New Fiorentina will rise from the ashes, say fans

FIORENTINA are dead - long live Fiorentina - that is the message coming from football fans in Florence after their club effectively disappeared from Italian soccer.

The twice Italian champions, riddled with debts and in administration, were on Thursday refused a place in Serie B for next season and are facing almost certain bankruptcy.

With no position in the league, Fiorentina’s players are all up for sale, and the administrator will now have to deal with the cancelling of contracts of all the club’s staff.