Still hungry

Former favorite Batistuta returns to haunt Fiorentina

ROME (AP) -- With Gabriel Batistuta approaching his 33rd birthday, some critics had begun to count the Argentine's days at the top ranks of professional soccer.

The AS Roma striker had lost a step on the young defenders, the voices chirped. Where was the famous lion-like hunger, they asked, and that irreplaceable nose for the goal?

But "Batigol" put a quick muzzle on the naysayers, notching a goal in each of the last three games as his club has moved back atop the Serie A standings.

Batistuta will lead Roma into Florence on Sunday to face his former club Fiorentina, a club that has suffered in the standings since his departure before last season - while the Rome club has become the best in Serie A.

Batistuta didn't attribute his own recent turnaround to anything specific, not even a declaration last week that he would hit the 20-goal mark this season like he has the past four.

"Nothing has really changed for me," said the long-haired star, who turns 33 on Friday. "I was in shape a few weeks back just like I am now, the only difference is I've got three more goals. When I said I would reach 20 goals, I only wanted everyone to understand that I never want to give up."

Batistuta's goal last Sunday in a 2-0 win over Piacenza was his sixth of the season, lifting him to 193 in his Serie A career, tops among active players ahead of Brescia's Roberto Baggio.

All but 26 of the Argentine's Italian league goals were scored in the purple jersey of Fiorentina, a team that once challenged for Serie A titles but is now struggling to avoid relegation to Serie B.

The team has been plagued by mounting debts under the ownership of film producer Vittorio Cecchi Gori and has been forced to sell off many of its top players in recent seasons. This week, two current players, Marco Rossi and Portugal's Nuno Gomez, asked to be released from their contracts because of fears that Fiorentina will go bankrupt.

On the field, the Florence club is in next-to-last place with 16 points in 20 games.

Roma's latest win lifted the defending league champions back into first place as Internazionale settled for a disappointing 1-1 draw with last-place Venezia to fall a point behind.

Juventus's 3-1 win over Chievo in the night game moved the club to within four points of the lead and left many predicting a three-team chase for the title.

"We respect everyone, but we are well aware of our own strength," said Batistuta. "Both Inter and Juventus are great teams that will battle until the end to win it."

Inter, which has flip-flopped several times with Roma atop the standings, hosts Torino in the Saturday night match.

The other Sunday games are Juventus vs. Lecce, Bologna vs. Venezia, Brescia vs. Parma, Piacenza vs. Chievo, Udinese vs. Perugia, Verona vs. Atalanta.

Lazio, which lost to upstart Chievo 3-1 on a Wednesday night rescheduled match, hosts AC Milan in the night game.

 

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