Sandro Mencucci, CEO, ACF Fiorentina.© ISLItalian football is traditionally associated with rock-solid defence, having popularised catenaccio,the extreme defensive strategy that made Italian teams once near-impossible to beat. However, Associazione Calcio Firenze Fiorentina are the antithesis of this stereotype, playing an attractive brand of possession-based attacking football. The club representatives now want to implement this philosophy with FC Pune City, who have announced a tie-up with the Italian giants.“Fiorentina is playing with one of the most beautiful football styles in Europe. We would like to put our philosophy into practice through Franco Colomba, Pune City head coach. We are looking to play positive football by holding the ball and by attacking the opposition when we are able to,” revealed Leonardo Limatola, head, planning and development, ACF Fiorentina.He however clarified that “playing offensive football doesn’t mean playing with more or less defensive players. It is an attitude, and it depends on the quality and the ability of the players. If you have good defenders, you need to play with good defenders and they will love to go all the way (to the opposition box),” he explained.Sharing his thoughts on Indian football and his expectations on the occasion of the launch of Pune City and the announcement of the Italian club’s association with the new venture, Limatola said, “The quality of Indian football can be compared to the Italian fourth division at the moment. We need to incorporate a football culture, bring in specialized coaches and specialized trainers, use more expert players.”We have talked about the possibility of the pre-season in Florence. We would like to share all our facilities, training camp and the expertise of our coaches with the players of Pune CitySandro Mencucci, CEO - ACF FiorentinaFiorentina have first-hand experience of the Italian fourth division, because that is where, after the previous incarnation of the club went bankrupt, a resurrected Viola (the name derives from their purple home colours) kicked off in 2002, before quickly clawing their way back into Serie A (where they have finished in the top four twice in succession now) and becoming regular competitors in European football. Their experience of starting anew and rebuilding the club from scratch will go a long way in helping Pune City in their efforts to build a sustainable brand identity and a successful club.The Italian also shed some light on what needs to be done in order to improve local standards. “For the development of the club we need to start with good organization. We also have to improve the quality and knowhow in Indian football,” he stated.Fiorentina CEO Sandro Mencucci has further opened the doors for Pune City to learn the trade in Italy. “We have talked about the possibility of the pre-season in Florence. We would like to share all our facilities, training camp and the expertise of our coaches with the players of Pune City,” he said.
