When the news broke that Rangers were to start life again in the fourth tier, international sympathy was plentiful. How could such a big club fall so dramatically so quickly? Few were better placed than fans of Serie A outfit Fiorentina to understand what the Rangers support were going through, having been in a similar situation a decade earlier. Financial collapse saw âLa Violaâ relegated to the fourth tier of Italian football. Giancarlo Rinaldi, BBC journalist and Fiorentina fanatic, remembers it well.
âI think it is important to remember that Fiorentina started off more from scratch than Rangers did when they went down to the fourth tier of football. Essentially only Angelo Di Livio remained from the Serie A side with all the first team playing staff and management starting again from zero.
What they tried to do was hire players â and a manager â with experience at that level or a little higher. Sometimes it worked out, sometimes it didnât. It did not pan out for the first coach appointed, Pietro Vierchowod, but things clicked under Alberto Cavasin, and they were soon on course for promotion. This helped to keep the crowds high and maintain enthusiasm among the support.
I donât remember too many grumbles about the style of play but, by and large, lower division Italian sides donât try to turn games into a physical battle so that probably helped.â
There was definitely a vision of a âprojectâ at the club from the very early stages, new owners Andrea and Diego Della Valle were clear on that. This was a club which would not make the same financial mistakes as the past and a strict wage cap was introduced towards that goal.
The hardest time was probably after they won Serie C2 and, due to other clubs hitting similar financial problems, were asked to make the âdouble jumpâ to Serie B â thus skipping C1. A club built to play in the third division had only a few weeks to prepare for the second and it showed at first. It took an incredible late run of results under Emiliano Mondonico to grab a play-off place which ultimately led to an emotional return to Serie A.
What I can say is that remains one of the most memorable moments in all the time I have supported the Viola.
I guess some people viewed that as the end of the journey but, for me, that did not come until we returned as a competitive force in the division.
That first season back was a struggle and I think I only really felt we were back where we belonged when Champions League qualification was secured a couple of years later.
That was the completion of an incredible journey.
I think the hardest part of the whole process was the fact that not long after Fiorentinaâs experience the rules were changed so no other club could suffer quite the same fate.
It meant that a number of teams in just as dire financial straits avoided demotion to Serie C2.
The main positive I can think of is if it helps to avoid the errors of the past.
Fiorentina now appear to be running on a sound financial basis without the economic excesses of the past and are no longer spending heavily to try to compete with the biggest clubs in Italy and Europe.
A lot of supporters still look back with genuine affection on the times we played in little grounds around Tuscany as a period when you found out who the real Viola supporters were.
Some are a bit too quick to forget just how quickly the Della Valle brothers have helped to rebuild club which was almost dead.
However, those with better memories are proud of the way Fiorentina served their time in the lower leagues and have returned to the top as a more stable side.
Maybe one day they will cross swords with Rangers in Europe again as they did five years ago. And this time Viola fans hope it is Fiorentina who come out on top.â
âI think it is important to remember that Fiorentina started off more from scratch than Rangers did when they went down to the fourth tier of football. Essentially only Angelo Di Livio remained from the Serie A side with all the first team playing staff and management starting again from zero.
What they tried to do was hire players â and a manager â with experience at that level or a little higher. Sometimes it worked out, sometimes it didnât. It did not pan out for the first coach appointed, Pietro Vierchowod, but things clicked under Alberto Cavasin, and they were soon on course for promotion. This helped to keep the crowds high and maintain enthusiasm among the support.
I donât remember too many grumbles about the style of play but, by and large, lower division Italian sides donât try to turn games into a physical battle so that probably helped.â
There was definitely a vision of a âprojectâ at the club from the very early stages, new owners Andrea and Diego Della Valle were clear on that. This was a club which would not make the same financial mistakes as the past and a strict wage cap was introduced towards that goal.
The hardest time was probably after they won Serie C2 and, due to other clubs hitting similar financial problems, were asked to make the âdouble jumpâ to Serie B â thus skipping C1. A club built to play in the third division had only a few weeks to prepare for the second and it showed at first. It took an incredible late run of results under Emiliano Mondonico to grab a play-off place which ultimately led to an emotional return to Serie A.
What I can say is that remains one of the most memorable moments in all the time I have supported the Viola.
I guess some people viewed that as the end of the journey but, for me, that did not come until we returned as a competitive force in the division.
That first season back was a struggle and I think I only really felt we were back where we belonged when Champions League qualification was secured a couple of years later.
That was the completion of an incredible journey.
I think the hardest part of the whole process was the fact that not long after Fiorentinaâs experience the rules were changed so no other club could suffer quite the same fate.
It meant that a number of teams in just as dire financial straits avoided demotion to Serie C2.
The main positive I can think of is if it helps to avoid the errors of the past.
Fiorentina now appear to be running on a sound financial basis without the economic excesses of the past and are no longer spending heavily to try to compete with the biggest clubs in Italy and Europe.
A lot of supporters still look back with genuine affection on the times we played in little grounds around Tuscany as a period when you found out who the real Viola supporters were.
Some are a bit too quick to forget just how quickly the Della Valle brothers have helped to rebuild club which was almost dead.
However, those with better memories are proud of the way Fiorentina served their time in the lower leagues and have returned to the top as a more stable side.
Maybe one day they will cross swords with Rangers in Europe again as they did five years ago. And this time Viola fans hope it is Fiorentina who come out on top.â
)