Fiorentina fans send letter bomb to Cecchi Gori cinema

Irate Fiorentina fans have tried to bomb a cinema owned by club president Vittorio Cecchi Gori in Florence.

Cecchi Gori has led the club into bankruptcy with debts of £45 million and some fans have responded with a letter bomb sent to the Eolo cinema which is owned by Cecchi Gori's media company.

Nobody was hurt by the crude device but tension over the famous club's future is very high in Florence.

Fiorentina may sell goalkeeper Francesco Toldo after all with Enrico Chiesa and Rui Costa following him out of Florence as the club face possible sale themselves to Benetton.

Toldo's £16 million move to FC Barcelona had all but collapsed after the Barcelona board failed to sanction the move which would have represented a world record fee for a goalkeeper.

Fiorentina have put their top three stars up for sale again with the admission of increasing debts and Toldo still wants to move to FC Barcelona.

Fiorentina denied two months ago that the merchant bank Morgan Stanley were in talks to set up the sale of the club away from Vittorio Cecchi Gori's media empire but Benetton are now linked with a bid for the Florence club.

AC Milan, AS Roma, Real Madrid and SS Lazio are aiming to sign midfield play maker Rui Costa with Fiorentina asking for £28 million while Inter maintain their interest in a £22 million purchase of Enrico Chiesa.

The Florence club may now sell all three to clear their debts before passing on to new ownership and a new start in Serie A under coach Roberto Mancini who has already delivered the Coppa Italia in his first three months in charge.

Mancini says he will not resign as coach but he is to seek a meeting with Cecchi Gori as he is about to see his best players put up for auction.