Franck Ribéry could make Fiorentina debut against Napoli, Montella confirms
Fiorentina coach Vincenzo Montella could throw new signing Franck Ribery straight into their squad to face Napoli on Saturday.
Franck Ribéry could make his Fiorentina debut against Napoli when the Serie A season gets up and running this weekend, says Vincenzo Montella.
Napoli at home
Ribéry joined La Viola as a free agent on a two-year deal this week having left Bayern Munich at the end of his contract. The former France international suggested in his presentation he would not be ready to play this weekend, and certainly is not fit to start. But Montella is keen on using the 36-year-old for Saturday's season opener at Stadio Artemio Franchi.
"I want him to be with us because he wants to be a part of the game," Montella told a news conference. "I want him to be with us and I hope for a chance for him to play. He joined us because he wants to be still on the first line. He has to be competitive, I know he says he wants to, he works on it and I realised by myself in these first days of training. He doesn't pull himself out during the sessions. He knows he can get results only through hard work. I am sure he will transmit this mentality to all the squad. But I need to focus on the game. Dreams are great, but we need to keep our feet on the ground in this moment."
Warm welcome
Ribéry was given a rousing reception at his official presentation on Thursday, with thousands of Fiorentina fans attending to welcome him to the club.