After Napoli ended a title absence of more than 30 years, could it be Fiorentina’s turn to win a trophy for the first time in over two decades? Giancarlo Rinaldi looks at some huge midweek matches coming up for the Viola.
You wait all this time for a shot at a trophy and then two come along at once. It is nearly a decade since Fiorentina reached the final of the Coppa Italia – which ended in defeat to Napoli – and more than 20 years since they won it. The last time they played in a European semi-final was against Sevilla in 2015 and their last continental Final was a bitter defeat to Juventus in the UEFA Cup in 1990. You would need to be a pensioner to remember their one major overseas victory – a Cup Winners’ Cup success against Rangers – more than 60 years ago.
It makes the upcoming month or so one of the most intense in the Viola’s history – certainly since their financial collapse and rebirth more than two decades ago. A trophy has been the one item missing from this footballing renaissance story. It would be a huge feather in Rocco Commisso’s cap to deliver any silverware to the Stadio Artemio Franchi.
This successful streak in knockout competitions has come as something of a surprise to many regular observers of probably the most famous purple shirts in football. If you had asked them in the first half of the season if it would be one to remember they might, like Roberto Baggio being substituted by Arrigo Sacchi, have speculated over your sanity. And yet, somehow or another, here they are on the brink of potential glory.
The Tuscan side’s European campaign has been, in truth, something of a law apart from their early miserable Serie A form. Even at their lowest point, they were dishing out drubbings in the Conference League which means they boast two of its three top scorers in Arthur Cabral and Luka Jovic (Gent’s Hugo Cuypers is the other). They are also top of the assist table in the competition with Christian Kouamé’s five and Cristiano Biraghi just one behind him from full-back. It has often felt like a glorious little holiday from league mediocrity.
However, the post-World Cup period boasted a refreshing run of results in all competitions as something seemed to click. Chance creation was never truly a problem – it was sticking the ball in the net which was the main issue. Suddenly, everything fell into place and the calls for Commisso and coach Vincenzo Italiano to depart mysteriously subsided. Funny how a lengthy unbeaten run can do that.
Not that they haven’t made heavy weather of some of their European exploits. A healthy four-goal lead from Braga was nearly squandered and a three-goal advantage over Lech Poznan was thrown away. Only a couple of late goals against the Polish side gave the aggregate scoreline a more comfortable feeling than any viewer actually enjoyed on the evening. That was a seat-of-the-pants qualification if ever there was one.
It feels like fate that they should be meeting the former employers of their new hero in the Conference League semi-final. Should their Brazilian hitman get them past Basel they will be staging their own coronation in Florence. Arise, King Arthur Cabral. If he could then see them past either West Ham or AZ Alkmaar in Prague in June, sainthood would surely beckon.
Even just reaching the final would be a historic moment for the club. They would become the first in history to reach that stage in all four major European tournaments after their European Cup appearance in 1957 against Real Madrid and the aforementioned Cup Winners’ Cup and UEFA Cup forays. Small glory, perhaps, but not insignificant.
The draw has been even kinder to the Viola in the Coppa Italia after they entered the competition at the last 16 stage. Barely 10,000 people turned out to watch them sink Sampdoria at the Artemio Franchi before another home draw saw them see off Torino by a single-goal margin. An away win over Cremonese in the first leg of their semi-final meant a goalless draw in front of more than 30,000 was enough to put them through to face Inter.
Their league encounters with the Nerazzurri have seen honours even with the Milanese giants edging a fiery encounter in October in Florence before Jack Bonaventura helped the Viola grab a single-goal victory at the San Siro in April which was part of their incredible nine-game winning run in all competitions. Mr Cups – Simone Inzaghi – would still have to be the favourite to take the trophy but the distraction of the Champions League might yet take its toll.
To look at their typical line-up, you would not necessarily think this squad had the potential to go down in the club’s hall of fame. Pietro Terracciano, the first-choice goalkeeper, is a decent if unspectacular performer. The central defensive double act has chopped and changed with very mixed results between Nikola Milenkovic, Igor, Lucas Martinez Quarta and, lately, Luca Ranieri. So far, so humdrum.
On the defensive flanks, though, this team can do you some serious damage. Biraghi – Conor McGregor goal celebration and all – is a genuine attacking threat both with crosses and direct free-kicks. He has had a love-hate relationship with his home support but the skipper has said he is happy to be their scapegoat if it keeps bringing results. The left-back offers a more vicious delivery than a bad-tempered Amazon driver.
And on the other side, Florence has a new hero. After a bit of a false start, the Curva Fiesole has officially gone gaga for Dodô. The flying Brazilian is full of confidence and is starting to show what he can offer in terms of pacy defensive cover and forward forays. An exuberant character, he has even dyed his hair purple to underline his love for his current team.
In the midfield, Italiano is spoiled for choice with a wide array of tools at his disposal. Bonaventura still feels like the biggest difference maker along with Sofyan Amrabat who is returning to the levels shown at the World Cup. Rolando Mandragora, Antonin Barak and Alfred Duncan all offer different qualities while the return of Gaetano Castrovilli has been a huge boon. After a serious injury, he deserves a nice run of form.
If anything, the options to supply Cabral and Jovic from the wings are even more plentiful. Nico Gonzalez and Jonathan Ikoné are probably the first choices but, once more, there are many more defence-unlocking options. There is the skill and subtlety of Riccardo Saponara, the youthful enthusiasm of Riccardo Sottil and the madcap versatility of Kouamé. Even Josip Brekalo – a bit part player thus far – has shown signs of life of late.
Recent times have seen a plethora of posts about the last Fiorentina teams to reach such landmarks and there is no doubt they looked to have more quality about them. Mo Salah and Marcos Alonso played against Sevilla in 2015, while the cup final side of the previous year boasted the delicious skills of Borja Valero, Joaquin and Josip Ilicic. They never knew they had it so good.
And, yet, this bunch of relatively unfancied players could deliver more than many seemingly better-equipped sides ever did. The club’s history is not littered with trophies and to lift one this month or next would be a glorious moment. The odds are probably still stacked against them but at least they have given their supporters a chance to dream which is all they ever ask for. Mai una gioia – never any joy – has been something of a Viola catchphrase over the past couple of decades and maybe more. They would love to be erasing that from their lexicon once and for all in a few weeks time.
Giancarlo Rinaldi is the author of a number of books on Italian football. He is also half of the Rigore! Podcast team. You can follow him on Twitter @ginkers.