David de Gea signed a new three-year contract at the start of the football campaign, but things have not been easy for the ex-Manchester United star
Former Manchester United goalie David De Gea has emerged as a rare bright spot in Fiorentina’s struggling season. The ex-Spanish international joined the Serie A team last year after a year-long stint as a free agent.
His impressive performances earned him a fresh three-year contract at the Artemio Franci Stadium. Despite his continued good form, the ex-Red Devils keeper hasn’t been able to prevent La Viola from plummeting to the bottom of Serie A.
While the campaign is only ten matches old, there is a genuine threat the two-time Italian champions may get relegated to Serie B. Throughout the campaign the Italian media have also made their mind up on De Gea.
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The Premier League victor has managed two clean sheets in 10 league games, but the forwards haven’t been pulling their weight. Consequently, Stefano Pioli’s squad, along with Verona, are the only two teams yet to secure a single league win.
Their latest match saw them suffer a 1-0 defeat at home to Lecce. Quotidiano Sportivo commended De Gea’s performance, stating he wasn’t to blame when “disaster struck” and Medon Berisha netted for the visitors.
However, he’s been demonstrating his leadership by facing the media following the club’s losses. Following a 3-0 defeat to Inter Milan, he spoke with Firenze e Dintorni where he expressed his contentment with the club.
He said: “As soon as I arrived at Fiorentina, I immediately felt at ease. Viola Park is incredible and played a role in my final decision. With the staff, teammates, and staff, I feel like I’m part of a big family.
“I’m happy in Florence and the Florentine atmosphere. The fans are special. It’s one of those places everyone would love to visit, and I’m lucky enough to live there. It’s small, but it’s beautiful to live there, and the food is special. All these aspects contributed to my decision to stay, with the desire to bring home a trophy.”
While Fiorentina are winless in the league, they are top of the Conference League table with two wins, eight goals scored and two clean sheets. However, when asked to compare their displays in the league and in Europe, De Gea was brutally honest.
He said: “The level of these two teams we faced in the Conference is lower than in Serie A. We played well in the Conference, but in the league we’re not the same because it’s tougher, we play against strong teams.
“We’re struggling a lot and you can feel it in the locker room too: the only solution is to work and fight game after game. Certainly no one expected this start to the season.
“We haven’t won yet, and we’re struggling. The team isn’t performing well, but we have to stay positive. We need to believe more among ourselves.
“We have to believe more than anyone else, raising the bar and winning games. Serie A is tough, but that’s football: we have to stay united with the fans, it’s very hard for them too, but we have to follow the same path.”
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Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £336 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games next season, an increase of up to 100 more.
