Fiorentina secure Serie A status with 1-0 win over Lecce
Reuters - Saturday 05 May 2012, 21:03
ROME , May 5 (Reuters) - Fiorentina secured their Serie A
status with a 1-0 win at fellow strugglers Lecce on Saturday as
Roma's faint European hopes were left hanging by a thread after
a 2-2 home draw with Catania.
A first-half Alessio Cerci goal earned the three points for
the Tuscans who were being managed by Vincenzo Guerini for the
first time after former coach Delio Rossi was sacked for
attacking midfielder Adem Ljajic in the dug-out.
Cerci was put clean through after 35 minutes by a Ruben
Olivera flick and coolly slotted home at the near post past
Lecce goalkeeper Massimiliano Benassi.
Lecce trail Genoa by three points and must hope Champions
League-chasing Udinese beat their relegation rivals on Sunday
(1300 GMT) or they will definitely be in Serie B next term.
"I haven't taken Fiorentina to safety. This is a job done
by two coaches, in particular by Rossi over the last few weeks,"
Guerini told reporters.
"We've avoided the humiliation of having to play for safety
on the last day of the season. I have to compliment the lads,
they played in terrible physical conditions. Loads of them
couldn't play, and other who hadn't played in a long time did
really well."
Two goals from Francesco Totti on his 500th appearance for
Roma were not enough to gain a win for his hometown club as they
dropped out of the race for Europe with a 2-2 home draw against
Catania.
Totti, who missed a penalty in the first half, gave Roma the
lead with a stunning left-foot strike seven minutes into the
second period but a penalty from Francesco Lodi and another from
Giovanni Marchese put the Sicilians in front.
Totti scored his 215th goal with 13 minutes left to set up a
frantic finish, but despite piling on the pressure they could
not find the winner and will have to hope Inter do not win
Sunday's Milan derby (1845 GMT) to have any hope of European
football next year.
Juventus could be crowned Serie A champions on Sunday as
they take on Cagliari in Trieste (1845 GMT) in front of
thousands of travelling fans.
(Reporting by Terry Daley, editing by Ed Osmond)