Having hit the goalkeepers, centerbacks, and fullbacks, we progress to the midfielders (something Fiorentina rarely did this year). There was quite a bit of churn in the engine room so buckle in for a long and bumpy ride. To shorten it a touch, I’m skipping Amir Richardson (he’ll be on the loanee report) and Abdelhamid Sabiri (4o total minutes).
Nicolò Fagioli
The technical ability was never in question. He’s great on the ball, both keeping it and passing it. The problem is that he doesn’t have a regista’s sense
of tempo. Too often he played the simple pass that let opponents off the hook or let them reset their pressing shape rather than trying to get forward. Surrounding him with a more competent team might help but to my eye, he rarely got out of second gear despite the occasional highlights. I also think he escaped blame for a lot of bad turnovers in deep positions. If that’s damning with faint praise, well, yeah. And even so, you could make a case that he was Fiorentina’s best midfielder this year.
Stats: 45 appearances (37 starts), 3 goals, 3 assists, 7 yellow cards
Best moment: His strike against Białystok Jagiellonia may have been better but the comedy of his opener at Como takes the cake. Dude’s got a knack for having the ball bounce back to him after shooting and it’s a very fun bit.
What’s next: He’s all over the transfer rumors—AC Milan, the Premier League—and he might earn a significant fee. If not, he’ll get another chance to prove himself next year.
Final grade: C+ Sometimes maybe good, sometimes maybe…
Rolando Mandragora
The unholy heater he ended last year on went cold but the Mandrake persisted despite the mess in midfield making it difficult for players to figure out what they were supposed to be doing. Roly played deeper over the back half of the season and wasn’t nearly as influential in the final third but still contributed goals and assists. His athletic limitations mean that he’ll always struggle at certain aspects of play but he did his best and never complained, which is more than can be said for much of this squad.
Stats: 47 appearances (37 starts), 8 goals, 5 assists, 9 yellow cards
Best moment: Has to be an out-of-this-world strike against his former club, doesn’t it? Cripes.
What’s next: He turns 29 this month and his contract runs out in 2028. If anyone comes in with a big bid, Paratici will probably pull the trigger. If not, though, he’ll become a key cog under the next boss the same way he’s been for every coach in Florence for the past 4 years.
Final grade: C+ A listless start, a resolute finish, and a couple of jaw-dropping highlights is just what he does.
Cher Ndour
Nobody was sure what to expect from the big guy this summer because he was barely an even an outline. It took him just a few months to fill in the lines and display what he is: a big, athletic midfielder who can do just about everything. At the start of the year, I was most impressed with his off-ball work, which required a lot of intelligence and energy. By the end of the year, Ndour had added goals to his motor and physicality and even deservedly earned his first senior cap. It’s been an amazing year for him.
Stats: 47 appearances (33 starts), 7 goals, 3 assists, 7 yellow cards
Best moment: Not to go back to the well too often but his opener against Juventus? Yeah, that’s the one.
What’s next: Although Paratici doubtless wants to hang onto him as one of the building blocks for this next cycle, guys with Ndour’s skill set tend to attract attention from the biggest leagues. He’s under contract until 2029 so it would take quite a bit to pry him away, at least.
Final grade: B Developed faster and in different directions than I’d thought possible.
Jacopo Fazzini
Brought in for €10 million last summer, expectations were high for the Empoli playmaker but he immediately got lost in the shuffle. His dribbling was good enough but he was astonishingly bad as a passer. Neither Pioli nor Vanoli trusted him as a midfielder, likely due to that inability to distribute the ball and also for his reading of the game, and used him as a second striker and a winger, respectively, but neither move got anything out of him.
Stats: 32 appearances (12 starts), 1 assist, 3 yellow cards
Best moment: In the 2nd half of the win at Jagiellonia Białystok, he was involved in all 3 goals. He crossed for Ranieri’s back post header, won a free kick that Mandragora smashed home, and went on a long run that directly led to Roberto Piccoli winning a penalty. I dunno, man. I’m grasping.
What’s next: Maybe a fresh start under a new coach will fix him but he might need a change of scenery for a year.
Final grade: D- Spent the season stuck in an Escher drawing, finding dead ends that shouldn’t exist.
Simon Sohm
Had a couple of moments but was largely a flop over the first 3 months. Despite his size and athleticism, played with a curious lack of force (e.g. losing every aerial duel, getting bodied by opponents) and his suspect technical ability means he’s absent if he can’t impose himself physically. It got so bad that he was loaned to Bologna in January, where he played a bit part for Vincenzo Italiano’s boys.
Stats: 21 appearances, 1 goal, 1 assist, 2 yellow cards
Best moment: I want to say it was his only goal but even that came in a loss. I’ll say it was when he first signed because he seemed to fit exactly what Fiorentina needed in a rotational midfielder.
What’s next: It sounds like Bologna won’t trigger its €15 million option to keep him so he’s heading back to Florence. He’s better than he showed but the narrative has already hardened around him in Florence and I’m not sure he can escape it.
Final grade: D- Not a great sign when a €15 million midfielder falls out of the rotation this quickly, even on a team as dysfunctional as this one.
Hans Nicolussi Caviglia
He was supposed to be the midfield general who does all the little things to stitch together the team but fell miles short of that and was out of the team by November. I remember him committing a few tactical fouls and or getting turned over but mostly I remember him jogging back and forth without making any effort to show to the ball at any time, leading to a team that was fundamentally broken. His move to Parma went better and he might stick there. Best of luck to him but there’s a reason Fiorentina lost every Serie A game that he started.
Stats: 16 appearances (12 starts), 1 assist, 4 yellow cards
Best moment: I guess his lone assist gets the nod, even though it was really just a hopeful poke over the top that Moise Kean did all the work on.
What’s next: He might’ve done enough to convince Parma to make his move permanent. If not, he’ll head back to Venezia and could help the Lagunari out as they return to the top flight.
Final grade: F Got in some cardio but that was about it.
Giovanni Fabbian
As soon as he scored against Fiorentina, we all knew what would happen and sure enough, he subbed in for the Viola a week later. Touted as a big, strong off-ball runner who could be decisive in the penalty box, he was used in a deeper role than he’s used to and didn’t adapt. He’s not a passer, not a dribbler, and doesn’t do much out of possession. His late runs into the penalty area could be useful but he needs to diversify his game if he wants to make it at this level.
Stats: 22 appearances, 1 assist, 2 yellow cards
Best moment: His towering header to pull one back for Bologna against Fiorentina, obviously. He was good in that game, too; he ate Nicolussi Caviglia’s lunch, dinner, and breakfast the following day.
What’s next: Fiorentina didn’t get relegated and is rewarded by paying €15 million for Vincenzo Uomodulto. I’ll be interested to see if he sticks around or gets flipped on loan.
Final grade: D Paratici’d better hope that a new coach and a new system will bring out Fabbian’s best because he can’t afford another passenger on this roster.
Marco Brescianini
The veteran joined on loan from Atalanta in January and quickly showed us what a competent Serie A midfielder looks like. He borked a couple of good scoring chances but made a significant impact on several games, particularly against boyhood club AC Milan.
Stats: 17 appearances (11 starts), 1 goal, 1 assist, 2 yellow cards
Best moment: His only goal halved the deficit against Cagliari as he dominated the final 30 minutes but couldn’t quite earn his side a point.
What’s next: Fiorentina owes la Dea €10 million for him after securing survival. Due to his experience and versatility, he’ll stick around as a squad player and, depending on Paratici’s moves, could end up being a regular starter.
Final grade: C+ Came in and did a job, which is more than can be said for a lot of his teammates.
