Fiorentina have reacted with outrage after Manchester United reignited their pursuit of David De Gea—a move the Italian club’s president has denounced as both “hypocritical” and “insulting.”
In a fierce public statement, he reminded the football world of how Fiorentina had revived De Gea’s career when it seemed finished. “When no one wanted him, when his name was done, it was us who gave him everything,” he declared. “We gave him a contract, a home, a family, and made him our number one. And now, because their keeper is injured, United come crawling back? Worse, he is ready to return to the very club that humiliated him. That is betrayal.”
De Gea’s time in Florence has been one of redemption. Shaken after his bitter Old Trafford exit, he rebuilt his confidence in Italy, won over supporters, and became a symbol of Fiorentina’s resurgence. But with United facing a goalkeeping crisis, the Spaniard is now being lured back by the club that once discarded him.
Fiorentina’s leadership has made its position clear. “We will not forgive him if he walks out like this,” the president warned. “And to Manchester United, I say this—if you want him, prepare for a fight. De Gea is our player, under contract, and he will not leave without a battle. Fiorentina will not be disrespected.”
In Florence, anger is boiling over. Fans who once idolized De Gea now brand him a traitor, furious that he would even consider a return to Old Trafford. What began as a transfer whisper has escalated into a storm of loyalty, pride, and defiance—an escalating feud between Fiorentina and Manchester United over a goalkeeper who has become a lightning rod of betrayal.
