Numerous, loud and impossible to minimize. The mayor of Florence, Dario Nardella, was literally overwhelmed with boos during the presentation of Viola Park, Fiorentina’s new sports centre. During the live broadcast on Sky, the Viola CEO, Joe Barone, spoke. “There are many people to thank. There is the mayor of Bagno a Ripoli, a mayor who has a great future, Francesco Casini”. The exponent of Italia Viva was greeted by the public with long applause. The Fiorentina manager spoke again. “We must also thank the mayor of Florence and the metropolitan city, Dario Nardella, who is present here”. Barone didn’t have time to finish pronouncing the name of the leader of the Democratic Party before the boos of the lily-haired fans started, loud and violent. “Ninth, tonight is a day of celebration, no booing.”
The Viola fans have evidently not forgiven the mayor for the long back and forth at the Artemio Franchi stadium. A restructuring that should have been through Pnrr money. An evaluation which, as is known, was rejected by the European Union. Viola Park, on the contrary, is the concrete demonstration of a beautiful project, carried out in the right time and which has improved the entire area (a corner of the city, on the border between the Gavinana area and the municipality of Bagno a Ripoli). A sports center spread over 26 hectares, which will host the training sessions of the men’s first team and the matches of the women’s team, as well as those of the youth teams. The inauguration was also attended by the president of the FIGC, Gravina, and of UEFA, Ceferin and the minister of sport, Andrea Abodi. “What has been achieved is an excellence on an international level. Inside this structure there is a soul, the passion for clean and healthy football. The credit goes to those who dreamed, wanted, built this structure step by step, in Commisso , to his family, to Barone. The strength to move forward, even in moments of difficulty, was given by the passion for Florence. Here a dream is consecrated but we set off again for new conquests”.