Let’s step back for a moment; as I write this, late in the evening on Wednesday, here on the east coast of the USA, Adrian Mutu is still a player for Fiorentina. It did not look like that would be the case 24 hours ago.

As you all know, the “Mutu to Roma” thing actually started picking up steam at the end of last season, and it was a popular topic in the first few weeks after the Euros when there wasn’t much going on. Realistically, it was mostly a play by Adrian to get a bit more money, as he knew his value was high after his fine Series A season. However, the Great Man came out and said Mutu was integral to his plans, and Adi said he wanted to wear the Viola for life. So the story kind of ran out of steam.

Then, rather out of the blue, a major story hit the rumor mill yesterday (Tuesday) that was actually true: Roma had put in a real-live offer to buy the 29-yar old forward, for somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 million euros. Serious gasoline was thrown on the fire when Viola Sporting Director Pantaleo Corvino reported said that he would be willing to sell the player for the right price. All signs, it seemed, pointed towards Mutu walking.

The response was unsurprising: every major sports paper in Italy reported that Mutu was already a Roma player, and reports surfaced all over the Web that it was a done deal. Bloggers and posters all over the ‘net (including over at the Roma Offside) held detailed discussions of where Mutu should play so as best not upset the delicate Mr. Totti.

All of these folks, however, failed to consider one important factor: the Great Man. Cesare Prandelli, the best coach in Italy, is different from other people in the football business. He is a man of honor, and a man who means exactly what he says. Two weeks ago he said he wanted Mutu in his squad. Unlike other coaches, he meant it. This morning, as a result, he had a meeting with Adi Mutu and told him he was staying. Prandelli then had a meeting with Fiorentina’s president, Andrea Della Valle, and told him he didn’t want Mutu sold. Within hours, Fiorentina released this statement, essentially saying Mutu was staying in Florence.

So what happened here? Why was everyone so sure that Mutu was going? It is simple, really. People simply treat Prandelli as they would any other football man, as a man who says things he does not believe. But our coach is different. He does not say things for spin, or for public consumption. He said two weeks ago he wanted Mutu in the squad, and so today he remains in the squad. End of story.

This is similar to the constant belief that the Great Man is about to leave the club for greener pastures like the Azzuri or Juve. On the surface, of course, it seems likely: Prandelli is the best coach in the country, so he will probably wind up a huge club or the national team. However, that theory discounts one important fact: that Prandelli keeps saying he wants to stay at Fiorentina for life, and build a career like Ferguson at Manchester United. Inspiring words, and I for one have no reason to disbelieve anything the man says, because he has never lied to me. Series A teams and fans would do well to listen to him as well as I do.

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Anyway, what do we make of this whole Mutu thing? Now that the Great Man has weighed in, I do believe he is staying. Roma could come back with a massive counter-offer, and the coach and the ownership would be foolish not to consider it, but I do believe all of the momentum is gone from Roma’s attempt to lure Adrian to the capital.

As for Adrian himself, I am glad he is staying, if he indeed does stay. In any other year I would have sold him, as he is 29 years old and had some injury problems last year. He is also not loved at the club the way one supposes a scorer of his ability would be.

However, this is not any other year. We have, of course, qualified for the Champions League, and hope to advance to and perhaps beyond the group stages. To do that we will need the services of (love him or hate him) our most skilled outfield player, the one man who can make a difference more than any other on the pitch, be it with a bit of magic in open play or from a spot-kick. If we are going to advance (as well as continue to contend in the league) we will need a healthy and happy Adrian Mutu in our ranks. I’m glad if he does indeed stay.

Hope everyone is well. Forza Viola.

In the latest issue available here in the States (the July 2008 issue) the magazine has a cover story on the “50 Greatest Derbies in World Football.” Obviously it is the off-season for most leagues, and so the magazine needed a bit of a puff-piece/filler piece to take up some pages until the real football begins again. However, it is a pretty fun article.

I was surprised and happy to see the Fiorentina-Juventus rivalry listed as the 12th best in the world. I didn’t think the rivalry would get that kind of love from an English-language magazine, but it almost broke into the top ten and is ranked higher than Arsenal v. Spurs, Genoa v. Samp, Man United v. Liverpool, Benifica v. Porto, and even the Milan derby. The games listed as “better” than the Viola/Juve match up are some of the true world classics, and include Betis v. Sevilla, the Rome Derby, the Old Firm, Boca v. River and Real v. Barca. So let me ask you, the readers, two questions.

1). First, do you think the rating is about right? Do you think it is a better derby than the Milan derby, but not as good as, say, the Belgrade derby (which is legendarily vicious)?

2). Secondly, do any of the readers out there have any first-hand experience with the Viola-Juve rivalry? Sadly, I have never been to a Juve-Fiorentina match in person. (Although I enjoyed the shit out of the Viola beating Juve on the road last year, a column one can find here.) Please share your own personal experience with the rivalry.

I hope everyone is doing well.

Most of the match reports I’ve read so far aren’t really clear on the details, and they are all in Italian. (And my Italian is really, really, rusty.) Apparently the team played well and Gila in particularly shone, setting up the lone Fiorentina goal. But all of that was overshadowed by the chanting. I didn’t read any player comments on what transpired, but the Great Man was apparently pretty disgusted by what he heard and said that chanting like that “speaks for itself and doesn’t really deserve any further comment.” It will be interesting to see whether the English-language press pursues this story over the next few days.

A few years ago Tim Parks wrote a really great English-language book about football in Verona called A Season in Verona that many of you have probably read. One of the central arguments of the book is that the racism in Verona is really overstated and not much worse than any other Italian city. That may or may not be true, but the Veronese may have hurt their case today. I’m sure Juliet is spinning in her fictional grave.

(A Season in Verona is still a must-read however; riveting stuff, especially because it features so many future Viola players.)

Anyway, aside from this stupid bullshit which gives ammunition to everyone who thinks Italian football sucks, it was a good game for the Viola. They played well once again and their big players seem to be stepping up in preparation for the new season. They play again in a few days, so I will be back to recap that game and hopefully talk about nothing but the action on the pitch.

I hope you guys are all doing well. Forza Viola.

While we are talking pre-season friendlies, here is what is scheduled for the Viola before the regular season begins. I think it is a bit amusing to look at the first four teams listed, which are, with all due respect, lower-tier teams, and then compare them to the last match on the friendly list. That’s the one I would like to have tickets for. I suspect most readers feel the same way.

July 20 - Castelrotto (H)
July 22 - Politehnica Timisoara (A)
July 27 - Veneto Team (H)
July 28 - Larissa (H)
July 30 - Barcelona (H)

So my “heartbreak” is over. The Viola are on the field again, and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel that is the start of the league. For one man, the Great Man, in fact, a football game is a mere moment to distract oneself from the pain that will never cease. As this sad, sad story makes clear, Cesare Prandelli could hardly wait for this season to begin, because it brings distraction from the numbing pain of his wife’s recent death. The story of the Great Man’s torture is indeed a heartbreaking one, and I know we all hope he can find comfort in his work and in the admiration of his many, many fans.

That’s all for now. I’ve been meaning to post something on the recent Mutu-to Roma nonsense going around, but I’ve been waiting for it to clear itself up. It seems as if he is now probably staying, but we should know more in a week. I, for one, am ready for the silly season to end and the football to begin.

Yes, I am one of those guys. I wear football shirts a lot. I mean A LOT. I am lucky enough to have a job (I am the editor of a magazine) where I sit in an office all day reading and editing, so it doesn’t matter too much what I wear, and my Publisher is a good guy who doesn’t mind if I wear sportswear to work. So much, much more often than not, I am wearing a football shirt, be it a workday or the weekend.

I have lots of shirts, including a Baggio Italy shirt from ’98, a few Cantona Man United shirts and a few Zidane shirts, including one, I confess, that’s a Juve shirt. I don’t wear it much. But mostly I have Fiorentina shirts. I must have six or seven, dating back to 94 or 95, and I have many with the names and numbers, including some of my favorite players like Batistuta, Toni, and Pazzini.

Why am I even bringing this up? Because today on the Fiorentina website next season’s shirts were displayed for the first time. As you will see, they are almost exactly like last year’s version, with a little bit more gold piping and a few other very minor differences. The alternate white and red shirts seem about the same as well.

So there you have it. People like me, who like wearing football shirts, will probably eventually buy it. Those not into shirts will shrug and move on. I am only bugged because for the last few seasons I have been able to go to Florence, catch a match, and buy the new season’s shirt at that football shop down the street from the Duomo, near the Academia. With my newborn son here, it looks like I’m going to have to skip the football trip this year and buy the shirt online. Small price to pay, I understand, for the privilege of ushering another Viola fan and Toyota enthusiast into the world.

I’ll be back later this weekend with thoughts on the very happy rumors going around that Mutu and Bassy are going to extend their contracts. Take care, everyone.

First, a couple of fairly impressive signings were announced. First, former Torino captain Gianluca Comotto signed with the Viola to help strengthen the back line. I like this addition; everything from his experience and his leadership to his defensive versatility will be useful next season.

The Viola also signed a highly regarded young Brazilian forward named Jefferson. He’s one for the future, although some of the reports I’ve read say he has the potential to become a very strong player. I won’t pretend I’ve ever seen him play, but the Great Man’s track record on signing young people suggests that it could pan out, so I am all for seeing what young Jefferson can do.

According to Viola Bigwig Corvino, that’s it: he says the Viola won’t be signing any other players this year. It’s undeniable that they’ve spent a bunch of money and dramatically improved the squad for the upcoming season, all without losing any of the most important players at the club. We will see if this is indeed it, or if there in fact will be more signings over the remaining days of summer.

One thing that’s for sure is that regardless of whether the signings actually stop, the rumors will not cease until the transfer window closes. The latest one, for this week, is that Fiorentina will sign Inter’s Nicolas Burdisso in order to get more help at the back. Interesting, but this one has a long way to go before it becomes fact.

Finally, on a sadder note, it looks like Papa Waigo is set to leave the club, to destinations still undetermined. Look, things are going to be tight on the front line with Gila, Mutu, and a cast of supporting players fighting for playing time, but I liked the freakishly long-legged Papa Waigo and wish him well wherever he winds up. If for no other reason, he must be remembered fondly by Viola fans for coming off the bench in the Juve game (notice I don’t have to explain WHICH Juve game I’m talking about) and playing like a man. Papa, you should never have to buy a drink in the world’s most beautiful city every again.

I’’ll be back soon. Hope you all take care and, like me, try to keep it together until the matches start again.

Most interestingly, however, the Great Man (who seems, characteristically, true to his word that he wants to stay at Fiorentina a long time) spoke passionately about his intent to make the Viola the favorite team of neutrals, with their attacking flair and reputation for fair play. He expressed that he heard this support from a number of fans in Italy who pulled for the team in the UEFA Cup when all the other Italian teams had been knocked out of European football, something I’ve noticed as well. The Mister surely inspires hope next year, both that the team will be good AND fun to watch.

An English-language summary of the interview can be found here. There is a longer Italian-language version of the interview on violanews, but I’m having trouble calling up the interview on my laptop right now.

In other Viola news, Midfielder Riccardo Montolivo has been called up to the Olympic team (and Osvaldo is an alternate) but this means that the player will miss the first round of CL qualification. Monto, who has come to bleed purple over the last two seasons, is happy about the Olympic call-up but also saddened as he feels he may be abandoning his club at a crucial moment. It’s true that he’s a grievous loss, especially considering his form last season, but we will simply have to go on without him.

Finally, transfer rumors continue apace. I will report anything on that front when I have something concrete to report.

Hope all of the USA-based Viola fans have a good Independence Day weekend, and I hope all the international readers have, well, just a good regular plain old weekend. Be back soon.

The first story that will be confirmed is that Juan Manuel Vargas, as everyone has expected, will sign with the club this week. This has been pretty much greeted as a good move by everyone who has publicly commented on it, and I must agree. Vargas was impressive last season and his skill and versatility will be of great service in the coming season.

That being said, there are still plenty of good ole’ fashioned rumors still floating around the internet. One has Mutu signing an extension with the Viola on Friday (much welcomed if true) while another has Roma’s Matteo Ferrari moving over to the purple. I could link to these rumors every day, and will start posting the scuttlebutt more frequently, but I am going to try to stick to the actual news as much as possible over the next couple of weeks.

Two other quick notes: first, season ticket announcements are now being made on the club’s website, which can be found here. Unfortunately, with my newborn son, I think I am going to have to go without my yearly trip to Florence this year…Damn!

Finally, from the same website, here is a cheerier note: as of this posting, there is only 28 Days, 6 hours, 12 minutes, and 4 seconds until the kickoff with Barca at the Franchi. Now that the Euros are over, I really can’t wait.

I will try to be back later this week with more news. Take care everyone.

Anyway, my boy could not have picked a better time to come into the world. Not only was he born right after the Series A season ended (thus assuring that I didn’t miss any Fiorentina matches) but he was brought home from the hospital the day before the first match of the Euros. Thus, since I have been home on paternity leave helping to take care of him, he and I have watched every single minute of every match together on ESPN. OK, he was sleeping for most of the games, but we still had some nice bonding time together. And anyway, how many three-week-olds do you know who can say that they’ve seen every kick of the Euros?

(Incidentally, I have learned two things about my son from watching the matches with him. One is that he seems to like Croatia, since he always stays awake during their matches, and another is that, like Dad, he really seems to like Italian national team. He was asleep for the entire 120 minutes of their match with Spain but then somehow broke down into a massive meltdown of tears and screaming the moment the Azzuri lost on penalties. Interesting. I hope he is that committed to the Viola.)

Anyway, even as this exciting tournament goes on, news of the most important club team in the world continues to flow. It mostly involves transfer news, as players continue to come and go, and there is also news of Fiorentina’s plans for the new stadium in Florence. All of this can be found on the clubs main website here.

There are two stories that I do want to highlight briefly. The first involves Adrian Mutu and his well-publicized financial troubles related to his time with Chelsea. It now appears that the player and the club may be able to work around all this and thus he can continue to wear purple next year. Hopefully a sensible solution will be found. Mutu divides opinion, but he can be a special player who has the capacity to win games nearly on his own. We’re a better team with him in the side.

The second story/rumor making the rounds is that Sampdoria has apparently made an offer for Pazzini, for at least a co-own if not an all-out buy. I don’t like this move one bit. I think you have to give Pazzini another year, even with the crowded front line Fiorentina now has with the addition of Gila. Yes, Pazzini had an off-year and yes Osvaldo might be special (until my son was born Osvaldo’s bicycle kick vs. Torino was the last thing I thought of before I went to bed every night) but Pazzini has a chance to be special too: a true target man in the center of the line who has the skill to finish. He should be given a chance to fight for his spot next year, and a chance to earn it.

OK, that’s it from here. I promise these posts will start increasing infrequency fairly soon. I hope you are all well and looking forward to the start of next season as much as I am…

Alessandro Gamberini (Italy): Has not played yet. But Christ, why not? Let’s throw in a Fiorentina player and see what the hell happens.

Adrian Mutu (Romania): Was quiet in his first match, had a sweet goal today, and then blew a chance to take down Italy with an awfully lame penalty kick saved by Superman. I thought he could open up the world’s eyes at this tournament. He’s been good, but has not met my hopes.

Tomas Ujfalusi (Czech Republic): Our former captain has played all right, but every time they show the big lug on screen, he seems to be handling the ball. I think I saw him do it twice in the last match, and get away with it. Don’t make the nonsensical Tommy Smyth call you out again, Tomas. Oh Captain, my Captain!

Finally there is the curious case of Bassy Frey, the world’s best goalkeeper. (Bear with me.) He is currently languishing on the French pine, waiting hopefully for the knowing nod from Raymond Domenech that will allow him to dash on the field and save the day. Hell, Coupet gave up four goals today! The stars are telling me Bassy could have saved at least one of them. Give the man a chance! He won’t let you down.

OK, that’s it for me. I’ve got to go change a diaper. Be back soon.