The former doubles player’s match. Natali, his memories and analysis: “Whoever goes on court will be decisive. It will be a close match.”
On one side, Pioli’s team, seeking their first league win; on the other, the former Italian’s, capable of establishing themselves as one of the brightest teams of the moment. Two playing philosophies, two opposing moments, a single match charged with meaning. The match was introduced by the perspective of someone who knows both sides well: Cesare Natali, a former defender who wore the jerseys of Fiorentina e Bologna.
Natali, Bologna and Florence cannot be two banal cities for her…
“Not at all. I must say I’ve been fortunate enough to have enjoyed a lot of success both with the Rossoblu and the Viola. I played my first Serie A season in Bologna in 2003 and had the privilege of meeting someone like Carlo Mazzone. Thanks to that experience, I made it to the national team.”
And in Florence?
“Let’s just say I arrived at Fiorentina as a ‘mature’ player. Thanks to another great coach like Prandelli. I’ll never forget the Champions League nights, the Liverpool win, but also Bayern’s defeat in the round of 16.”
Let’s get to the current Viola news: what do you think of Fiorentina?
“A team that is surprising, in a negative way obviously. The choice to invest in a coach like Pioli It hasn’t paid off so far, but I always think that, in the end, the difference has to be made by those who take to the field. I think expectations in Florence at the start of the year were high, and that played a bad role. Now we need balance.”
It’s hard to imagine finding him in a match like today’s against Bologna…
“I don’t think it’s a match with a predetermined ending: there will be a match, for sure. Of course, Bologna has more certainties. But Fiorentina can’t afford to lose another home game…” He sees a Pioli changed compared to the one who coached you in Bologna in 2012?
“No, I don’t think so. The winning experiences he’s had have certainly enriched him, and the status he’s acquired is also very different.”
On the Bologna bench Italian will be absent: an advantage?
“He’s a hammer. So without him… Bologna could lose something.”
