Tag: Fiorentina

‘Too good’ – Richards pinpoints moment he knew Mo Salah would become a superstar

Micah Richards – talent scout?

The ex-Manchester City defender is adamant he knew how good Mohamed Salah was going to be before all of us.

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Salah’s heroics against City were another exclamation mark on an astonishing season

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Salah is in a league of his own this season, as are LiverpoolCredit: AFP

Salah added yet another goal and assist for Liverpool in a comfortable 2-0 win over Manchester City to put the Reds 11 points clear at the top of the Premier League.

Two more goal involvements make it 41 for the season (25 goals, 16 assists) and Salah is now just six more from the best-ever Premier League campaign.

Now widely considered an all-time great of English football, such a rise never looked possible during a failed 18-game stint at Chelsea from 2013 to 2014.

However, shortly after that, on loan at Fiorentina, then teammate Richards could tell how good the Egyptian kind was.

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“We knew he was special though, even at Basel, when he went to Fiorentina, then at Roma,” Richards said after the match.

“It obviously didn’t work for him at Chelsea but when he came to the Premier League with Liverpool I just knew.”

With his fellow pundits showing some scepticism, Richards continued: “Honestly, there’s an interview where I say this player is too good for Fiorentina, we shouldn’t have him.

“He came there on loan and I just knew how special he was. His touch, his technique, how selfish he was in front of goal.

“We went to Juventus in the Coppa Italia and he ran for 40 or 50 yards against some of the best defenders in the league at the time, I just knew he was special.”

Salah is the current favourite to win the 2025 Ballon d’Or with Liverpool not just top in England, but they were the best team in the league phase of the Champions League, and have a Carabao Cup final date against Newcastle next month.

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Richards knew we were witnessing greatness back at Fiorentina

Comparing Salah to other greats on the list of best-ever seasons, Manchester United legend Roy Keane explained what Salah’s got that the likes of Thierry Henry, Luis Suarez and Didier Drogba also had.

“They’re all strikers, but we still class Salah as a winger,” he began. “I think if you’re going to be successful at any big club you do need that one world class player.

“You can have brilliant players around you, but whether it’s [Eric] Cantona, [Wayne] Rooney, [Cristiano] Ronaldo, you need that one player who’s almost ahead of everyone else to get you over the line and make the difference in tight games and Salah does that week-in, week-out.”

Jamie Carragher also gave his view, adding: “This is going to end up being the greatest season we’ve ever seen from an individual, I have no doubt about that.

“It’s not whether he finishes above those players numbers, it’s how far, and if he sets the bar so high that in the future nobody can get there again.

“We are seeing something special, this is an all-time season.”

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Salah’s on the verge of equalling his incredible first season at Liverpool where he scored at will

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Is that the title race done?

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February 23, 2025
Amrabat ‘wants to stay in Premier League’ with Man United yet to decide his fate

Sofyan Amrabat wants to stay in the Premier League, according to Fiorentina sporting director Daniele Prade.

The midfielder arrived at Manchester United last September on a season-long loan deal from the Italian side.

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Amrabat has his sights set on a move back to the Premier League, says Fiorentina’s sporting director

His season didn’t exactly go to plan, starting just 15 of his 30 appearances for the club as he failed to nail down a starting spot in Erik ten Hag‘s side.

He did, however, show more of what he was capable of after establishing himself as a regular feature in the side in the closing weeks of the season.

Part of the loan agreement saw Man United hold an option to make the deal permanent for a fee worth up to £25million, however a decision is yet to be made on where he’ll be playing his football next term.

While a return to Fiorentina is an option, the club’s sporting director Prade said: “I would keep him in Florence but it doesn’t seem like what he has in mind.

“I think he wants to stay in the Premier League but we haven’t heard from anyone yet since.”

Amrabat discussed his Man United future following the FA Cup final victory over rivals Man City, suggesting that sticking around in Manchester is a possible outcome.

Speaking to Dutch outlet Ziggo Sport, Amrabat said: “Do I already know what I’m going to do next year? No. We are going to talk. Staying is certainly an option.

“Look, I think it has been a very difficult season. For Manchester United it needs to be much better, and also for me personally.”

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand urges fans to back off Jadon Sancho and give him credit for his rebuild at Borussia Dortmund

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June 4, 2024
West Ham fans in stitches at Coufal’s ‘Jar Jar Binks’ impression of Noble

West Ham star Vladimir Coufal has left fans in stitches after he and Tomas Soucek did their best impression of club legend Mark Noble.

The Czech Republic duo hilariously attempted to speak in a cockney accent ahead of Wednesday night’s Europa Conference League final against Fiorentina, which you can listen to live on talkSPORT.

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Coufal has left West Ham fans in stitches over his Noble impressionCredit: BT Sport

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Soucek also tried his best at doing a cockney accentCredit: BT Sport

Sitting down with BT Sport ahead of the clash in Prague, the duo were asked to perform their best impersonation of ex-teammate and now sporting director Noble.

Through laughter, Soucek said: “I would say, ‘come on Tom.’”

But it was Coufal’s impression that has sent social media into a frenzy, as he remarked: “I’m incredibly proud of you.”

Supporters were loving it, as one West Ham fan Twitter account posted: “Coufal with his Jar Jar Binks cockney accent.”

Another quipped: “Sounds like Chris Eubank.”

A third added : “Coufal with a belting Bane impression.”

Another said: “Better than the accents in Green Street.”

Meanwhile one joked: “Didn’t know Noble sounded like Gollum.”

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It’s fair to say the pair did not sound like the Hammers sporting directorCredit: Getty

Coufal and Soucek will be returning to the Fortuna Arena for the Europa Conference League final – the home of their former side Slavia Prague.

Commenting on his emotional return to the ground, Coufal said: “It’s going to be a very special game and a very special night, playing in my home stadium where I know every corner.

“Hopefully it’ll be an advantage for me and Tom, and all the guys. We spoke about the stadium already and I hope to add one more win there.

“We’re playing in the national team there and I dreamed about taking the whole West Ham team to Prague but I didn’t know it would be a final.

“Hopefully, it’ll be good memories from Prague. With the national team, we beat England in this stadium, so a perfect memory.

“Also, we were promoted to the Champions League in this stadium and played Barcelona, Dortmund and Inter Milan in this stadium.

“I won three Czech titles in the stadium and also Czech Cups. So lots of good memories. But I hope the most important one is coming.

“If we win, 100 buckets [of Czech beer] is not enough. But it’s very early to speak about celebrations.”

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June 7, 2023