Viola Going Contract Crazy

By: Martha | June 3rd, 2007

Fiorentina freaking rule, people. Even with the influx of cash from the sale of Luca Toni, they’re resisting the temptation to blow all the money on a big-name, star signing and, instead, are holding firmly to their plan of buying youth, and doing so wisely. To wit: In addition to the acquisition of sought-after starlet Aturo Lupoli in February and Czech youngster Jan Hable late last month, the Viola recently announced the signing of Hable’s countryman Ondrej Mazuch and Belgian defender Anthony Vanden Borre.

Like Hable, Mazuch is only 18 years old and, again like Hable, has signed a five-year deal. He spent last season with Czech side Brno, for whom he played in 25 games as a defender and scored a single goal. Vander Borre, meanwhile — that’s him on the left right above — is also a defender, but is an old man of 20; he’s been in the Belgian national team since 2004. He joined Anderlecht as an eight-year-old, made his debut in the senior squad in 2003 at 16, and proceeded to play 49 games and score three goals for the club. (And Wikipedia wants you to know he’s very popular among players of Football Manager 2007. File that away, boys and girls.)

Man alive — combine these defensive players with the attackers already at the club and the Viola are looking more exciting by the day. Barring injury disasters (knock on wood) or more scandals (knocking on more wood), they’ve got potential to seriously threaten the big boys next season.

Category: Fiorentina, Rumors & News, Serie A

Tags: Anthony Vanden Borre, Fiorentina, Ondrej Mazuch, Rumors -amp; News, Serie A

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Comments  

• Steven |  June 3rd, 2007 at 11:11 am

  
  
  

  I hope he succeeds, but the reason Vanden Borre failed in Belgium, is because of his lame-ass attitude. He’s a great footballer, but he’s even better at pickin’ up stupid red cards, pissin’ off teammates and coaches, and not showing up for training.

  But anyway, Prandelli is a coach who can put his players on the same line, and that’s what Vercauteren (his Anderlecht coach) couldn’t, so maybe we can see another Belgian player succeed in Italy.

  Posted from Belgium

  

• tmc |  June 3rd, 2007 at 2:06 pm

  
  
  

  At the risk of sounding like a broken record, it seems like my boys are going about developing the squad the right way. Perhaps the most encouraging are the many positive quotes from players regarding the club. It seems like Fiorentina is a place that players want to be now, and people are realizing that this is a team on the come. I really wish the start of the next season wasn’t so far away, but it will be really interesting to see how these things develop. Forza Viola!

  Posted from United States

  

• Token Euro |  June 3rd, 2007 at 7:24 pm

  
  
  

  That actually isn’t Vanden Borre (he was on the right side of the original pic), it’s central defender/midfielder Mark De Man.

  Vanden Borre would be here:
  http://www.nieuwsblad.be/assets/images_upload/vdb_410.jpg

  Posted from Belgium

  

• Martha |  June 4th, 2007 at 12:45 am

  
  
  

  Thanks for that, Steven — I didn’t know he had attitude problems. Fingers crossed Prandelli can sort him out.

  I’m with you, tmc — I actually almost wrote “Bring on August” in that post, it’s killing me to have to wait to see how all this shakes out.

  And DOH! Thanks, Token, I’ll go find another picture.

  Posted from Portugal

  

• Corey |  June 4th, 2007 at 6:14 am

  
  
  

  The picture is correct, he is on the right. Anyways, Van Den Borre has alot of promise, and he and Vincent Kompany came through the youth system together. The attitude problems I had not heard of, but he wont get away with that in Italy, so you guys look good for he future

  Posted from United States

  

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