Fiorentina have handed over the captain’s armband to David De Gea, a symbolic decision aimed at restoring balance and confidence in a vulnerable phase of the season. – Fiorentina went into the Christmas break at the very bottom of the Serie A table with 5 points up on Parma in the bottom safe place.
The change was confirmed ahead of Sunday’s game against Udinese, with De Gea taking over from Luca Ranieri, who was previously appointed club captain. David de Gea is a world-class goalkeeper who had a very successful spell of 12 years at Manchester United, and after a season as a free agent, he joined Fiorentina in August 2024.
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The decision was made by coach Paolo Vanoli in consultation with the club and communicated to the squad after Fiorentina’s recent trip to Lausanne.
Fiorentina reward De Gea with the captaincy in a difficult season.
According to reports from Corriere dello Sport, the move was not intended as a punishment for Ranieri.
Instead, it reflects an attempt to reset the atmosphere in the dressing room and ease the pressure on a player who, as a product of the club’s academy, has felt the weight of a difficult campaign more than most.
Ranieri was informed directly and has understood to have accepted the decision without any problems.
At the same time, giving the armband to De Gea represents a clear sign of confidence in the experienced goalkeeper, who has undergone a challenging period of form. The club sees the gesture as a declaration of confidence in the Spaniard’s leadership and character, as well as his importance within the squad.
The move follows recent comments by Daniele Pradès’ successor, Roberto Goretti, who had warned that “strong decisions” would be necessary to steer Fiorentina through their current predicament.
While the comfortable victory over Udinese that followed may not be directly linked to this, the message sent by the change of captain was unmistakable.
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