Showing posts with label Jovetic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jovetic. Show all posts

Wednesday 20 February 2013

Fiorentina admits interest in Borini and Osvaldo

Fiorentina sporting director Daniele Prade has admitted the club is interested in bringing Liverpool's Fabio Borini and Roma's Pablo Osvaldo to Stadio Artemio Franchi.

Despite signing Giuseppe Rossi in the January transfer window, reports of interest in striker Stevan Jovetic has led the Viola looking at attacking alternatives.

Borini and Osvaldo played together for Roma before the former moved to Anfield in the summer, and even though Prade revealed the club's interest in the pair, he admitted it may be difficult to lure them away from their current teams.

"We are looking for a forward with the hunger for goals. A player who lives to score goals," he told Radio Toscana. "We like Fabio Borini, but it is unlikely that Liverpool will want to let him go. Osvaldo? I do not think that Roma will want to strengthen a direct rival of theirs, but you can never say never."

Vincenzo Montella's side is currently sixth in Serie A, 13 points behind leaders Juventus, and the club has scored the fourth-most goals in the league with 45 goals.

Wednesday, February 20, 2013 at 12 : 20Serie A: Fiorentina spice up Italian top-flight

"Inter were too ugly to be true," said a contrite Stramaccioni when recalling the match.



Anyone who watched of the second half of Sunday's encounter between Inter and Fiorentina would have agreed with Stramaccioni. But the second half was actually the better half of the match for Inter.



Fiorentina had led 2-0 by halftime on Sunday, but it could have been 5-0. The Viola's fluid, flexible shape left Inter's midfield and defense in a haze. Fiorentina's Eastern European attacking duo of Stevan Jovetic and Adam Ljajic swapped flanks often and menacingly, getting behind Inter's backline with stunning ease. The pair ended the night with a brace each.



"I don't know if it was our best performance," was the modest reaction of Vincenzo Montella, the Fiorentina coach.



"Our opponents were notable and we were consistent throughout the game. The only regret is conceding that goal, but it was a step forward compared to our last match".



That "last match" was a defeat to Juventus the previous week, a comprehensive 0-2 loss that had led to worries over the competitiveness of this young, emerging team against teams of championship calibre. Sunday's performance will allay some of those concerns. After victory over Inter, Fiorentina sit sixth in the Italian Serie A, one point off Europa League qualification and two points off Champions League qualification.



Fiorentina are an exciting mixture of the young and the experienced, one of the many minor powers that have threatened Serie A's traditional power base this season. With Milan and Inter in a transitional phase and Roma at sixes and sevens once again after firing their coach Zdenek Zeman, the time was right for other teams to step into the void.



Napoli are at the vanguard of this new development, emerging as the only meaningful challenger to Juventus for the Scudetto this season. They are followed by a resurgent Lazio, led by Bosnian-born Vladimir Petkovic, and tiny Catania, a Sicilian club coached by Rolando Maran, in his first spell as a manager in Serie A.



Catania hired Maran after Montella left them to join Fiorentina. When Montella, a former Italian international striker known for his prolific left foot, joined the Viola last summer, the club needed a significant infusion of funds to challenge for European qualification. The club was bought in the early years of this century by the Della Valle brothers, Italian billionaires who specialize in leather goods, and Fiorentina had achieved Champions League qualification in 2009, during Cesare Prandelli's reign as coach. After Prandelli's departure to manage the Italian national team, however, the team had struggled to find consistency.



With Montella in charge, the Della Valle brothers reached into the depths of the transfer market and brought in a gaggle playmakers -- Borja Valero (Spanish), Matias Fernandez and David Pizarro (both Chilean) and Alberto Aquilani (Italian). Even with no European fixtures to contend with, Montella has managed to distribute the workload of his playmakers without provoking much bellyache, often starting three of them in a flexible 4-3-3 formation.



Montella has also been able to count on a dependable Eastern European axis in his team -- led by Montenegrin attacking sensation Stevan Jovetic and followed by compatriot Stefan Savic (defender) and Serbians Adam Ljajic (attacking midfielder) and Nenad Tomovic (defender).



Together, these seven players have made Fiorentina one of the most attacking sides in Italy, and the Viola's scoring record (45 goals) is second only to Juventus and Napoli in the league. They also have an extraordinary scoring record at home, averaging more than three goals per game in their nine Serie A games played at the Stadio Artemio Franchi so far.



However, they have won only three of their 12 away games so far, and Montella acknowledged that his side need to improve that record if they are to keep up their challenge for a place in Europe next season. "There is a big difference between our home record and away, more in terms of results than performances, so we have to improve on that," he said.



As for Inter, defeat cranked up the pressure on Stramaccioni, who sought to blame his side's Europa League fixtures -- and Fiorentina's lack of the same -- as a possible reason for the fatigue of his players. However, cramped fixtures are part and parcel of being a big club, and Stramaccioni, a former youth team coach at Inter who was promoted to the top job last season after Claudio Ranieri was sacked, will have the chance to make amends when his side meet cross-town rivals AC Milan next week in the Derby Della Madonnina.



Despite sharing the same stadium, Inter will be the 'home' side this weekend and their players will be wearing their traditional black and blue jerseys against Milan. Stramaccioni will hope the black and blue stops with the jerseys.

Thursday 7 February 2013

Rossi a gamble too far?

“It is not just a moment of joy for our fans, but a gift we wrapped up for all of Italian football,” Fiorentina President Andrea Della Valle told reporters last week. “We are happy to have brought a great talent like Giuseppe Rossi back to Italy.”
The return of the 25-year-old to Serie A has been greeted with great fanfare by supporters of the Viola and neutrals alike. The Azzurri international is undoubtedly one of the best, most promising strikers in Europe, and his signing for the Tuscan side shows the heights that they have reached this season.
Under Vincenzo Montella’s stewardship and the left-field transfer dealings of sporting director Daniele Pradè, the Stadio Artemio Franchi side have become one of the most refreshing teams on the peninsula – capable of genuinely challenging for a top three spot. Their attacking, free-flowing football will certainly play into the hands of the former Manchester United man, with the prospect of a Rossi-Stevan Jovetic strike partnership already whetting the whistles of many.
As the New Jersey-born forward has explained, it’s that brand of play that enticed him to Tuscany. “I would have made this move sooner, even last summer,” he stated at his presentation. “I’m happy to be at Fiorentina. They are the only side who came forward with facts and not just with words. That was very important to me.
“I like the Viola project a lot. I want to be a part of it. There are many youngsters here, but also players of experience. And we all know that Fiorentina are playing the best football in Italy. I can’t wait to start playing alongside Jovetic and Luca Toni, great players.”
The Parma youth product may be saying all the right words in public, but for fans and administrators at the club there is still a huge elephant in the room.
12m may look like a bargain for a striker who seems to have it all – pace, intelligent movement, vision and a calm serenity in front of goal. But the last time anyone saw those qualities in action was October 2011. Two knee ligament injuries in the space of 18 months have completely curtailed his career, so much so that it was unclear at one point whether Rossi would ever return.
Of course, players all over the world have made a comeback from this notorious injury – Michael Essien, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Alan Shearer have all returned from cruciate tears to re-commence their careers. However, injuring the same ligament in the same knee twice in such a short space of time is of huge concern. And as he explains, there is still no real target as to when he will step back on to a pitch. “I don’t have a particular date in mind for my return,” he said. “My knee is stable right now, but it needs strengthening and it can’t be rushed. I hope to get back to full fitness as soon as possible so that I can play for the Viola fans. Things are going well.”
Reports claim that the end of March could be a realistic date for his debut, but it would be churlish and frankly empty-headed to suggest that Rossi can immediately come in and make a difference to the Gigliati’s season.
A more accurate representation of his value to the side can really only be gleaned next season, where we will see if all the hours of rehabilitation and gym work have paid off.
There is absolutely no questioning Rossi’s quality as a striker – 82 goals in 192 matches for Villarreal shows he can do it. But the question remains, is €12m is too big a gamble for a man who hasn’t played any football for a year and a half?
If there was any place more apt to resurrect your career, the Renaissance city of Florence is it.

SERIE A TOP SCORERS 2012-13

18 - Cavani E. (Napoli),
15 - El Shaarawy S. (Milan),
14 - Di Natale A. (Udinese),
11 - Osvaldo P. (Roma),
10 - Gilardino A. (Bologna), Klose M. (Lazio), Lamela E. (Roma), Pazzini G. (Milan),
9 - Hamsik M. (Napoli), Jovetic S. (Fiorentina),
8 - Denis G. (Atalanta), Hernanes A. (Lazio), Milito D. (Inter), Sau M. (Cagliari), Totti F. (Roma),
7 - Belfodil I. (Parma), Bergessio G. (Catania), Bianchi R. (Torino), Borriello M. (Genoa), Icardi M. (Sampdoria), Palacio R. (Inter), Paloschi A. (Chievo), Quagliarella F. (Juventus), Toni L. (Fiorentina),
6 - Cassano A. (Inter), Diamanti A. (Bologna), Giovinco S. (Juventus),
5 - Amauri C. (Parma), Gabbiadini M. (Bologna), Gomez A. (Catania), Ilicic J. (Palermo), Immobile C. (Genoa), Matri A. (Juventus), Miccoli F. (Palermo), Pirlo A. (Juventus), Rodriguez G. (Fiorentina), Vidal A. (Juventus), Vucinic M. (Juventus),
4 - Aquilani A. (Fiorentina), Barrientos P. (Catania), Bonaventura G. (Atalanta), Calaio' E. (Siena), Candreva A. (Lazio), Castro L. (Catania), Destro M. (Roma), Guarin F. (Inter), Inler G. (Napoli), Insigne L. (Napoli), Kone P. (Bologna), Lodi F. (Catania), Maggio C. (Napoli), Marchisio C. (Juventus), Muriel L. (Udinese), Pellissier S. (Chievo), Pogba P. (Juventus), Sansone N. (Parma), Thereau C. (Chievo), Weiss V. (Pescara),
3 - Angella G. (Udinese), Bertolacci A. (Genoa), Bojan P. (Milan), Cambiasso E. (Inter), Celik M. (Pescara), Cerci A. (Torino), Dybala P. (Palermo), Eder C. (Sampdoria), El Hamdaoui M. (Fiorentina), Floccari S. (Lazio), Florenzi A. (Roma), Jankovic B. (Genoa), Lichtsteiner S. (Juventus), Maresca E. (Sampdoria), Mauri S. (Lazio), Maxi Lopez G. (Sampdoria), Nene' A. (Cagliari), Reginaldo F. (Siena), Roncaglia F. (Fiorentina), Valdes J. (Parma),
2 - Abbruscato E. (Pescara), Almiron S. (Catania), Andreolli M. (Chievo), Arevalo Rios E. (Palermo), Asamoah K. (Juventus), Balotelli M. (Milan), Bogdani E. (Siena), Brighi M. (Torino), Carmona C. (Atalanta), Cigarini L. (Atalanta), D'ambrosio D. (Torino), Danilo L. (Udinese), Dessena D. (Cagliari), Gazzi A. (Torino), Giorgi L. (Palermo), Kucka J. (Genoa), Legrottaglie N. (Catania), Maicosuel R. (Udinese), Marquinho M. (Roma), Meggiorini R. (Torino), Montolivo R. (Milan), Munari G. (Sampdoria), Nainggolan R. (Cagliari), Nocerino A. (Milan), Paci M. (Siena), Pandev G. (Napoli), Paolucci M. (Siena), Parolo M. (Parma), Pereyra R. (Udinese), Pinilla M. (Cagliari), Pinzi G. (Udinese), Pjanic M. (Roma), Poli A. (Sampdoria), Ribeiro T. (Cagliari), Rigoni M. (Genoa), Robinho R. (Milan), Rosi A. (Parma), Rosina A. (Siena), Santana M. (Torino), Savic S. (Fiorentina), Stoian A. (Chievo), Terlizzi C. (Pescara), Valiani F. (Siena), Vergassola S. (Siena),
1 - Basha M. (Torino), Basta D. (Udinese), Biabiany J. (Parma), Biava G. (Lazio), Birsa V. (Torino), Bjarnason B. (Pescara), Boateng K. (Milan), Borja Valero I. (Fiorentina), Bradley M. (Roma), Brienza F. (Palermo), Budan I. (Palermo), Burdisso N. (Roma), Caceres J. (Juventus), Cannavaro P. (Napoli), Caprari G. (Pescara), Casarini F. (Cagliari), Cascione E. (Pescara), Castan L. (Roma), Cherubin N. (Bologna), Chivu C. (Inter), Cofie I. (Chievo), Conti D. (Cagliari), Costa A. (Sampdoria), Coutinho P. (Inter), Cruzado R. (Chievo), Cuadrado J. (Fiorentina), D'agostino G. (Pescara), De Jong N. (Milan), De Luca G. (Atalanta), Di Michele D. (Chievo), Domizzi M. (Udinese), Dzemaili B. (Napoli), Ederson H. (Lazio), Ekdal A. (Cagliari), Emanuelson U. (Milan), Emeghara I. (Siena), Estigarribia M. (Sampdoria), Galloppa D. (Parma), Gamberini A. (Napoli), Gastaldello D. (Sampdoria), Giaccherini E. (Juventus), Glik K. (Torino), Gonzalez A. (Lazio), Granqvist A. (Genoa), Guarente T. (Bologna), Jonathas C. (Pescara), Konko A. (Lazio), Krsticic N. (Sampdoria), Lazzari A. (Udinese), Ledesma C. (Lazio), Ljajic A. (Fiorentina), Lopez N. (Roma), Lucarelli A. (Parma), Luciano S. (Chievo), Marchese G. (Catania), Marchionni M. (Parma), Merkel A. (Genoa), Mesto G. (Napoli), Migliaccio G. (Fiorentina), Moralez M. (Atalanta), Nelson A. (Palermo), Neto L. (Siena), Obiang P. (Sampdoria), Paglialunga M. (Catania), Palladino R. (Parma), Pasqual M. (Fiorentina), Pasquale G. (Udinese), Pasquato C. (Bologna), Peluso F. (Atalanta), Pereira A. (Inter), Perrotta S. (Roma), Pisano E. (Genoa), Pisano F. (Cagliari), Pizarro D. (Fiorentina), Portanova D. (Bologna), Pozzi N. (Sampdoria), Quintero J. (Pescara), Raimondi C. (Atalanta), Ranegie M. (Udinese), Ranocchia A. (Inter), Romulo O. (Fiorentina), Samuel W. (Inter), Sansone G. (Torino), Sayd A. (Genoa), Sestu A. (Siena), Sgrigna A. (Torino), Sneijder W. (Inter), Sorensen F. (Bologna), Spolli N. (Catania), Stendardo G. (Atalanta), Stevanovic A. (Torino), Tachtsidis P. (Roma), Taider S. (Bologna), Togni R. (Pescara), Vukusic A. (Pescara), Zaccardo C. (Parma), Ze' Eduardo J. (Siena)

Wednesday 6 February 2013

Baggio 'seller' would offload Jovetic

Former Fiorentina patron Ranieri Pontello thinks that the club should learn from the Roberto Baggio sale and cash in on Stevan Jovetic.
The Pontello family were in charge of the Tuscan outfit in 1990 when they opted to sell Baggio to arch rivals Juventus for a world record £8m fee.
Now, almost 25 years later, Pontello has told Tuttosport that Juve-target Jovetic should also be sacrificed.
“There is a similarity between the two situations,” he stated. “We are talking about great players and two important clubs such as Fiorentina and Juventus.
“However, between Baggio and Jovetic, there is a difference. The Baggio of that time was superior to the present Jovetic.
“But I would be in favour of a sale if a notable offer is put on the table. After all, the Della Valle family are looking for balance between results and their accounts.
“With the money they can get from Jovetic, the Viola could move really well on the market. The club have shown recently that they are excellent at investing.”
Baggio’s sale to the Turin giants led to protests in the streets of Florence.
“There would be no revolt for Jovetic,” he added. “Times have changed. There are few flag-bearers in the game now.”
Juventus and Fiorentina will face each other in Serie A this weekend.

Viola: Jovetic 'not for sale'

Stevan Jovetic will not be leaving Fiorentina, according to chairman Mario Cognigni.
Juventus have been strongly linked with a move for the Montenegro international, and the Italian media reported that the Florence club rejected an offer of €13million (£11.2m) plus Alessandro Matri and Michele Pazienza.
Cognigni has now insisted that 23-year-old Jovetic, who has nine goals in 18 Serie A matches this season, is not for sale at any price.
"It's not possible that there will be any negotiations with Juventus for Stevan," Cognigni told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
"In fact, it's not possible to deal with them or anyone else: Jovetic is not for sale.
"He is happy at Fiorentina and has a contract with us for another three years."

Fiorentina vs Parma, Final Score 2-0: Crociati crushed by on-form Viola

Fiorentina have ended their long spell without a win by seeing off Parma at the Stadio Artemio Franchi. After a frantic first half, Parma had no response in the second, as the Viola cruised to a comfortable victory

Vincenzo Montella's side go a provisional fifth with their first win in over a month, while Parma stay tenth ahead of tonight's game between AC Milan and Udinese.
Fiorentina could have taken the lead early on, as Juan Cuadrado's cushioned header fell for Luca Toni in the area after just five minutes, though veteran Parma defender Alessandro Lucarelli dived at the feet of the striker, preventing him getting a clean shot on goal from point-blank range.
The viola played at a rapid intensity in the opening moments, leading to some chaotic and disorganised scenes in the Parma defence. Had it not been for Alessandro Lucarelli and Gabriel Paletta's last-ditch defending, the visitors would have been down.
Fiorentina's Emiliano Viviano was the first goalkeeper of the two to be properly tested, when Lucarelli got up to meet a Jaime Valdés free-kick from the left. The captain's header was comfortably swept up by the Tuscan, minutes before his side had the ball into the net for the first time.
Battling midfielder Giulio Migliaccio headed the ball into the back of the net, though unfortunately for the home crowd, he headed Parma goalkeeper Antonio Mirante along with it. With Mirante sprawled on the turf, the goal was discounted and the match went on.
It was the visitors' turn to have the next attack, coming through a counter by Jonathan Biabiany down the right. He crossed the ball in, with Ishak Belfodil flicking it towards goal at the near post, though Viviano -- who thus far hasn't had a successful Fiorentina career -- made a great stop.
Valdés and Sansone both went close for Parma, but just when it seemed they had weathered the viola storm, they conceded. A Cuadrado cross found a leaping Luca Toni, climbing above Gabriel Paletta to sneak a header just beyond Mirante for the opener, just under half-an-hour in.
Cuadrado was causing all kinds of problems, and his drilled cross just seconds later almost led to a second. Biabiany was offering Parma their best counter-attacking threat, and his mazy run down the right found Sansone in the box. The young winger curled it towards goal, but it was well kept out by the on-form Viviano.
Parma's designs on continuing the momentum built up towards the end of the first half at the start of the second were quickly expunged by an early goal from Stevan Jovetić. Manuel Pasqual's cross found Migliaccio, whose header was bounced on by the Montenegrin striker, stabbing the ball in for 2-0.
It should have been three moments later, when Cuadrado's run ended in him dragging a shot narrowly wide, before the game gradually wound down into a midfield battle, with no invention and chances created. Both coaches turned the match into a catwalk show in which to parade their new signings, as Andrea Coda and McDonald Mariga appeared for Parma, and Marcelo Larrondo for for Fiorentina.
Cuadrado's work wasn't done yet, as he lashed the ball towards the top corner inside the final ten minutes. Fortunately, Mirante hadn't dozed off, diving to make an impressive save. He did so again in stoppage time, when Mounir El Hamdaoui struck the ball towards the near post from close range, as the game ended 2-0.
Fiorentina (3-5-2): Emiliano Viviano; Stefan Savić, Gonzalo Rodríguez, Facundo Roncaglia; Manuel Pasqual, Borja Valero (Cristian Llama 87), Giulio Migliaccio, David Pizzaro, Juan Cuadrado; Luca Toni (Marcelo Larrondo 79), Stevan Jovetić (Mounir El Hamdaoui 71)
(Parma (4-3-3): Antonio Mirante; Massimo Gobbi, Alessandro Lucarelli, Gabriel Paletta, Aleandro Rosi (Andrea Coda 57); Marco Parolo, Jaime Valdés (McDonald Mariga 66); Nicola Sansone, Ishak Belfodil (Amauri 57), Jonathan Biabiany
Goals: Toni 27 (F) Jovetić 50 (F)

Wednesday 30 January 2013

Juventus push for Jovetic as Fiorentina come in for Quagliarella

Fiorentina are making a move for Juventus striker Fabio Quagliarella.
Viola coach Vincenzo Montella wants to sign the Italy international before tomorrow night's transfer deadline.
Tuttosport says Juve GM Beppe Marotta is open to discussing terms - if Fiorentina are prepared to consider Stevan Jovetic's sale.
Marotta would be willing to accept even first refusal on Jovetic with the view to signing the Montenegro international in the summer.

Wednesday 23 January 2013

Arsenal £20m offer for Jovetic?

Arsenal are reportedly preparing a £20m offer to tempt Fiorentina star Stevan Jovetic away in the January transfer window.
According to the British media, the Montenegro international is a prime target for Arsene Wenger, who also heaped praise on Milan’s Stephan El Shaarawy recently.
The rumour comes just days after Fiorentina again assured Jovetic was not for sale, even with the arrival of Giuseppe Rossi from Villarreal.
Juventus have repeatedly made offers for Jovetic and seen them rebuffed, as the Viola are flying high in Serie A and pushing for a European place.
“Juventus have to get over it,” smiled general manager Sandro Mencucci on Sky Sport Italia.
“Jovetic is staying next season even if Giuseppe Rossi has arrived.”

Friday 28 December 2012

Fiorentina attacker Jovetic wants Serie A stay

Steven Jovetic has thrown his future at into question as he has stated that he could make a move in the summer.
The Montenegrin striker has been linked with a move to the Viola’s hated rivals in and as of yet he has not denied those rumours.
But Jovetic has admitted that if he did leave Fioretina, it would be for another team in Italy.
“I am only thinking about the present,” he told Corriere della Sera.
“I feel great in Florence and I want to win something with this shirt.”
“I will talk with the club in June about my future, but if I did change teams, I’d like to stay in Italy.”