Fiorentina took two huge strides towards securing their Serie A status during the last week, picking up a goalless draw at home to Andrea Stramaccioni’s resurgent Inter, before Andrea Lazzari’s injury time strike gave the club their first win over Roma at the Stadio Olimpico in over two decades.
Amazingly, the Viola are currently enjoying their longest unbeaten run so far this season, stretching back to the dramatic victory over AC Milan at the San Siro just four games ago, bringing in to stark contrast just how inconsistent form has been this term.
That run has also coincided with a new found defensive solidity that has seen the side ship just two goals despite facing some of the division’s big hitters in Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Diego Milito and Francesco Totti.
It is a statistic that becomes even more impressive when considering that Delio Rossi has put his faith in two 19-year-old centre backs, Matija Nastasic and Michele Camporese, who along with the more experienced Cesare Natali have started to form a formidable back three.
A string of good performances have seen Nastasic become a virtual ever present in the Viola defence since the arrival of Rossi back in November, but it is the emergence of Camporese during the last few weeks that has helped to shore up a previously porous backline.
The Pisa-born youngster started both the games against Inter and Roma, producing two assured performances in the face of a great deal of pressure that belied his relative lack of experience.
That is not to say that he is a completely unknown quantity however, as a similar run of games under previous coach Sinisa Mihajlovic at the end of last season introduced him to the demands of Serie A football, before a hip injury and a dislocated shoulder saw him miss the club’s entire pre-season, meaning he was subsequently unable to force his way back into the side.
Capped three times by Italy U-21 coach Ciro Ferrara, Camporese put pen to paper on a five-year deal back in November, with his agent Davide Lippi telling Radio Rosa that the length of the contract “demonstrates great belief in him.”
Should the club also be able to retain the services of Nastasic in the summer – which may be difficult given that Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has reportedly targeted him as a long term replacement for compatriot Nemanja Vidic – the Viola defence will undoubtedly reap the benefits throughout next season.
However, it should be remembered that the club’s participation in Serie A next season is still far from a foregone conclusion despite the recent upturn in form. Rossi’s side currently have a six point cushion over third bottom Lecce with four games remaining, and face a difficult trip to this season’s surprise package Atalanta on Sunday.
Following the victory over Roma, the coach was quick to stress that his side remain far from safe, stating that they “cannot afford arrogance.”
He said: “We have put another brick in the foundation of our safety, but we are not safe yet. [We] must maintain a workmanlike attitude and until we are safe I won’t feel happy.”
However, with games against Lecce, second bottom Novara, and fifth bottom Cagliari to look forward to during the run-in, coupled with the spectacular implosion of Genoa in recent weeks, only a cataclysmic collapse stands between the Viola and that long awaited happy end to a largely miserable season.
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