Fiorentina ultras in the Curva Fiesole welcomed Juventus and their newly acquired star forward with hostility on the event of the Coppa Italia 1st leg encounter at the Stadio Artemio Franchi. The vocal crowd hurled insults and jeers at ex-striker Dusan Vlahovic even before the match kicked off, and made their feelings known for the entirety of the evening.
La Viola have been handed a €10,000 fine for the behavior of the fans in the stadium, who incessantly whistled at the Serbian with every passing move.
Curva Fiesole di una bellezza, oserei dire, COMMOVENTE. Son rimasto senza parole.?⚜️ pic.twitter.com/Cainbqcc1G
— Free As A Bird (@pr1malscream) March 3, 2022
The statement by the Sports Judge reads: “The supporters, before the start and at the end of the match, chanted an insulting chorus against a player of the opposing team.” (via Tuttosport)
The club ultras also displayed a banner before the start of the match, citing a dig at “traitor” Vlahovic via a picturesque display of Dante Alighieri’s Inferno. It read: “Fiorenza, per lo ‘nferno tuo nome si spande,” meaning “Florence, throughout Hell thy name is spread abroad.”
Capolavoro assoluto della curva Fiesole a Firenze. Per accogliere Vlahovic si è ispirata al XXXII canto dell'inferno e paragona il serbo a Bocca degli Abati, traditore che passò dai guelfi ai ghibellini. #firenze #fiesole #dante #guelfieghibellini #fiorentina #juventus pic.twitter.com/FriIAZBjyt
— Pablodeluca (@paolodeluca73) March 2, 2022
The full quote compares Vlahovic to one of Dante’s ‘dramatis personae’ Bocca degli Abbati – a traitor in arguably one of Italy’s greatest ever literary works.
The stunning choreography of the tifo was however tainted with derogative chants at the marksman, who was once adored in Florence.
Hier soir la réponse à ce message était déployée en Curva Fiesole: "Qui se présente à l'aube… Qui s'enfuit la nuit. Ultras Juve-Vlahovic qui se ressemble s'assemble: lapins". Si les ultras de la Fiorentina n'ont pas digéré le transfert de Vlahovic c'est qu'il y a des raisons⤵️ pic.twitter.com/KjW3Ivwhyf
— Sébastien Louis (@louis_seba) March 3, 2022
Apart from the aforementioned fine, Fiorentina and Juventus too, were further handed a €2000 penalty. “By way of strict liability, for having unjustifiably delayed the start of the match by about three minutes,” being the reason.
Vlahovic couldn’t replicate his goalscoring form on his return to the ground where he first made a name for himself. Despite his duck, Juventus carved out a victory at the death from Lorenzo Venuti’s unfortunate own goal, taking a slender lead back home for the 2nd leg.
Nevertheless, the Serbian marksman showed his class, as he went on to console the young defender, who broke down as soon as he watched the ball roll into the back of his own net after a wicked deflection.