So, it was in the baking sunshine that i Viole (Fiorentina play in purple) arrived in Siena for the only Tuscan derby of the season (Livorno and Empoli had both been relegated to Serie B last season).
Fiorentina were sitting pretty in fifth place but with Serie A's top scorer Gilardino out suspended.
The game was to kick off at a very civil 3 o'clock. This is unlike most derbys in the UK, which all seem to be scheduled to some ungodly hour to avoid too much trouble. Paradoxically, there was no booze in sight and, once again, not one bit of trouble before the game.
Siena, having rested some key players for the mid-week game against Milan (2-1 Milan thanks to a very dubious last minute penalty converted by none other than Kaka), were eyeing this up as a must-win.
It was with great pleasure and with adrenalin rushing through my veins that I unexpectedly found myself near the front of the Curva Robur, the makeshift, temporary home stand at one end of the stadium. The next minute I was instructed to hold up a giant banner which read 'Il potere dev' esser bianco nero' (power to the black and whites).
Sadly the first half was appallingly bad from both sides and what none inside the stadium wanted to see. It was an insult to the occasion.
Fiorentina did have the slightest edge over Siena after forty five minutes and had created more chances. A Polish girl, also on the same Erasmus program as me and fortunately sat amongst a contingent of foregin students, admitted she hoped the arch rivals would score
She could be forgiven for wanting to see the deadlock broken.
The second half saw Siena pile on the pressure and Maccarone squared the ball across the box to Frick who smashed it into the post!
Denied by the woodwork, Siena were visibly getting closer to granting the Polish girls wish. With fifteen minutes to go Siena had a corner from the right, which Kharja got on the end of by rising above everyone else.
He headed the ball into the back of the net, right in front of us, leaving Fiorentina's keeper, Sebastian Frey, rooted to the ground. Carnage within the stands and europhia ensued.
After five agonising minutes of added time the stadium, even Siena's own "prawn sandwich" brigade, were boucing and singing: "chi non salta fiorentina ey ey" (whoever doesn't jump is a fiorentina fan).
As Italy's sports daily, la Gazzetta dello Sport said of the game the following day, and I quote: 'this result, beating Fiorentina brings coach Giampaolo into the hearts of the Sienese fans'
It's true. The fans love nothing more than beating their local and bitter rivals from Florence. All we ask for is more of the same please Giampaolo! Next up is Lazio away. Beware of the Fascists...
il vostro corrispondente,
JB
In other news: Siena find themselves still unbeaten at home in terms of all the games I have attended.
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