Author: Chris Fuller

January 2020 was a truly incredible month for Fiorentina – and we only played four competitive matches. We’ve now got NINE to look forward to in a fun-packed February! I don’t think I have it in me to cover them all in one mega-chapter, but I’ll be sure to cover both legs of our Europa League first knockout round match at least.

Also on the horizon in this chapter is the first leg of our Coppa Italia Semi Final, along with a bunch of league matches against lowly opponents. I might have some very encouraging news on the contract front as well… Continue reading “Shades of Deep Purple: Part 19” →

2019 was a year of immense promise but substantial disappointment for Fiorentina. As I enter the second half of my second campaign with the Viola, I’m hoping the new year will bring new fortune.

Our vision for 2020 is to retain a top-six finish in Serie A and win a cup competition, ending a club hoodoo that has gone on for close to two decades. The Coppa Italia looks like our most likely source of silverware, and it’s our Quarter Final which kicks off an eventful January. After that, it’ll be time to delve into the transfer market… Continue reading “Shades of Deep Purple: Part 18” →

My worst run as Fiorentina manager appears to be over – and with Christmas fast approaching, it’s just as well.

This chapter will feature our remaining six games in December 2019, including our last Europa League group fixture, and our first match in this season’s Coppa Italia. Before all that, though, we need to talk tactics…

P.S. If you’re still new to this story, you can now catch up on any parts you might’ve missed by visiting the “Shades of Deep Purple” page, which has a list of every chapter published so far. (You can also access this page by hovering over the FM19 tab on the menu bar.)
Continue reading “Shades of Deep Purple: Part 17” →

After a short interlude, my second season at Fiorentina continues with plenty of match action. In this chapter, I’ll take you through the whole of November, plus the first two matches in a packed December schedule.

Can Fiorentina bounce back after a recent downturn in form and secure a place in the Europa League knockout rounds, or is there more agony to come for the Viola? If it’s the latter, I fear this story might not continue for much longer… Continue reading “Shades of Deep Purple: Part 16” →

There have been quite a few rainy days in Florence of late – both literally and metaphorically. Second-season syndrome has affected my boys early on, and we’re already playing catch-up in both Serie A and the Europa League. To make matters worse, I’ve accidentally killed team morale, risking the wrath of my captain and the club’s fans.

October could be more of a struggle. Not only do we have to dance with the devil (aka Cristiano Ronaldo and Juventus), we must also plunge into the depths of ‘Hell’ (aka Istanbul). If things continue to go horribly wrong, I might even be tempted to sell my soul for a donut three points. Continue reading “Shades of Deep Purple: Part 15” →

Welcome back to “Shades of Deep Purple” – the story where I lead Fiorentina to domestic and continental glory on Football Manager 2019. Okay, maybe I’m getting carried away, but surely you can excuse my excitement after the start we’ve had?

Four more Serie A matches await us in September, during which we’ll also open up our Europa League campaign. Speaking of that, the group draw has just taken place, so let’s get right down to it… Continue reading “Shades of Deep Purple: Part 14” →

Can you believe it? It’s been three weeks since the Football Manager 2019 beta was released, and I’m already into my second season as Fiorentina manager. That is exceptionally quick by my standards, believe me, but it’s clear that I am thoroughly enjoying this maiden career on the new game.

Back in Part 12, I wrote about my new summer signings and all the pre-season goings-on. In today’s chapter, I will take you through my full senior squad, along with the updated tactics I will mainly be using.

Oh yes, and as a special treat, I’ll round things off with the first two matches of the 2019/2020 Serie A season. We will kick off by facing Coppa Italia holders Lazio in Rome before opening our home campaign against Inter. To be honest, I was hoping things would start off a little easier than that… Continue reading “Shades of Deep Purple: Part 13” →

A new season. A new title image. A new challenge.

The next phase of my Fiorentina story on FM19 has begun, as we look to build on a promising first campaign and challenge for Champions League qualification. A strong showing in the Europa League would be quite nice as well. Continue reading “Shades of Deep Purple: Part 12” →

My first Serie A season as Fiorentina boss is done and dusted. Having shown so much promise at the start of the season, it was rather disappointing to see us fall away a bit after the mid-term interval. Nevertheless, I’m pleased with how things have gone, and I am already looking forward to better things in 2019/2020.

In this post, I will give you a quick recap of how the 2018/2019 season went, along with some statistics and my plans for the next campaign. This is obviously spoiler-heavy, so if you’ve not caught up yet, I’d suggest you do so before continuing. Click here to read Part 11 and see how we finished the season. Continue reading “Shades of Deep Purple: Season Review 2018/2019” →