After a disappointing 2018/19 campaign, Vincenzo Montella once again finds himself in the Viola hot seat. Stefano Pioli started the campaign in charge of Fiorentina but come April, he was replaced by Montella who had been out of a job for a year.
In the 2017/18 season, they had finished eighth and last season found themselves in the bottom half of the table, finishing a lowly 16th.
Despite this poor league campaign, they managed to compete very well in the Coppa Italia, where they reached the semi-final of the competition.
This is the first campaign under the Commisso era, thus ending the Della Valle family's seventeen-year association with the club.
As a result, it is a very intriguing time for the fans as the ambition is to put the club on a pedestal. Commisso has brought enthusiasm back to the club and has been seen in the streets welcoming players and spending time with fans.
Transfer Business Overview
So far, Fiorentina has made some great signings. Recruitment has been fantastic and looks to continue. At the time of writing, Fiorentina have so far added Kevin-Prince Boateng, Erick Pulgar, Pol Lirola and the return of Milan Badelj.
So far the outgoings have mainly been of younger players to get experience. Although, both Vincent Laurini and Vitor Hugo have both left the club permanently. This looks to also be the case for Riccardo Saponara how has joined Genoa on-loan with an option to buy.
The Return of Montella
A full season under Montella can definitely provide a lot of fireworks for Viola fans, he has taken the club to the final of the Coppa Italia in the past, got a couple of 4th placed finishes and now that the club is adding quality, he can prepare to make an assault on returning Fiorentina to Europe.
So far, Fiorentina has lined up in a 4-3-3 and this looks to be the best option going forward, given the players that they have signed. Another formation that may be under consideration for Montella is a 4-2-3-1 in order to accommodate Badelj and Pulgar in the midfield and perhaps pushing Marco Benassi forward.
Player to Watch
Erick Pulgar joined from Bologna and is a versatile midfielder. A no-nonsense tackler and a fantastic passer of the ball, he will be a huge asset to Fiorentina this season and for many to come.
One for the Future
Dusan Vlahovic has made a good start to the season, scoring twice in the Coppa Italia match against AC Monza and he also scored in pre-season which bodes well for his confidence.
Should Fiorentina not sign a striker, they have Giovanni Simeone or Boateng but may look to the 19-year-old Serbian to bang in the goals.
He is a strong centre-forward who is powerful in the air and has a great strike on him. This could be his year to shine.
Predicted Finish
While Fiorentina has a difficult opener to expected title-challengers Napoli, they should come through the first 10 games with a positive outlook on the rest of their campaign. The club should be aiming to be back in European Competition and a sixth place finish may be on the cards.