When Fiorentina kick off their Serie A campaign against Inter, at least six of the XI which started in Week 1 last season will have left the club.
The Viola have sold a number of last season’s key men, and a glance at the team which faced Juventus on August 20 last year.
Ciprian Tatarusanu started in goal in Turin that day, and the Romanian goalkeeper’s move to Nantes was finalised last week.
When Fiorentina kick off their Serie A campaign against Inter, at least six of the XI which started in Week 1 last season will have left the club.
The Viola have sold a number of last season’s key men, and a glance at the team which faced Juventus on August 20 last year.
Ciprian Tatarusanu started in goal in Turin that day, and the Romanian goalkeeper’s move to Nantes was finalised last week.
Gonzalo Rodriguez left at the end of last season after he couldn’t agree a contract, while Marcos Alonso joined Chelsea 10 days after facing the Bianconeri in Week 1.
Federico Bernardeschi has committed the ultimate sin in joining Juventus, and Slovenian international Josip Ilicic was sold to Atalanta.
With Matias Vecino set to complete his move to Inter this week, six of the 11 players who started the first game of last season will have left the club by the time 2017-18 kicks off.
Coach Paulo Sousa has also left, replaced by Stefano Pioli, while Nikola Kalinic could yet join Milan.
In addition, Borja Valero didn’t start against Juve last season, but the Spaniard played in 31 of 38 games in Serie A. He has moved to Inter, meaning arguably seven of the first-choice side from last season has departed Artemio Franchi.
The substitutes that day reflect a similar pattern, as while Carlos Sanchez remains, Cristian Tello and Giuseppe Rossi have both left the club.
When the Viola face Inter for their first game of the season, it will be exactly a year since that 2-1 defeat at Juventus Stadium, but it’s likely to be a hugely unfamiliar line-up which takes the field just 365 days on.
Fiorentina side which faced Juventus [players no longer at the club in bold]: Tatarusanu; Tomovic, Gonzalo Rodriguez, Astori, Alonso; Vecino, Badelj (Carlos Sanchez, 65), Chiesa (Tello, 46), Bernardeschi; Ilicic (Rossi, 79); Kalinic