Beppe Iachini won’t confirm if Federico Chiesa has played his last game for Fiorentina, while it’s reported ultras demanded the player not wear Davide Astori’s armband.
The Viola suffered their second consecutive Serie A defeat, falling 2-1 at home against Sampdoria on Friday evening.
“Compared to the first two games, there was a step backwards in terms of performance, even if we had started quite well,” the coach told Sky Sport Italia.
Beppe Iachini won’t confirm if Federico Chiesa has played his last game for Fiorentina, while it’s reported ultras demanded the player not wear Davide Astori’s armband.
The Viola suffered their second consecutive Serie A defeat, falling 2-1 at home against Sampdoria on Friday evening.
“Compared to the first two games, there was a step backwards in terms of performance, even if we had started quite well,” the coach told Sky Sport Italia.
“We made a few too many misplaced passes in midfield and this created excessive tension within the squad. It should not happen. We conceded an entirely avoidable goal that we cannot afford to gift. It’s a pity, as we tried until the end to get it back on track.
“Franck Ribery was a big loss, as were others, but that cannot be an alibi. We’ve got to realise these errors cannot happen.”
Chiesa hit the woodwork in stoppages, but it may well have been his final game for Fiorentina ahead of a transfer to Juventus.
The deal seems to be done, on loan for €10m with an obligation to buy for a further €50m, spread out over four years.
“I have not had any indication from the club. The lad is working hard and played the same as in other games. Federico is part of our team as of today and the club has not told me anything to suggest otherwise.
“I’ve tried to keep transfer talk to a minimum, because it’s not easy to play tough games with all these stories flying around. They irritate the team.
“Over the next few days, we’ll evaluate players coming in and going out.”
Chiesa wore the captain’s armband in the absence of German Pezzella and Ribery, but it was notably not the usual design dedicated to Astori.
According to several newspapers, the Fiorentina ultras demanded that Chiesa not wear Astori’s armband when he was about to join their arch-rivals Juventus.
Chiesa was very close to Viola captain Astori, who died in his sleep from an undiagnosed heart defect in March 2018.
Since his death, the Fiorentina captain’s armband has a unique design with DA13, referencing his initials and shirt number.