Fan v. Fan: Juventus-Fiorentina
11/10/2004 11:15:00 AM
Not many people outside of Italy know what a huge rivalry there is between these two clubs who face each other tonight in the Delle Alpi stadium. It dates back from the early 80's, when Antognoni's Fiorentina was fighting for titles they frequently thought were unfairly ending up in Juventus' hands. The relationship deteriorated even more when Roberto Baggio was sold to the Bianconeri in what can be considered the biggest transfer coup in Italian football history. Juve fan Dejan Constantini and Fiorentina fan Roberta Beccali spoke to us on the current state of affairs and tonight's clash...
Goal.com: First of all, how do you feel about your side’s campaign so far? Have you been delighted or dismayed by it?
Dejan: Very, but very surprised. I did not think that we could do so well so quickly. Our squad is inferior to some other teams, maybe also Fiorentina, especially in quality terms, but we have the added value of Capello.
Roberta: I think Fiorentina have been doing well, thanks to a good transfer market. Too bad many of our players are on loan or joint ownership.
Goal.com: Tactically, where do you think this match may be won or lost?
Dejan: I am afraid of the speed of Fiorentina’s forwards, and the fact that they move a lot around the offensive line. Usually we suffer these things. I confide in the strength of our midfield and the offensive surges of our wings, especially Zambrotta.
Roberta: On midfield, seen as in this moment Fiorentina do not have a true striker. The loss might arrive for the same reason, without a central striker, it might be a problem to score if our midfield is outplayed by the opposition.
Goal.com: Which opposition player do you consider to be the greatest threat to your team in this clash?
Dejan: I am afraid of Miccoli. He will have that classic desire to demonstrate that those who sold him were wrong.
Roberta: Buffon, Zambrotta, Ibrahimovic, Nedved, Emerson, in other words Juventus are a team that has great players in all sectors of the field.
Goal.com: Who from your team should we keep a particular eye on here?
Dejan: What makes us so great this season is that we are a total team, meaning it’s the team as one, and not one particular player, that makes the difference.
Roberta: I think Miccoli has a great desire of revenge, and will try in all manners to steal the show.
Goal.com: What are your side’s greatest strengths?
Dejan: Emerson transformed our team from insecure to extremely confident. He also helps the defense out a lot.
Roberta: For me Ariatti represents the real strength of the entire team, a warrior that fights from the beginning to the end.
Goal.com: And weaknesses?
Dejan: In every match I wait for Thuram’s costly error. With Miccoli, Nakata, and Jorgensen to face, I’m worried it could happen again.
Roberta: Nakata has not been performing as we hoped, but he might not start against Juventus.
Goal.com: What single thing irritates you most about them?
Dejan: They are arrogant. They have never done anything in their lives, and think they are the best human beings on the planet. They should dive into the river Arno and cleanse themselves of all their arrogance.
Roberta: They have too much political clout in the world of football…
Goal.com: And what do you grudgingly admire?
Dejan: Their sold-out stadium in Serie C, while we have a hard time filling up the Delle Alpi while sitting first in the table.
Roberta: They are a solid club and can always create a winning spirit amongst their players.
Goal.com: What’s your fondest memory of past clashes against them?
Dejan: I remember a 3-0 win in Turin when I was a kid. It was pouring and Captain Conte scored, it was one of my first games in the Delle Alpi. But the one that I will never forget was the 3-2 win we achieved in one of our title seasons. We were down by two goals, and cameback to win the game thanks to a fantastic goal by Del Piero. But I also remember a loss in Firenze, where Baggio refused to take a penalty kick, that De Agostini then missed. As you can see, I have many memories of clashes with them, but not all great.
Roberta: The 3-3 result achieved when Fatih Terim coached us. Chiesa and Nuno Gomes scored for us. Actually this Fiorentina reminds me of Terim’s.
Goal.com: What do you think the score of this match will be?
Dejan: We will win, because two consecutive bad results don’t fit in the Juve mentality, nor Capello’s. In addition, Fiorentina come form a positive spell and its time someone puts them back into their place….Who better than us?
Roberta: A draw, even though Juve will try in all manners to bounce back from the loss suffered at Reggio Calabria.