The pace of Fiorentina’s progress has even taken club president Rocco Commisso by surprise, he admitted last week — but as the Tuscan team head into their second final of the season, it is hard to argue against them being here on merit.
This season has put Fiorentina back on the map. They have prioritised the cup competitions and their eighth-placed finish in Serie A has been worth it given they reached the Coppa Italia final, albeit losing to Inter Milan, and now take on West Ham United in Wednesday’s Europa Conference League final in Prague.
Like David Moyes’ side, Fiorentina are attempting to end a long wait for a major European title. West Ham’s last success on the continent came in 1965 whereas Fiorentina’s was the 1961 European Cup Winners’ Cup triumph. They did reach the final of the 1990 UEFA Cup but infamously fell to Juventus.
Current manager Vincenzo Italiano has already succeeded in rousing a sleeping giant. The locals have taken to the team’s cup run and, in particular, their style of play. Fiorentina are easy on the eye, playing attractive football and know their way to goal. West Ham will be facing the tournament’s top scorers in the Czech capital.
Under Italiano, Fiorentina play in a 4-2-3-1 shape and build play from the back. The Tuscans played with the highest defensive line in Serie A and conceded the fewest shots. They press better than any other Italian team, with the exception of champions Napoli, and rush opponents into hurried passes.
Yet, it is in attack that Fiorentina truly excel. They are an attack-minded side and possess plenty of creative players who support their lone striker Arthur Cabral. The 25-year-old Brazilian forward has contributed seven of Fiorentina’s 36 goals in this season’s Europa Conference League, both the highest tallies in the competition.
The runs of Giacomo Bonaventura and Sofyan Amrabat from midfield are also important in Fiorentina’s dynamic gameplan. Italiano’s team have had 256 attempts on goal during 14 Europa Conference League games this season, which is 83 more than their nearest challengers Gent.
However, such a free-flowing attack almost came unstuck during the semi finals when they were 2-1 down to Basel after the first leg in Florence. Yet it was away in Switzerland that Fiorentina’s best player, Nico Gonzalez, the Argentine winger, came to the fore, scoring twice to take the tie to extra time. In the 129th minute, Antonin Barak, the Czech midfielder, netted the last-gasp winner.
Reaching two finals highlights La Viola's progress
Fiorentina are now channelling the frustrations of losing 2-1 in the Coppa Italia final to seal the piece of silverware that would cap a mammoth run of 22 cup games this term. A first trophy in 22 years would be the crowning glory for a club that has been astutely run.
Not only have Fiorentina bought and sold well — making a €70 million profit on Dusan Vlahovic, who is yet to find his rhythm at Juventus — but they have appointed the best up-and-coming coach in Italy.
Only five years ago, Italiano was working in semi-professional football with Vigontina San Paolo and since then his rise has been irresistible. The German-born Sicilian led Trapani to promotion to the second division and Spezia to the top flight for the first time in their history — then kept them up against the odds.
Last season, Italiano made Fiorentina the league’s most-improved team, with a 22-point swing from the previous year. In a dramatic final day of the campaign, he qualified La Viola for Europe for the first time in five years and the strides forward have been undeniable.
The question now is whether this week’s final will prove to be Italiano’s last game as Fiorentina manager. Napoli have earmarked the 45-year-old as their preferred choice to take over the departing Luciano Spalletti this summer — the two teams’ styles of play are similar and Italiano would be a shrewd appointment.
But first there is a final and the chance for Fiorentina to rubber-stamp the quick progress that has even shocked Commisso.