Fiorentina goalkeeper David de Gea has admitted he feared a 6-0 loss before VAR intervened in his club's dramatic 2-2 draw with Bologna in Serie A. The goalkeeper dismissed pressure as "an excuse" as La Viola remain winless in the relegation zone, relying on two late penalties to salvage a point against their 10-man opponents.
Dramatic comeback salvages point amid protests
Fiorentina's winless start to the 2025-26 campaign looked set to continue in disastrous fashion. Bologna, who remain fifth in the table, established a commanding lead through goals from Santiago Castro in the 25th minute and Nicolo Cambiaghi early in the second half.
The hosts were met with harsh protests from the Franchi crowd as the match unravelled. The turning point arrived when Bologna's Thijs Dallinga appeared to score a third goal, only for VAR to intervene and rule the goal out for an offside against Riccardo Orsolini.
Buoyed by the reprieve, Fiorentina were awarded a penalty, which Albert Gudmundsson converted in the 74th minute. Bologna's task was made more difficult when Emil Holm received a red card in the 83rd minute. Deep into stoppage time, Fiorentina earned a second spot-kick, allowing Moise Kean to secure the equaliser after four minutes of stoppage time.
The statistics reflected a chaotic match. Fiorentina registered 17 total shots, with six on target, while Bologna managed six shots, hitting the target three times. Possession was split evenly at 50-50.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportDe Gea admits 6-0 fear after disallowed goal
Speaking to , De Gea confessed the panic that set in after Dallinga's disallowed goal, believing the match was lost.
"After the 3-0, we thought we could lose 6-0, then I don't know why the goal was disallowed, but we gained confidence and almost won," De Gea stated. "The truth is, we could have easily lost, but we played a good last 25 minutes."
The goalkeeper acknowledged the result was ultimately positive given the circumstances. "In the end, though, it's a good point because the game was almost lost, but it's true that we're struggling a bit. We all have to do a little better, and even if it's not easy for the fans, we all have to go in the same direction."
Fiorentina 'can't be afraid' – De Gea
During his post-match press conference, De Gea was adamant that the team's poor mentality is not a valid reason for their position in the table, rejecting the idea that pressure is affecting the squad.
"If we're afraid to play… We're men, we play for Fiorentina: we can't feel the pressure, for me that's an excuse," he said. "We're doing badly on the pitch, some young players may feel the pressure, but this is the time to do better. We're close to getting this victory, I'm sure that when we win we'll start playing better and winning more."
He also addressed the chaotic nature of the match's officiating, stating: "A bit of chaos… Sometimes things go your way, sometimes they don't, it's a bit strange. But this is football today and we have to accept it."
Goalkeeper highlights Serie A and Conference League disparity
While Fiorentina have performed adequately in the UEFA Conference League, winning both of their games so far to go top of the table, their domestic form is dire. De Gea pointed to the significant gap in quality between the two competitions as a reason for the discrepancy.
"The level of these two teams we faced in the Conference is lower than in Serie A," De Gea explained. "We played well in the Conference, but in the league we're not the same because it's tougher, we play against strong teams. We're struggling a lot and you can feel it in the locker room too: the only solution is to work and fight game after game.
"Certainly no one expected this start to the season. We haven't won yet, and we're struggling. The team isn't performing well, but we have to stay positive.
"As Kean said, we need to believe more among ourselves… We have to believe more than anyone else, raising the bar and winning games. Serie A is tough, but that's football: we have to stay united with the fans, it's very hard for them too, but we have to follow the same path."