A new format has opened the door to extra sides in the Supercoppa Italiana so Giancarlo Rinaldi looks at what Fiorentina need to lift the trophy and what they hope to gain from their trip to Saudi Arabia.
The Supercoppa – or Italian Super Cup – is a competition of distant memories for Fiorentina. They last played in it – and lost – more than 20 years ago and their only victory dates back to the days of Gabriel Omar Batistuta. The new four-team structure, however, has opened the door to the possibility of repeating that success from 1996. But what do Vincenzo Italiano’s side hope to gain from their January break in the Middle East?
Global appeal. There has been a lot of grumbling in the build-up about the venue and the virtual impossibility of Viola fans following their team but it does present one opportunity. The side from the Artemio Franchi are probably the lowest profile in global terms of the four contenders. A shop window in Saudi Arabia – and at least making the Final – could allow them to gain some new followers. Marketing and money are king these days and good performances in the tournament might boost the income at a club where it is a constant struggle to compete against sides with greater revenue streams.
Find a striker. It has been a successful season so far for the Viola despite a lack of goals from their centre forwards. Both M’bala Nzola and Lucas Beltran have struggled to trouble opposition goalkeepers since they arrived – with the former already linked with a potential move away. They both found the net at the weekend in the draw with Udinese but they need to do so more consistently to help their team maintain its dream of European qualification once again. Any flicker of form on their travels outside Italy would surely be a big help to their coach and perhaps decide once and for all the pecking order up front for the club.
Emerge unscathed. With a spot at the top end of the Serie A table and still on course in the Coppa Italia and Conference League, the fixtures are piling up for the Florentines in the weeks ahead. They could probably have lived without travelling so far in the middle of such an energy-sapping season at a time when they already have a number of injury headaches. Whether it is one or two games away from home, everyone connected with the club will be hoping that nobody else picks up a knock in what is truly a bit of a bonus event.
Fit in Faraoni. They have not been frantically active in the transfer window to this point, but the Supercoppa will give Fiorentina a chance to try out their new acquisition at right-back David Faraoni. An injury to Brazilian Dodo has thrown youngster Michael Kayode into the fray and he has performed amazingly well, but there is no doubt that squad depth is not what they want it to be. Any chance to get minutes into their new signing from Verona will be welcome as he tries to adapt to his new surroundings. He has already shown he can slot in pretty well with an assist in his first appearance on Sunday.
Lift A Trophy. It is a long shot when they are up against such illustrious opposition but it has been a long time since the Tuscan club picked up any silverware at all. Last season, they were unlucky runners-up in two competitions but they will be desperate to ditch their nearly men tag at some point in the not-too-distant future. They have shown themselves to be more than a match for almost everyone in Italy in recent times and their competitive spirit was recently underlined with a gutsy cup win over Bologna. If they could somehow get their hands on the Super Cup it would surely be a source of celebration – if only thousands of miles away at their lovely new Viola Park training complex.
Twitter: @Ginkers