Fiorentina have officially preserved their place in Italy's top flight for another season, a feat that in the cold arithmetic of the league table repr...
Fiorentina have officially preserved their place in Italy's top flight for another season, a feat that in the cold arithmetic of the league table represents a job done. Yet, in the passionate theatre of the Stadio Franchi, mathematics gave way to raw emotion as the Viola faithful greeted the final whistle of a 1. 1 draw with Genoa with a chorus of jeers that echoed long after the players had trudged down the tunnel. For a club of Fiorentina's pedigree, mere survival is a bitter pill, and the fans made their displeasure known to the powers that be in no uncertain terms. The match itself was a tale of two halves. Genoa, battling their own demons near the relegation zone, gave a good account of themselves, snatching a lead through a well worked move that left the Viola defence flat footed. Fiorentina, to their credit, showed resilience to draw level through a clinical finish from their Nigerian international, the Super Eagles talisman who has been the lion's share of their attacking threat this term. But the equaliser, while crucial in the scheme of things for the point it secured, could not mask the general lack of fluidity and invention from the home side. The midfield struggled to impose itself, and the final ball too often went astray, leaving the forwards feeding on scraps. In the grand scheme of the campaign, safety is safety. The club can now plan for next season without the dread of the second tier. But the atmosphere at the final whistle suggests that the board and the coaching staff have much work to do to win back the hearts of a demanding support base. As one fan was heard to say in the stands, survival is not enough for a club of this stature. The powers that be at Fiorentina must now look in the mirror and ask themselves whether this drab performance truly represents the ambition of a city that dreams of European nights. Back home in Nigeria, the reaction among the football faithful was equally split. At a crowded viewing centre in Surulere, Lagos, the customary cheer that greeted the Nigerian international's goal quickly gave way to a collective shrug as the final whistle confirmed the draw. Men in agbada and young boys in replica jerseys alike shook their heads, muttering that a club of Fiorentina's history should be fighting for continental places, not celebrating the mere avoidance of the drop. As the last bottles of soft drink were drained and the plastic chairs folded away, the consensus was clear: this was a point that felt like a loss, and the Viola have much to prove if they are to reclaim the respect of their global following, from Florence to the viewing centres of Abuja.
