On the morning of August 23, Fiorentina met Puskás Akadémia in the playoff round of the European Cup C3. In this match, David De Gea was used from the start. This was the first match of the Spanish goalkeeper since he left MU in the summer of 2023.

However, David De Gea had a poor performance. He conceded 3 goals despite only facing 8 shots from the opponent, 5 of which were on target. Puskás Akadémia took an early lead with a score of 2-0 in the first half and in the 89th minute equalized 3-3 from a corner kick. In that situation, De Gea stood still and watched the ball go into the net. Sofascore rated De Gea as having a poor performance, only scoring 6.4 points, the 3rd lowest among the 22 starting players.

David de Gea said goodbye to MU after 12 years of association in the summer of 2023 but could not find a place to stay that summer. He was said to have demanded too high a salary and bonus, while big clubs did not want to own the Spanish goalkeeper. After 1 year of unemployment, he lowered expectations and was noticed by some clubs in Italy.

De Gea signed a one-year contract with Fiorentina, with an option to extend for another year. According to reputable sources, the former MU star will receive a salary of 3 million euros/year (about 2.5 million pounds), which is only about 1/7 of what he used to earn at Old Trafford.