Viola... In English!

Coppa Carnevale Set

This year's version of the prestigious Viareggio Youth Tournament will kick off January 28th as holders Genoa will play Tottenham. 

Group 1                Group 2                    Group 3                      Group 4
Genoa                  Juventus                   AC Milan                      Atalanta
Tottenham            Pumas UNAM             Belasica Strumica         Ujpest
A.P.I.A                  International Allies    Malaysian Indian           Midtjylland
Cisco Roma           Massese                    Cesena                        Sansovino

Group5                 Group6                    Group7                        Group8
Empoli                  Roma                      Vicenza                       Sampdoria
River Plate            Shakhtar Donetsk     Sparta Prague               Club Guarani
De Camberene       Siena                      Anderlecht                   Parma
Cuoio Cappiano     Ascoli                      Pergocrema                 Benevento

Group9                Group10                   Group11                       Group12
Fiorentina            Torino                      Inter                            Serie D Reps
I. Lubjana             Spartak Moscow        Olympiakos                  Pakhtakor
New York Stars     Rimini                      Reggina                        Lazio
San Benedetto      Castelnuovo              Piacenza                      Novara

Prandelli Attends Primavera Match

Coach Cesare Prandelli took some time out from his matchday preparations to watch Fiorentina Primavera's 3-0 victory over bottom-dwelling Triestina.

Starters
Pincio
Alex
Petri
Mazuch
Tagliani
Paolucci
Diakhate
Cardinali
Di Carmine
Casoli
Morelli

Subs
Lepiller 46' (for Morelli)
Hable 70' (for Cardinali)
Bettoni 70' (for Casoli)

Goals
Cardinali 21'
Lepiller 80'
Bettoni 93'

Note -- I found the subs on Fiorentina's official club homepage.  I also used the times of the goals that I found on the club site rather than the ones from the referenced article.

Hable Interview: Translated from Czech

Thanks again to Pavel who provides another nice interview on our other Czech starlet....  Midfield playmaker, Jan Hable.


Let's start with your summer transfer. When did Fiorentina contact you for the first time?
To be honest I don't know. At first they contacted my club after that match in Barcelona. (in Barcelona Hable led a European youth selection as their captain and gave a  very good performance.)

How long did it take you to decide to transfer?  And why was your former club - Hradec Kralove - willing to let their huge talent go?
I just quickly discussed it with my parents and decided to go. The clubs agreed after short negotiations, and it was too important of an offer for my former club to refuse it.

Who did you negotiate with?
I didn't do anything at all.  My agent, Zika, led the negotiations.  Every time there was something new he would call me.

And were there also other clubs interested in signing you?  Or was Fiorentina the one and only interested club?
To be honest I don't know, there were probably other clubs interested, however the only serious contender was Fiorentina. My agent did everything he could to protect me from the pressure of transfer rumors.

Are you content in your club now?
I still have to settle in, learn the language, etc...  Everything is fantastic, however. Much better than I had hoped and imagined!

Can you describe it better?
I can't. I don't know how to explain it exactly. Trainings are much different here, much harder and longer than I was used to.

Do you train with the first team or the Primavera?
I started the pre-season with the first team, but since the Primavera league season began I have been training with them.

What is coach Prandelli like?
He's a very interesting person, to be sure. It's clear that every one of his decisions is wise and acknowledged. And the players adore him.

How would you compare Hradec (Czech 2nd division) matches, with the Primavera ones?
It's hard to compare.  In the Primavera everyone is the same age as me, it's clear that everyone is still improving and needs to learn, but everyone lacks experience and maturity.

And how is the quality of Primavera league? Can you compare it to Czech football?
As I said, it's hard to compare.  It's probably similar in level to our 3rd division, however.

Where is the difference between Czech and Italian football?
Probably tactically. Matches are always very tactically hard, and we also spend huge amounts of time in tactical trainings.

And what about the other Czechs, Ujfalusi and Mazuch? Do you spend time together?
Yes, we go out often, for dinner and such. And I live with Ondrej Mazuch.

And what about the girls?  What are they like there?
Very interesting.  They are a bit darker skinned, and very nice.  However, nowhere else are they as beautiful as the girls at home!

Are you still learning Italian? Can you understand it?
I always attend lessons, together with Mazuch.  We have improved a lot, but it takes a lot of time and hard work.

And your understanding of Italian?
We have basic knowledge.  It's hard, however, to understand the coaches.  During trainings it's a problem.

What is your goal for this season? Enter the first team?
Above all to settle in here. Settle, and learn the language. Without that it's impossible to go on here.  When I manage to do that, I can aim higher.

And other goals for the future?
I don't like to reveal my goals, however the Primavera is an important competition, so I hope to do well there.  There is also the European U-19 Championship.

My take -- Good work again, Pavel.  He needs to get physically stronger before Prandelli gives him a chance.  How popular would you say Fiorentina is in the Czech Republic?

Youth Sector Recognition

Internationals: De Vitis, Angelica, Carraro and Iemmello with the U-16

Four Fiorentina youth players have been called up by coach Antonio Rocca's Italian U-16 side.  Alessandro De Vitis (Midfielder), Sebastiano Angelica (Midfielder), Federico Carraro (Midfielder) and Pitro Iemmello (Attacker) will take part in the 8th Annual Val de Marne Tournament which is taking place October 28 though November 4.

My take -- All 4 of these players ply their trade with our Allievi Nazionali side.  There were so many called up that this weekend's Allievi match versus Pisa has been postponed to November 7.

Big Primavera Win

Bollini: Highly satisfied by this victory

"I am very satisfied by this win which rewards the entire team's hard work during the week," these are the words of Fiorentina Primavera coach Alberto Bollini.

"I have seen a very determined side which showed character in a difficult match.  I was pleased by how we played and the force of will of the entire group.  I saw that even those players who had to watch from the stands or the bench encouraged their teammates and were among the first to applaud their efforts at the end of the match, this is an important sign.  My compliments to the young men because they are showing their quality and always improving."

"Hable was important as a playmaker.  Romizi gave an important contribution as he did last Saturday against Treviso and he has been rewarded for his fine form by being called up by the National team.  All of the players, however, know how important they are to the squad and they are correct in this thinking."

My take -- He is referring to the Primavera's 2-1 victory over AC Milan on Saturday...  The Rossoneri had a sub on the bench named Ancellotti.  I wonder if it's a misspelling and he is related to their first-team coach.  Any one know?  Our squad for the match is below.

Fiorentina: Pazzagli, Alex, Fedi, Mazuch, Tagliani, Paolucci, D'Ambrosio, Filipe Ribeiro (65' Romizi), Di Carmine (87' Lepri), Hable, Lepiller All. Bollini (Bacciosi, Petri, Aya, Romizi, Lepri, Casoli, Nocciolini).
Goals: 5' D'Ambrosio; 55' Di Carmine

Mazuch Turning Heads

Mazuch a youngster to watch.  He scored for his national side.

One player to watch for the future?  There are many young talents wearing the Viola shirt but one of the most important could end up being central defender Ondrej Mazuch.  In the two matches he has played with the Fiorentina Primavera it is obvious that he is a grade above the rest of the squad.  Some of that could be because he is used to playing against bigger players and competing in high level international tournaments, like the U-20 World Cup.

Mazuch is blessed with great physical attributes that make him seemingly unbeatable for opposing attackers, these same attributes also make him dangerous on the attacking end. It is not surprising that he was able to score in the Czech U-21 side's most recent match against Liechtenstein.  For all of these reasons we believe that Prandelli could give him a chance with the first team.

Costly Primavera Win?

Primavera: Lepiller Show

A beautiful Fiorentina Primavera succeeded in taking all three points away at tough Treviso.  It ended 2-4 and the player of the match was Fiorentina's French attacker Mathias Lepiller, author of a beautiful hat trick.  Fiorentina's other goal was scored by Paolucci. 

Diakhite was sent off and Hable and Alex left prematurely with injuries.

U-19 Call-Ups

National Team: Romizi and Tagliani with the Under-19

Two of Fiorentina's youth players have been called up to Francesco Rocca's Italian U-19 team.  Marco Augusto Romizi and Massimiliano Tagliani have been selected to take part in the U-19 side's preparations at the Borghesiana, October 14-17.

My take -- Tagliani's a defender and is called up all of the time and has been for at least a year or two.  Romizi's a midfielder and, significantly, only 17 years old.  Very impressive.

Bollini to FV:  "Mazuch impresses me."

Following the success over Cagliari; Fiorentina's Primavera coach, Alberto Bollini, commented on advancing to the next round. 

"Even more than the result, what we wanted to do today (Saturday) was to create the right mentality.  I had made it a goal of ours to continue working to grow and improve and I am satisfied with the team's attitude." 

"I believe that this early season has seen us start off on the right foot with a certain harmony amongst the players and we have made some big steps forward, including in the physical aspects.  We only need to improve in linking up the various phases of the match, especially in view of the start of our regular season against a very strong Atalanta side."

He also took the opportunity to comment on individual players considering that Saturday's match marked the Viola debut of Czech Ondrej Mazuch.  "I'm not surprised at all.  He has great technical abilities and an above average personality.  He's a true point of reference for the entire defense.  Hable improved a lot, in relation to the first leg.  He played an excellent first half and won a great number of balls."

Primavera Advance In Coppa Italia

Primavera: 1-0 over Cagliari.  Mazuch makes his debut.

The return leg of the first round of the Coppa Italia saw Fiorentina Primavera earn a 1-0 victory (4-0 aggregate) over Cagliari.  Alex (18-y-o defender) headed in a Lepiller corner kick for the match's lone goal.  The Viola advance on the strength of this win and the 0-3 in the first leg.  Of note were Lepiller's sending off and the Viola debut of 18-y-o Czech defender Ondrej Mazuch.  Jan Hable, the other Czech, also played.