Jovetić turning heads at Fiorentina

ACF Fiorentina striker Stevan Jovetić is already earning rave reviews as La Viola prepare for their UEFA Champions League third qualifying round tie at a training camp in Castelrotto in the Italian Alps. 

Teenage sensation
Fiorentina, who finished fourth in Serie A last season, paid FK Partizan a reported €8m for the 18-year-old attacking midfielder. The long-haired Montenegrin teenager scored eleven goals in 23 games for Partizan last season and captained the Belgrade side to the Serbian title. He won his first international cap in a friendly against Hungary in March 2007 and many believe he is ready to take Serie A by storm. "Among players born in 1989 he is second only to [AC Milan forward] Pato," said the former Montenegro and Milan legend Dejan Savićević. Former Italy star Gianfranco Zola added: "I am looking forward to seeing him in action. I have heard so many good things about him and a few people have compared him to [Roberto] Baggio." Fiorentina fans are pinning their hopes on Jovetić as they did with Baggio over 20 years ago, but Cesare Prandelli is urging caution.

'Plenty of talent'
"I think he can become an important player for this team," the Fiorentina coach said. "He has plenty of talent and we are all eager to see how his talent will fit into an organised side like ours. It will not be easy for him to grow up in Florence if the expectations surrounding him are too big. I just hope he will continue to work as he has done so far with the same humble approach. Then it will be up to us to find the best position for him to use that talent in the best possible way." Among Fiorentina's other new signings, Brazilian midfielder Felipe Melo has also impressed. "He has more experience than Jovetić and is already showing character and ideas which could be very useful for our midfield," Prandelli said of the 24-year-old who scored seven goals in 34 appearances last season for UD Almería in the Spanish top flight.

Gilardino 'fresh start'
Most important of all for Prandelli, though, is to get the best out of Alberto Gilardino. The 26-year-old striker signed from Milan after a difficult spell at the San Siro which cost him his place in the Azzurri squad for UEFA EURO 2008™. "I worked with Gilardino and [Adrian] Mutu at Parma [FC] and they both did really well," Prandelli said. "Gilardino decided to join Fiorentina to give his career a fresh start. I have no doubt about his talent. The town has been waiting for these kind of games for many years and we want to be completely ready for our UEFA Champions League adventure."