A solid fourth place finish in the Serie A, an appearance in the Coppa Italia final and a Round of 16 exit in the Europa League may read like a successful season for a side on the rise like the Viola, but there is one question on the mind of every fan now that the season is over:
What might have been if the Viola had been able to field Giuseppe Rossi and Mario Gomez for the entire season?
The two high profile attackers were set to take the Serie A by storm last summer, as the Italian was returning to full fitness and would be joined by the high scoring German who had just joined from Bayern Munich for €20 million.
However the dream soon became a nightmare as Gomez was injured on September 15, ruling him out for a longer than expected 6 months.
Without him the Viola managed to remain in the fold for a Champions League berth thanks to Rossi as his exceptional form was one of the stories of the first half of the season.
His goals, the most notable coming in a 4-2 come from behind victory over Juventus where the Italian scored a hat-trick in 14 minutes, made fans and pundits alike look in awe as the attacker was carrying the Viola on his back.
However the good vibes would not last as Rossi, who was the Serie A’s then leading goalscorer with 14 goals in 18 appearances, limped off during a January match against Livorno and missed the next four months.
What these injuries meant was that dreams of a Champions League qualifying finish would soon fade away as coach Vincenzo Montella was forced to make due with what he had, and what he had did not include a reliable attacking option.
Rather than play a disappointing Alessandro Matri and a raw Ryder Matos, the Viola tactician leaned on the likes of Josip Ilicic, Borja Valero, Joaquin and Alberto Aquilani to lead the squad through the final months of the season.
Gomez was able to return for a small stretch of matches, most notable scoring at the Juventus Stadium during the Viola’s 1-1 first leg Round of 16 Europa League match against the Bianconeri.
Unfortunately the Gigliati would be eliminated one week later thanks to an Andrea Pirlo free kick and Gomez would injure himself once again soon after, forcing him to miss the remainder of the season and miss Germany’s World Cup squad.
Rossi would mark his return just before the close of the season, featuring in the Viola’s 3-1 Coppa Italia Final loss to Napoli. The striker came on for the final 18 minutes, but failed to provide the necessary spark for the club as they failed to claim their first trophy since being bought by the Della Valle.
With Rossi and Gomez back to full fitness and most of this year’s core players expected to return, the hope is that appearance in the final is just a sign of things to come for one of Serie A’s most exciting squads to watch.
Player of the Season
While Giuseppe Rossi and Borja Valero are worthy candidates for the honour, the award must go to Juan Cuadrado as he gave credence to the claim that he is the best wide man playing in the Serie A today.
The Colombian put together his most prolific season to date, scoring 11 goals in the Serie A along with a further three in the Europa League as Fiorentina made it all the way to the Round of 16.
The former Udinese man’s performances were must see TV for Serie A fans as his knack for the back of the net really shined this season, adding to an already dangerous arsenal of blazing speed and great dribbling ability.
His performances were so impressive that he is now being linked with a €30 million move to Barcelona. A testament to his world class performances no doubt, but also a worrying piece of news for Viola fans hoping to see him once again at the Stadio Artemio Franchi next season.
Goal of the Season
While the case can be made that Juan Cuadrado’s second strike while away to Bologna was the Viola’s best goal of the season in a stylistic sense, the award has to go to one of Fiorentina’s goal scored on that fateful day against Juventus in October.
With the Viola trailing 2-0 heading into half time, hopes of a victory over the club’s most hated rivals seemed all but lost. However a stunning comeback was capped off in the 80th minute when Fiorentina’s finest combined to secure a historic result.
Borja Valero set off the move by sending Cuadrado on a counter as the Bianconeri found themselves open at the back as they looked to equalize.
The Colombian used his pace to create space before sending a deft pass to a trailing Rossi, who sent his precise left footed strike past a helpless Gianluigi Buffon to give the striker a deserved hat-trick while providing the Viola their first home win over the Bianconeri in 15 years.
Best and Worst Signings
While the award could be handed to Cuadrado as he was officially signed from Udinese on a co-ownership deal over the summer, the award will go to another summer signing who showed growth throughout the course of the campaign.
Josip Ilicic joined from Palermo for a fee of €9 million, a sizeable but justifiable fee for a player who nearly single-handedly kept the Rosanero in Serie A last season.
With high expectations hovering over his head, the Slovenian struggled during his first months with the Viola as injuries and poor form left fans wondering why the club had invested so much into such a hit-or-miss player.
However with Gomez and Rossi missing extended time due to injury, Ilicic was called upon regularly to make up for their absences as Vincenzo Montella fielded a striker-less lineup on several occasions.
His performances in the second half of the season aided the club in their pursuit of fourth place, though there is no doubt that club and fans alike will be looking for more consistency from the 26-year-old next season.
As for worst signing of the season the list is too numerous to just pick one.
Whether it be Oleksandar Iakovenko joining in the summer before being sent on loan to Malaga in January, or the winter signings of Alessandro Matri and Anderson, the Viola were no doubt hindered by some poor reinforcements this season.
With all three players not expected to be with the club next season, it’s only right that they share the dubious honour in hopes that they find greener and more fruitful pastures next season.
Follow Adriano Boin on Twitter: @Boin44
