Paratici Reflects on Ronaldo Impact and Fiorentina's Survival Fight
Fabio Paratici, the sporting director of Fiorentina, has suggested that Cristiano Ronaldo's phenomenal goalscoring at Juventus inadvertently created a complacency issue within the squad. In a wide-ranging interview with Corriere della Sera, Paratici discussed his current mission to secure Serie A survival for Fiorentina and reflected on his past, including the high-profile signing of Ronaldo for Juventus in 2018.
Paratici, who served as Juventus's sporting director during that period, explained the chain of events that led to the dismissal of manager Massimiliano Allegri in 2019, a year after Ronaldo's arrival. "Ronaldo? The problem was that by scoring a goal per game he made life too easy for his teammates, who had already won a lot," Paratici stated. "That's why we changed the coach, to try a 'shake-up'." The Portuguese star scored 101 goals in 134 appearances for Juventus, but the club failed to progress beyond the Champions League quarter-finals during his three-season tenure.
The director is now fully focused on his role at Fiorentina, where he admits the immediate objective is far removed from title challenges. "I told the players that in the league, given how things have gone this year, it is necessary to suffer," he said, emphasizing the battle to avoid relegation. He did, however, express optimism about the club's long-term infrastructure, comparing their Viola Park training complex to that of Real Madrid's, and confirmed plans to establish an Under-23 team.
Regarding the transfer market, Paratici revealed a desire to retain striker Moise Kean, who has a significant release clause, and he lavished praise on Juventus midfielder Nicolo Fagioli, calling him "a Barcelona-level midfielder who plays in Italy." His comments come amid a period of rebuilding for Fiorentina, who sit perilously close to the Serie A drop zone.
Paratici also touched on his well-documented legal issues, referring to the 'plusvalenze' (capital gains) case that resulted in a initial ban from Italian football. "Once the criminal trial was closed, I started living again," he said. He further dismissed any lingering tension with his former mentor, Inter CEO Beppe Marotta, noting that Marotta even taught him how to dress professionally when he first moved into a front-office role at Sampdoria.
He also clarified the circumstances around his failed move to AC Milan before joining Fiorentina, stating that a deal was fully agreed before collapsing, but he denies any interference from Marotta. Paratici's immediate future remains tied to steering Fiorentina to safety, a stark contrast to the Champions League ambitions that defined his time with Ronaldo at Juventus.
