Team Overview: Fiorentina has played in Serie A for the majority of their existence. In fact, only four other clubs have played more seasons in the top flight than the Viola. While they have won Serie A twice and the Coppa Italia 6 times, the Viola haven’t been able to win the Serie A title in over four decades (since the 1969 season).
Top Performers: Fiorentina got a huge boost from ITA MNT star Alberto Gilardino, who scored 19 goals. Adrian Mutu also proved his worth with 13 goals and 3 assists. Finally, Sebastien Frey was surprisingly good between the posts. He gave up only one goal per game on average, and Fiorentina’s offense was good enough to get results.
Highest Highs: Fiorentina did well against the rest of the elite Serie A sides this season. They bested Genoa once and tied them once, which doesn’t seem so important until one realizes that those matches punched the Viola’s tickets to Europe next season. Genoa must be disappointed in missing out, as they had a better goal differential.
Lowest Lows: Fiorentina’s darkest day came early in the season when a lackluster performance in the opening round of the Coppa Italia resulted in a loss and great embarassment. Torino beat them 1-0 even though Fiorentina was the better team. In addition, Fiorentina had a bad two month stretch when they dropped three games.
Future Outlook: Fiorentina can keep the ball out of the net as well as anyone in Serie A, and they will look to improve on this year’s strong defensive finish (4th in the league in GAA). If they can pick up an attacking mid to spur the attack, they could improve on their 53 goals in 2009. I think they will continue to compete in Serie A.
