David De Gea’s highly anticipated return to football kicked off with a rough start.
The former Manchester United goalkeeper made his debut for Serie A side Fiorentina on Thursday after joining the club on a free transfer at the beginning of August. His first appearance was marred by a challenging match in the Europa Conference League play-offs against Puskas Academy, a lesser-known team from Hungary.
De Gea’s return was troubled from the start, as he conceded two early goals, including a penalty in the ninth minute and another goal in the 12th minute, leaving Fiorentina 2-0 down. This marked a difficult debut for the 34-year-old, who had not conceded a goal since May 2023, a span of 446 days.
Fans quickly took to social media to comment on De Gea’s less-than-ideal performance. One user joked, “De Gea hasn’t changed; in 11 minutes, he’s already let in 2 goals.” Another humorously posted a screenshot of the scoreline, saying, “My favorite goalie David De Gea finally got a new club! Let’s see how he’s doing against Hungarian plumbers…” A third added, “Some things never change.”
Despite the criticism, some United supporters expressed their discomfort at seeing De Gea in a different shirt. One fan remarked, “Seeing De Gea in another club’s jersey feels so weird, not gonna lie.” Another defended him, stating, “How are fans criticizing De Gea for conceding goals? He’s a legend of our club—get a grip.”
Puskas Academy, founded in 2005 and finishing third in the Hungarian top division last season, put up a strong fight. Fortunately for De Gea, his Fiorentina teammates managed to claw back into the game. Riccardo Sottil scored before halftime, and in the second half, Lucas Martinez Quarta and Moise Kean put Fiorentina ahead. However, Puskas Academy’s Wojciech Golla scored late to level the match 3-3.
De Gea, who signed a one-year contract with Fiorentina with an option for a second year, will need time to adjust after being out of action for a year. Fiorentina coach Raffaele Palladino acknowledged that De Gea required time to adapt but praised his professionalism and hard work.
De Gea left Manchester United at the end of the 2022/23 season, concluding a 12-year stint at Old Trafford where he made 545 appearances after joining from Atletico Madrid in 2011.