Paolo Vanoli didn't sugarcoat Fiorentina's latest setback, calling his team "fragile" after a crushing 4-0 defeat to Roma. But the coach insists the Viola must remember just how dire things were when he took over. "It really was a catastrophe when I arrived," Vanoli told reporters, reflecting on a remarkable survival story that almost makes this loss feel like a footnote.
Here's the context that makes this result sting a little less: Fiorentina entered the match at the Stadio Olimpico with a sigh of relief after hearing that Cremonese had lost earlier, all but securing the Tuscans' safety from relegation. That's a huge turnaround for a team that was rock bottom when Vanoli stepped in. But the coach wasn't about to let his squad off the hook. "Knowing the other result should not be an excuse," he said. "We switched off completely after their first goal."
Roma came out firing, and Fiorentina looked shell-shocked from the opening whistle. Within 17 minutes, the Viola were already 2-0 down, with Gianluca Mancini powering home a free header and Wesley sweeping in for the second. Mario Hermoso added a tap-in, and Niccolò Pisilli's header completed the 4-0 rout. It was a performance that Vanoli admitted reminded him of past struggles, like the fragility that surfaced in an earlier defeat to Udinese. "Mistakes happen, and at times this fragility comes back out," he said.
With the game already out of reach at 3-0, Vanoli made a bold move, throwing on youth team striker Riccardo Braschi. The teenager nearly made it a story to remember, thumping the base of the upright within 60 seconds of coming on. With Moise Kean and Roberto Piccoli sidelined by injuries, could Braschi see more action in the season's final stretch? "I would've been happier for him if he had scored," Vanoli said, "but we've had many young players with us this season, and I've always tried to give them a chance. You need to let them grow."
For Fiorentina fans, this defeat is a reminder of the work still to be done, but it's also a testament to how far the team has come. From catastrophe to survival—and maybe, with a bit of youth injection, something more.