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Fiorentina’s Serie A renaissance feels a way off after chastening centenary | Nicky Bandini

The home game against Frosinone seemed a perfect way to celebrate their landmark. It did not work out that way

Fiorentina’s 100th birthday party had been going for four days, starting with a fan procession through the historic centre of Florence on Wednesday night and extending to their home game against Frosinone on Saturday afternoon. The club was founded on 29 August 1926, but a decades-old discrepancy in the reporting of that date has led supporters to celebrate traditionally on the 26th.

This time they started a few hours earlier, gathering in their thousands beneath the marble façade of the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella on the evening of 25 August and building to a firework show beside the river Arno at midnight. The club’s president, Giuseppe Commisso, stopped by to give a speech. At least one former player, Borja Valero, was among the crowd.

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© Photograph: Massimo Paolone/LaPresse/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Massimo Paolone/LaPresse/Shutterstock

© Photograph: Massimo Paolone/LaPresse/Shutterstock

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European football: Bellingham sparks Real Madrid’s cruise to maintain perfect start

  • Promoted Málaga slump to 4-0 defeat at the Bernabéu

  • Como defeat Napoli; Jones makes Inter debut in win

Real Madrid maintained their perfect start to the season in La Liga with a comfortable 4-0 home ⁠win over promoted Málaga on Sunday, scoring three times inside 30 minutes before adding a late fourth.

Jude Bellingham’s brilliant solo opener, an own ⁠goal by the Málaga goalkeeper, ⁠Alfonso Herrero, and ​a sharp Kylian Mbappé volley in effect settled the contest before half-time, with the substitute Arda Guler wrapping up the victory in added time at ⁠the Bernabéu.

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© Photograph: Thomas Peter/Reuters

© Photograph: Thomas Peter/Reuters

© Photograph: Thomas Peter/Reuters

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European football: PSG scramble another draw while Bayern make flying start

  • Marquinhos grabs late equaliser for Ligue 1 champions

  • Bayern overwhelm Stuttgart 5-1 at Allianz Arena

Paris Saint-Germain defender Marquinhos scored deep into stoppage ⁠time to snatch a scarcely deserved 2-2 draw at Lille on Friday as the Ligue 1 champions ⁠continued to struggle ⁠after ​being held by Rennes on the opening weekend.

After the poor 2-2 draw ‌against Rennes, things went from bad to worse for PSG when Lille took the lead in the 21st minute as Icelandic playmaker Hákon Haraldsson latched on to a brilliant reverse pass from Olivier Giroud and curled an unstoppable shot past ‌Matvei Safonov.

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© Photograph: Abdul Saboor/Reuters

© Photograph: Abdul Saboor/Reuters

© Photograph: Abdul Saboor/Reuters

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