Francesco Baiano, former Fiorentina striker, expressed his opinion on the club's current situation during an interview with Radio Firenze. According to the former player, the team has suffered a strong personnel turnover, with many new arrivals failing to integrate quickly. “It's normal that when you change so many players not all of them adapt immediately,” said Baiano, underlining that the difficulty is not due to a lack of talent, but to the complexity of football as a science.
Baiano reiterated his belief that Fiorentina are a top team, but noted that their recent performance had not lived up to expectations. “Even last year we thought that the management had built an important squad and then we saw how the situation evolved,” he commented, highlighting the inconsistency between the purchasing decisions and the results on the field. He also mentioned Lazio as an example of a team that is exceeding their potential, while he made it difficult to imagine that Frosinone could move up the table.
On the topic of defensive tactics, Baiano criticized the approach adopted by the current coach, stating that the defense continues to make the same mistakes. “I don't think the coach said to make statues in the penalty area,” he said, referring to a possible man-marking strategy. He also highlighted a certain fear in the defensive line, which he believes hinders the ability to adequately cover the penalty area.
Despite the criticism, Baiano maintained a balanced tone, acknowledging that the team is not without quality. However, he expressed concern over the tactical management and lack of cohesion among the players. His analysis suggests that Fiorentina needs a more structured approach and greater synergy between members of the defensive unit.
For now, Fiorentina continue to struggle to consolidate their position in Serie A, while the management and coach will have to face the challenges posed by the lack of continuity and the need to improve defensive performance. The future of the team will depend on the ability to resolve these critical issues and make the most of the available talent.