When David de Gea lined up for Manchester United at Wembley in the 2023 FA Cup Final, he did not expect his next game to come 17 months later.
An error in the Cup Final for Ilkay Gundogan’s winner made Erik ten Hag’s mind up, it was time to cut the cord and start afresh.
Depending on which version you believe, a contract offer for De Gea was either rescinded, or never offered in the first place, and the goalkeeper’s deal at the end of June 2023 was allowed to expire.
Manchester United moved on with Andre Onana, who won the FA Cup the following year, while De Gea sat out the entire season.
After clinching his transfer to Fiorentina, De Gea admitted the United exit hit him so hard he could not motivate himself to sign for another team right away.
David de Gea makes Fiorentina debut
David de Gea’s search for a new club saw him linked with half of Europe, and then many clubs further afield too.
He eventually decided on Fiorentina, a more low key move, reflected by De Gea’s current wages.
On Thursday night, De Gea made his debut for Fiorentina, playing in a Europa Conference League qualifier against Hungarian side Puskas Akademia.
It was not the calm, serene night the Spaniard would have hoped for in goal, with a chaotic game ending 3-3 in front of their own supporters, setting up a nerve-wracking second leg.
De Gea’s first order of business was facing a penalty. He went the right way but couldn’t get near enough, with the ball nestling in the back of the net.
This ninth-minute spot-kick was followed by a goal from open play as Puskas Akademia went 2-0 up. A low shot from the edge of the box was hit hard, across him, and he could not get down quickly enough to keep it out.
Fiorentina then got back into the game and were leading 3-2 before De Gea conceded in the 89th minute to level the tie.
The equalising goal came from a header from a corner, with De Gea rooted to his line, one of the reasons United sought to move on from him.
The statistics were unfortunate for De Gea. He made two saves and conceded three goals, an unusual ratio.
The highlight was a save in the 80th minute, faced with a header from six yards out, De Gea’s reflexes kicked in, parrying a powerful effort out for a corner.
There was something else notable to occur during the game too, Sofyan Amrabat came off the bench to make his first appearance of the season – his first game since winning the 2024 FA Cup with Manchester United.
Italian press react to David de Gea’s performance
Fiorentina manage Rafael Palladino was very unhappy with the third goal conceded by his team. He was quoted after the game by TMW: “I liked the team spirit but we conceded a goal from a set piece… conceding a goal like that is out of the question.”
TMW rated his performance as a 6/10, noting that it was his first game in 446 days. Their ratings asked whether he could have done better for the goals he conceded, but added: “In the second half he shows what he is made of with a great save on Plsek.”
Viola News rated him a 5.5/10, expressing some disappointment, but did absolve him of blame for the third goal.
Their write-up noted: “A more complicated debut than expected. He almost misses the penalty, but is questionable on the second goal that seemed anything but unstoppable.
“He also takes a big risk when he comes out of the area, being beaten by the opponent. Good in the 78th minute in flying on Puljic’s header, he can do nothing about the third goal”.
SportMediaset graded De Gea a 6/10, more than defender Michael Kayode, who they gave a 4/5/10.
The draw sets up a huge fixture next week, with Fiorentina boss Palladino promising a very different performance in the second leg.
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