By Chris Wright
Fiorentina have a pretty lousy season in Serie A, languishing down in the lower reaches of the table, just six perilous points above the relegation zone with two games to play. Morale is thin on the ground.
Last night, Fiorentina played second-bottom Novara and, with his side going 2-0 down after just thirty minutes, coach Delio Rossi was forced into making a change; hauling off midfielder Adem Ljajic (the name may ring bells for Man Utd fans) after just 32 minutes.
Ljajic then chose to give Rossi the old ‘sarcastic clap’ treatment as he trudged toward the bench, throwing in a ‘thumbs up’ from the dugout to really put the icing on the dog turd.
This didn’t go down well with Rossi, who duly clambered down into the dugout and slapped seven shades out of the young Serbian midfielder…
The game actually finished 2-2 thanks to a brace from Riccardo Montolivo, but Rossi was sacked by Fiorentina shortly after.
Said Viola president Andrea Della Valle:
“In a few seconds, months of stress came out. I am sorry because [Rossi] has never committed acts of this kind. For his own good to make him understand he has made a mistake I had to take this decision (to sack him). No provocation justifies this reaction.”
“We will also take proportionate measures against Ljajic. Rossi has not justified it to me but he is someone who has never done anything like this.
“I believed this evening we would have achieved safety, certainly not that I would have to take a decision like this.”
Incredible. In the truest sense of the word.