Fiorentina Home 1998/1999

Fiorentina Home 1998/1999
Fiorentina enjoyed its best season in the 1990s on the pitch, but was left wondering what might have been. Leading the domestic Serie A championship a long way into the season, Fiorentina’s title charge fell to pieces, as it lost unnecessary points while eventual champions Milan and runners-up Lazio continued winning their matches. In the end, Fiorentina salvaged third place in the league, qualifying for the UEFA Champions League in 1999–2000.

Its European adventure in 1998–99 however, ended early, when a handmade bomb was thrown at a linesman in the victory against Swiss side Grasshoppers. The linesman escaped serious injury, but Fiorentina were declared losers of the match, despite its victory on the pitch, and were thus thrown out of the tournament. However, it avoided further sanctions. Fiorentina also lost the Coppa Italia Final to Parma, marking another season without titles.

Several players were impressive, with the trio Gabriel Batistuta, Rui Costa and Francesco Toldo being the players really standing out. The defensive line-up and the many goals conceded were the main reasons Fiorentina would not win the title.

Batistuta
The biggest star from Florence, Bati-gol. 
After beginning his career in Argentina in 1988 with Newell’s Old Boys, followed by River Plate and Boca Juniors where he won titles. The prolific striker played most of his club football with Serie A club Fiorentina in Italy. He is their all-time top scorer in Serie A with 151 goals. Fiorentina went down to Serie B in 1993. Batistuta stayed with the club and helped them return to the top-flight league a year later. He became an icon in Florence. The Fiorentina fans erected a life-size bronze statue of him in 1996. Forever an icon in Florence.

Despite winning the Coppa Italia and the Supercoppa Italiana with the club in 1996, he never won the Serie A title with Fiorentina, but when he moved to Roma in 2000 for €36 million – the highest fee ever paid for a player over the age of 30 until Cristiano Ronaldo moved from Real Madrid to Juventus in 2018 – he won the 2000–01 Serie A title.

The Shirt
For a Viola Gigliati fan, the shirts don’t come more iconic than this one. Get your shirt now to look just like your legends Batistuta and Rui Costa. If you would like a player name and number please select before checking out. If you would like a different player on the back, please contact us.

Please consent the size chart before purchasing the products.