How Fiorentina's Kean balances football and music career

Fiorentina forward Moise Kean is aiming to top both the scoring charts and the music charts.

Kean is having the best season of his career in Italy but has still had time to make his first album — called "Chosen" — which will be released on Monday.

"Some say I think too much about music, but if God gives you the chance to have a talent, why not show it?" Kean said. "Making music relaxes me. After I finish training, I recover by writing in my studio.

"Many people still don't understand what music gives you. Music has always followed me in my soccer career."

The 24-year-old Kean, who even named his son Marley in honor of Bob Marley, doesn't seem to have any problems with balancing his two main passions of music and soccer.

Many were sceptical when Fiorentina signed Kean from Juventus in July for a reported 13 million euros ($13.7 million). After all, he didn't score a single goal last season.

But that figure is looking more and more like a bargain as Kean has already scored 13 goals so far for Fiorentina. Nine of those have come in Serie A, putting him third in the scoring charts — three behind Atalanta forward Mateo Retegui and one below Inter Milan's Marcus Thuram.

His goals have played a huge part in Fiorentina's impressive start to the season, with the team sitting level on points with third-placed Inter, three points behind league leader Napoli despite having played a game less — as its match against the Nerazzurri was suspended after midfielder Edoardo Bove collapsed.

Fiorentina has won eight straight league matches and another win on Sunday, at Bologna, would see it break the club record set in 1960.

In contrast to the more defensively minded tactics of former Juventus coach Massimilano Allegri, Kean is flourishing under Raffaele Palladino, the 40-year-old coach who moved to Fiorentina from Monza in June.

"I get on well with the coach," Kean said. "He is young, he was a forward, he has clear ideas of what he can ask of me and what I can give him. He has a lot of ambition and loves challenges. And moreover, we're a young team and full of talent, we'll do well."

Despite his relatively young age, Kean has already experienced plenty of ups and downs in his career since coming onto the scene as a teenager in 2016.

Kean was the first player born in this millennium to score in one of Europe's top five leagues, play in the Champions League, and play in Serie A. He made his debut for Juventus at the age of 16.

Kean was still a teenager when he moved abroad, for a disappointing spell at Everton in the Premier League and a more fruitful one at Paris Saint-Germain, before returning to Juventus in 2021.

However, in his three years back at Juventus, Kean totaled just 22 goals and three assists in 123 appearances.

"I've had a lot of awful periods. Also great ones, but the majority were awful ones," Kean said. "The last was linked to an injury which affected almost all of last season and stopped me from giving 100% in matches. It was a dark period.

"I believe a lot in God. I knew that the dark period I was living would serve as a lesson for me. I was put to the test by God and I had to accept it, even if at the time it really hurt. I came out of it thanks to my faith. … Now I'm in Florence, I'm good, everyone loves me and I love everyone."

Kean's return to form also earned him a recall to the Italy team and in September, against Israel, he scored his first goal for the national team in three years.

In total, he has five goals in 19 appearances for the Azzurri.

"The center forward is always an important position to bring home the result," Italy coach Luciano Spalletti said. "Kean is very strong inside the box. He too has made steps forward, shown that he has notably maturated and we have been able to appreciate it."

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