The new Batigol?

Fiorentina fans were on Monday given the chance to hark back to the club's golden period in Serie A -- and it may be partly down to a butcher with a premonition.

The last time 'La Viola' sat top of Italy's top flight was in February 1999 when prolific Argentina striker Gabriel Batistuta, known affectionately as 'Batigol', was banging the goals in almost at will for the Florence-based club.

On Sunday, Fiorentina confirmed their early-season promise by ending a 16-year wait to return to the top thanks to a stunning 4-1 win over Inter Milan inspired by a hattrick from Croatia international Nikola Kalinic.

Paulo Sousa's men sit top of the table on 15 points from six games, ahead of Inter on goal difference, with champions Juventus stuck in 15th place, 10 points adrift.

Fiorentina's positive start has been widely attributed to Sousa, who was brought in to replace Vincenzo Montella. But for La Gazzetta dello Sport, a local butcher's premonition may have played a role, too.

In a webclip on the Italian sports daily's website, an unnamed butcher runs out from behind his counter at a local market to approach Kalinic when he sees him strolling past with a fellow teammate last week.

When he recognises Kalinic, he calls out: "You're the new number nine, you're the new Batistuta eh ?"

Batistuta, who retired in 2005, still has legendary status throughout Italian football and has even bigger respect among Fiorentina's fans.

He was signed for the club after his performances at the 1991 Copa America and, despite never winning a scudetto with Fiorentina, went on to enjoy the best years of his career at the Stadio Artemio Franchi.

Batistuta was Serie A's top scorer in the 1994-95 season with 26 goals, and went on to break a 30-year-old record held by Ezio Pascutti by scoring in the first 11 matches of the season.