ACF Fiorentina
Encyclopedia
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as simply Fiorentina, is a professional Italian football
club from Florence
, Tuscany. Founded by a merger in 1926, Fiorentina have played at the top level of Italian football for the majority of their existence; only four clubs have played in more Serie A seasons.
Fiorentina have won two Italian Championships, in 1955–56 and again in 1968–69, as well as winning six Coppa Italia
trophies and one Italian Super Cup. On the European stage
Fiorentina won the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
in 1960–61 and lost the final one year later, they finished runners-up in the 1956–57 European Cup losing against Real Madrid
and also came close to winning the UEFA Cup, finishing as runners-up in the 1989–90 season.
Since 1931 the club have played at the Stadio Artemio Franchi, which currently has a capacity of 47,282. The stadium has used several names over the years and has undergone several renovations. Fiorentina are known widely by the nickname Viola, a reference to their distinctive purple colours.
Associazione Calcio Fiorentina was founded in the autumn of 1926 by local noble and National Fascist Party
member Luigi Ridolfi, who initiated the merger of two older Florentine clubs, CS Firenze
and PG Libertas
. The aim of the merger was to give Florence a strong club to rival those of the more dominant Italian Football Championship
sides of the time from North-West Italy
. Also influential was the cultural revival and rediscovery of Calcio Fiorentino
, an ancestor of modern football that was played by members of the Medici
family.
After a rough start and three seasons in lower leagues, Fiorentina reached Serie A in 1931. That same year saw the opening of the new stadium, originally named Giovanni Berta, after a prominent fascist but now known as Franchi
. At the time the stadium was a masterpiece of engineering, and its inauguration was monumental. In order to be able to compete with the best teams in Italy, Fiorentina strengthened their team with some new players, notably the Uruguay
an Pedro Petrone
, nicknamed el Artillero. Despite enjoying a good season and finishing in fourth place, Fiorentina were relegated the following year, although they would return quickly to Serie A. In 1941 they won their first Coppa Italia
, but the team were unable to build on their success during the 1940s because of World War II and other troubles.
In 1950 Fiorentina started to achieve consistent top-five finishes in the domestic league. The team consisted of great players such as well-known goalkeeper Giuliano Sarti
, Sergio Cervato
, Francesco Rosella, Guido Gratton
, Giuseppe Chiappella
and Aldo Scaramucci, but above all the attacking duo of Brazilian Julinho
and Argentinian Miguel Montuori
. This team won Fiorentina's first scudetto (Italian championship) in 1955–56
, 12 points ahead of second-place Milan. Milan beat Fiorentina to top spot the following year, but more significantly Fiorentina became the first Italian team to play in a European Cup
final, when a disputed penalty led to a 2–0 defeat at the hands of by Alfredo di Stéfano
's Real Madrid
.
Fiorentina were runners-up again in the three subsequent seasons. In the 1960–61
season the club won the Coppa Italia again and was also successful in Europe, winning the first Cup Winners' Cup against Rangers
.
After several years of runner-up finishes, Fiorentina dropped away slightly in the 1960s, bouncing from 4th to 6th place, although the club won the Coppa Italia and the Mitropa Cup
in 1966.
While the 1960s did result in some trophies and good Serie A
finishes for Fiorentina, nobody believed that the club could challenge for the title. The 1968–69 season
started with Milan as frontrunners, but on match day 7 they lost to Bologna and were overtaken by Gigi Riva's Cagliari Calcio
. Fiorentina, after an unimpressive start, then moved to the top of the Serie A
, but the first half of their season finished with a 2–2 draw against Varese
, leaving Cagliari as outright league leader. The second half of the season was a three-way battle between the three contending teams, Milan, Cagliari and Fiorentina. Milan fell away, instead focusing their efforts on the European Cup
, and it seemed that Cagliari would retain top spot, but after losing against Juventus, Fiorentina took over at the top. The team then won all of their remaining matches, beating rivals Juventus in Turin
on the penultimate matchday to seal their second, and last, national title. In the European Cup competition the following year Fiorentina had some good results, including a win in the USSR against Dynamo Kyiv, but they were eventually knocked out in the quarter finals after a 3–0 defeat in Glasgow to Celtic.
Viola players began the 1970s decade with Scudetto sewed on their breast, but the period was not especially fruitful for the team. After a 5th place finish in 1971, they finished in mid-table almost every year, even flirting with relegation in 1972 and 1978. The Viola did win the Anglo-Italian League Cup
in 1974 and won the Coppa Italia again in 1975. The team consisted of young talents like Vincenzo Guerini and Moreno Roggi, who had the misfortune to suffer bad injuries, and above all Giancarlo Antognoni
, who would later become an idol to Fiorentina's fans. The young average age of the players led to the team being called Fiorentina Ye-Ye.
In 1980 Fiorentina was bought by Flavio Pontello, from a rich house-builder family. He quickly changed the team's anthem and logo, leading to some complaints by the fans, but he started to bring in high-quality players such as Francesco Graziani
and Eraldo Pecci
from Torino, Daniel Bertoni
from Sevilla
, Daniele Massaro
from Monza and a young Pietro Vierchowod
from Sampdoria. The team was built around Giancarlo Antognoni, and in Serie A 1981-82
Fiorentina were involved in an exciting duel with rival Juventus. After a bad injury to Antognoni, the league title was decided on the final day of the season, when Fiorentina were denied a goal against Cagliari and were unable to win. Juventus won the title with a disputed penalty, and the rivalry between the two teams erupted.
The following years were strange for Fiorentina, who vacillated between high finishes and relegation battles. Fiorentina also bought two interesting players, El Puntero Ramón Díaz
and, most significantly, the young Roberto Baggio
.
In 1990 Fiorentina fought to avoid relegation right up until the final day of the season, but did reach the UEFA Cup
final, where they again faced Juventus. The Turin team won the trophy, but Fiorentina's tifosi
once again had real cause for complaint: the second leg of the final was played in Avellino
(Fiorentina's home ground was suspended), a city with a lot of Juventus' fans, and Roberto Baggio
was sold to the rival team on the day of the final. Pontello, suffering from economic difficulties, was selling all the players and was forced to leave the club after serious riots in Florence's streets. The club was then acquired by the famous filmmaker Mario Cecchi Gori.
, Stefan Effenberg
, Francesco Baiano
and, most importantly, Gabriel Batistuta
, who became an iconic player for the team during the 1990s. In 1993, however, Mario Cecchi Gori died and was succeeded as chairman by his son Vittorio Cecchi Gori
. Despite a good start to the season, Vittorio Cecchi Gori fired the coach, Luigi Radice, after a defeat against Atalanta
, and replaced him with Aldo Agroppi
. The results were dreadful: Fiorentina fell into the bottom half of the standings and were relegated on the last day of the season.
Claudio Ranieri
was brought in as coach for the 1993–94 season, and that year Fiorentina dominated Serie B
(second division). Upon their return to Serie A
, Ranieri put together a good team centred around new top scorer Batistuta, signing the young talent Rui Costa from Benfica and the new world champion Brazilian defender Márcio Santos
. The former became an idol to Fiorentina fans, while the second disappointed and was sold after only a season. Viola finished the season in 10th.
The following season Cecchi Gori bought other important players like Stefan Schwarz
. The club again proved its mettle in cup competitions, winning the Coppa Italia against Atalanta
, and finished joint 3rd in Serie A
. In the summer, Fiorentina was the first non-national champion to win the Supercoppa Italiana
, defeating AC Milan
2–1 at the San Siro
.
Fiorentina's 95–96 season was disappointing in the league, but they did reach the Cup Winners' Cup semi-final by beating Gloria Bistrita
, Sparta Prague, and Benfica. The team lost the semi-final to the eventual winner of the competition, FC Barcelona
(Away 1–1, Home 0–2). The season's main signings were Luís Oliveira
and Andrei Kanchelskis
, the latter of whom suffered a lot of injuries.
At the end of the season, Ranieri left Fiorentina for Valencia CF
, and Cecchi Gori appointed Alberto Malesani
. Fiorentina played well but struggled against smaller teams, although they did manage to qualify for the UEFA Cup
. Malesani left Fiorentina after only a season and was succeeded by Giovanni Trapattoni
. With Trapattoni's expert guidance and Batistuta's goals, Fiorentina challenged for the title in 1998–99
but finished the season in third, earning them qualification for the UEFA Champions League
. The following year was disappointing in Serie A
, but Viola played some historical matches in Champions League, beating Arsenal
1–0 at the old Wembley Stadium and Manchester United
2–0 in Florence
. They were ultimately eliminated in the second group stage.
At the end of the season Trapattoni left the club and was replaced by Turkish coach Fatih Terim
. More significantly, however, Batistuta was sold to Roma
, who eventually won the title the following year. Fiorentina played well in 2000–01
and stayed in the top half of Serie A
, despite the resignation of Terim and the arrival of Roberto Mancini
. They also won the Coppa Italia for the sixth and last time.
2001 heralded major changes for Fiorentina, as the terrible state of the club's finances was revealed: they were unable to pay wages and had debts of around USD 50 million. The club's owner, Vittorio Cecchi Gori
, was able to raise some more money, but even this soon proved to be insufficient resources to sustain the club. Fiorentina were relegated at the end of the 2001–02
season and went into judicially controlled administration in June 2002. This form of bankruptcy
(sports companies cannot exactly fail in this way in Italy, but they can suffer a similar procedure) meant that the club was refused a place in Serie B for the 2002–03
season, and as a result effectively ceased to exist.
, the fourth tier of Italian football. The only player to remain at the club in its new incarnation was Angelo Di Livio
, whose commitment to club's cause further endeared him to the fans. Helped by Di Livio and 30-goal striker Christian Riganò
, the club won its Serie C2
group with considerable ease, which would normally have led to a promotion to Serie C1
. However, due to the bizarre Caso Catania (Catania Case) the club skipped Serie C1
and was admitted into Serie B
, something that was only made possible by the Italian Football Federation's decision to resolve the Catania situation by increasing the number of teams in Serie B
from 20 to 24 and promoting Fiorentina for "sports merits". In the 2003 off-season, the club also bought back the right to use the Fiorentina name and the famous shirt design, and re-incorporated itself as ACF Fiorentina.
The club's unusual double promotion was controversial, with some suggesting that Fiorentina did not deserve it. However, the club remained in Serie B
and managed to finish the 2003–04
season in sixth place. This put the Viola in a two-legged playoff against Perugia
(the 15th-place finisher in Serie A
) for a top-flight place during the next season. Fiorentina completed their remarkable comeback by winning the match 2–1 on aggregate, with both goals scored by Enrico Fantini
, to gain promotion back to Serie A
. In their first season back in Italian football's top flight the club struggled to avoid relegation, only securing survival on the last day of the season and only avoiding a relegation playoff based on their head-to-head record against Bologna
and Parma
. In 2005, Della Valle decided to appoint Pantaleo Corvino
as new sports director.
In 2005–06
, Fiorentina hired Cesare Prandelli
as their new head coach and made several signings during the summer transfer market, most notably Palermo
's 20-goal striker Luca Toni
and French goalkeeper Sébastien Frey
. The combination of captain Dario Dainelli
and Czech international regular Tomáš Ujfaluši
in defence, Cristian Brocchi
as midfield ball winner, Martin Jorgensen on the wing, Stefano Fiore
as playmaker and key marksman Toni, with Frey in goal, proved to be an outstanding force in Serie A
, giving them a fourth place finish with 74 points and qualifying the team for the third qualifying round of the Champions League
. Toni scored 31 goals in 38 appearances, the first player to pass the 30-goal mark since Antonio Valentin Angelillo
in the 1958–59
season, for which he was awarded the European Golden Boot
.
On 14 July 2006, however, Fiorentina were relegated to Serie B due to their involvement in the 2006 Serie A match fixing scandal
and given a 12-point penalty. The team was reinstated to the Serie A on appeal, but with a 19-point penalty for the 2006–07 season. The team's UEFA Champions League
place was also rescinded. After the start of the season Fiorentina's penalization was reduced from 19 points to 15 on appeal to the Italian courts.
Despite starting the 2006–07 season with a 15-point penalty, Fiorentina nevertheless managed to secure a place in the 2007–08 edition of the UEFA Cup. The combination of Toni and Adrian Mutu
proved to be one of Serie A
's most proficient strike partnerships, scoring 31 goals between them.
While many doubted the potential of the Viola in the 2007–08
season due to Toni's departure, Fiorentina had a sensational start to the season and were tipped by Marcello Lippi
and other prominent names in football as a surprise challenger for the Scudetto. However, this form tailed off towards the middle of the season, with several disappointing losses in connection with a grievous family loss suffered by club manager Prandelli. The club reached the semi-final of the UEFA Cup, where they were ultimately defeated by Rangers
on penalties after two 0–0 ties. The season ended on a high note as Fiorentina defeated Torino 1–0 on the final day of the season to secure a UEFA Champions League
spot at the expense of AC Milan
. That campaign ended in the group stages, however, with the club finishing third and securing a path to the UEFA Cup
instead.
The 2008–09 season continued this success, a fourth place finish assuring Fiorentina's spot in 2010's Champions League playoffs. The Viola also took part to the 2008–09 UEFA Champions League, reaching the group phase after defeating Slavia Prague in the third qualifying round, but the club did not manage to qualify to the knockout rounds and was successively eliminated from the 2008–09 UEFA Cup too. In contrast to their Champions League campaign, La Viola remained in the top tier of the domestic league.
A reversal of trends took place in the ongoing 2009–10 season, as the club saw a dip in their Serie A form, yet proved itself to be a surprise dark horse in Europe. Fiorentina started their domestic campaign strongly, trailing leaders Inter
along with Juventus
and Sampdoria
earlier in the season, but steadily lost momentum and slipped to mid-table positions at the latter half of the season. In Europe, the team got past Sporting in the qualifying rounds and drawn a tight group consisting of Lyon
, Liverpool
and Debrecen
. Losing their first away fixture against Lyon, many dismissed their chances of getting through, but the Italians staged a comeback with winning all their remaining matches, which included defeating Liverpool home and away. The Viola qualified as group champions, but eventually succumbed to Bayern Munich due to away goals, in a controversial double encounter involving what was considered as poor refereeing. Tom Henning Øvrebø
, who led the first leg in Germany, was then lambasted by journalists and Italian footballing figures for his decisions, most notably allowing a Miroslav Klose
offside goal (that eventually fired Bayern through the next round), calling into attention the possible implementation of video replays in football. Fiorentina also maintained a strong Coppa Italia
campaign, reaching the semifinal before being defeated by the eventual winner Inter. The domestic season ended on a sour note as the Viola failed to reach a European position. During this period, on 24 September 2009, Andrea Della Valle resigned from his position as chairman of ACF Fiorentina, and announced all duties would be temporarily transferred to Mario Cognini, Fiorentina's vice president until a permanent position could be filled. On 26 October 2009, Andrea Della Valle stepped down as chairman. The position is now vacant.
In June 2010 the Viola bid farewell to long-time manager Prandelli (by then the longest-serving coach in the team's history), who was departing to coach the national team
, with Catania
's young Siniša Mihajlović
replacing him.
Gyula Feldmann
|
|align=left|1928–30
|-
|align=left|Gyula Feldmann
|
|align=left|1930–31
|-
|align=left|Hermann Felsner
|
|align=left|1931–33
|-
|align=left|William Rady
|
|align=left|1933
|-
|align=left|Ferenc Ging
|
|align=left|1933–34
|-
|align=left|Guido Ara
|
|align=left|1934–37
|-
|align=left|Ottavio Baccani
|
|align=left|1937–38
|-
|align=left|Ferenc Molnar
|
|align=left|1938
|-
|align=left|Rudolf Soutschek
|
|align=left|1938–39
|-
|align=left|Giuseppe Galluzzi
|
|align=left|1939–45
|-
|-
|align=left|Guido Ara
|
|align=left|1946
|-
|align=left|Renzo Magli
|
|align=left|1946–47
|-
|align=left|Imre Senkey
|
|align=left|1947
|-
|align=left|Luigi Ferrero
|
|align=left|1947–51
|-
|align=left|Renzo Magli
|
|align=left|1951–53
|-
|align=left|Fulvio Bernardini
|
|align=left|1953–58
|-
|align=left|Lajos Czeizler
|
|align=left|1958–59
|-
|align=left|Luigi Ferrero
|
|align=left|1959
|-
|align=left|Luis Carniglia
|
|align=left|1959–60
|-
|align=left|Giuseppe Chiappella
|
|align=left|1960
|-
|align=left|Nándor Hidegkuti
|
|align=left|1960–62
|-
|align=left|Ferruccio Valcareggi
|
|align=left|1962–64
|-
|align=left|Giuseppe Chiappella
|
|align=left|1964–67
|-
|align=left|Luigi Ferrero
|
|align=left|1967–68
|-
|align=left|Andrea Bassi
|
|align=left|1968
|-
|align=left|Bruno Pesaola
|
|align=left|1968–71
|-
|align=left|Oronzo Pugliese
|
|align=left|1971
|-
|align=left|Nils Liedholm
|
|align=left|1971–73
|-
|align=left|Luigi Radice
|
|align=left|1973–74
|-
|align=left|Nereo Rocco
|
|align=left|1974–75
|-
|}
|width="30"|
|valign="top"|
|}
Football in Italy
Football is the most popular sport in Italy. The Italian national football team has won the FIFA World Cup 4 times , trailing only Brazil . Italy's club sides have won 27 major European trophies, making them the most successful European nation in the subject of football...
club from Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, Tuscany. Founded by a merger in 1926, Fiorentina have played at the top level of Italian football for the majority of their existence; only four clubs have played in more Serie A seasons.
Fiorentina have won two Italian Championships, in 1955–56 and again in 1968–69, as well as winning six Coppa Italia
Coppa Italia
The Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...
trophies and one Italian Super Cup. On the European stage
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
Fiorentina won the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
in 1960–61 and lost the final one year later, they finished runners-up in the 1956–57 European Cup losing against Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
and also came close to winning the UEFA Cup, finishing as runners-up in the 1989–90 season.
Since 1931 the club have played at the Stadio Artemio Franchi, which currently has a capacity of 47,282. The stadium has used several names over the years and has undergone several renovations. Fiorentina are known widely by the nickname Viola, a reference to their distinctive purple colours.
Foundation to World War II
National Fascist Party
The National Fascist Party was an Italian political party, created by Benito Mussolini as the political expression of fascism...
member Luigi Ridolfi, who initiated the merger of two older Florentine clubs, CS Firenze
C.S. Firenze
Club Sportivo Firenze also known as CS Firenze or simply Firenze, was an Italian football club from the Florence, Tuscany originally founded in 1903. The club is most noted for competing in the early Italian Football Championship competitions , before in 1926 becoming one of two Florentine based...
and PG Libertas
P.G. Libertas
Palestra Ginnastica Libertas, also known as P.G. Libertas, was an Italian association football club from Florence founded in 1912. The club is short-lived, lasting little more than a decade before merging with fellow Florence club C.S. Firenze in 1926 to form A.C. Fiorentina, which would be one of...
. The aim of the merger was to give Florence a strong club to rival those of the more dominant Italian Football Championship
Italian Football Championship
The Italian Football Championship was the most senior football championship in Italy from the 1897/1898 season to the 1921/1922 season. In that last season, a concurrent championship, the Prima Divisione, was played by the richest clubs, which wanted to improve their income with a more elitarian...
sides of the time from North-West Italy
Northern Italy
Northern Italy is a wide cultural, historical and geographical definition, without any administrative usage, used to indicate the northern part of the Italian state, also referred as Settentrione or Alta Italia...
. Also influential was the cultural revival and rediscovery of Calcio Fiorentino
Calcio Fiorentino
Calcio Fiorentino was an early form of football that originated in 16th century Italy. The Piazza Santa Croce of Florence is the cradle of this sport, that became known as giuoco del calcio fiorentino or simply calcio .The official rules of calcio were published for the first time in 1580 by...
, an ancestor of modern football that was played by members of the Medici
Medici
The House of Medici or Famiglia de' Medici was a political dynasty, banking family and later royal house that first began to gather prominence under Cosimo de' Medici in the Republic of Florence during the late 14th century. The family originated in the Mugello region of the Tuscan countryside,...
family.
After a rough start and three seasons in lower leagues, Fiorentina reached Serie A in 1931. That same year saw the opening of the new stadium, originally named Giovanni Berta, after a prominent fascist but now known as Franchi
Stadio Artemio Franchi (Florence)
Stadio Artemio Franchi is a football stadium in Florence, Italy. It is currently the home of ACF Fiorentina. The stadium was temporarily noticed as the host of Italy's Six Nations matches from 2012. The old nickname of the stadium was "Comunale."...
. At the time the stadium was a masterpiece of engineering, and its inauguration was monumental. In order to be able to compete with the best teams in Italy, Fiorentina strengthened their team with some new players, notably the Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
an Pedro Petrone
Pedro Petrone
Pedro Petrone Schiavone , nicknamed Artillero was a Uruguayan footballer in the striker role. His nickname Artillero, meaning artilleryman or gunner in reference to his amazing goalscoring prowess....
, nicknamed el Artillero. Despite enjoying a good season and finishing in fourth place, Fiorentina were relegated the following year, although they would return quickly to Serie A. In 1941 they won their first Coppa Italia
Coppa Italia
The Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...
, but the team were unable to build on their success during the 1940s because of World War II and other troubles.
First scudetto and '50–'60s
Giuliano Sarti
Giuliano Sarti is a retired Italian professional football player.-Honours:* Serie A champion: 1955/56, 1964/65, 1965/66.* Coppa Italia winner: 1960/61.* European Cup winner: 1963/64, 1964/65....
, Sergio Cervato
Sergio Cervato
Sergio Cervato was an Italian football player.Cervato was born in Carmignano di Brenta, province of Padua....
, Francesco Rosella, Guido Gratton
Guido Gratton
Guido Gratton was an Italian football player.A Friulian from Monfalcone, Guido Gratton played for Fiorentina in the 1950s, together with players such as Julinho, Virgili, and Montuori...
, Giuseppe Chiappella
Giuseppe Chiappella
Giuseppe Chiappella was an Italian football midfielder and manager. He started his career with Pisa, but is most famous for making over 300 appearances for Fiorentina...
and Aldo Scaramucci, but above all the attacking duo of Brazilian Julinho
Júlio Botelho
Júlio Botelho, also known as Julinho was a Brazilian football player....
and Argentinian Miguel Montuori
Miguel Montuori
Miguel Ángel Montuori was an Argentine football player.Montuori was born at Rosario, Argentina....
. This team won Fiorentina's first scudetto (Italian championship) in 1955–56
Serie A 1955-56
-Final classification:-Results:...
, 12 points ahead of second-place Milan. Milan beat Fiorentina to top spot the following year, but more significantly Fiorentina became the first Italian team to play in a European Cup
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
final, when a disputed penalty led to a 2–0 defeat at the hands of by Alfredo di Stéfano
Alfredo Di Stéfano
Alfredo Stéfano Di Stéfano Laulhé, born into a family of Italian immigrants from Capri, is a former Argentinian footballer and coach, widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time...
's Real Madrid
Real Madrid C.F.
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol , commonly known as Real Madrid, is a professional football club based in Madrid, Spain. The club have won a record 31 La Liga titles, the Primera División of the Liga de Fútbol Profesional , 18 Copas del Rey, 8 Spanish Super Cups, 1 Copa Eva Duarte and 1 Copa de la...
.
Fiorentina were runners-up again in the three subsequent seasons. In the 1960–61
Serie A 1960-61
-Final classification:-Results:...
season the club won the Coppa Italia again and was also successful in Europe, winning the first Cup Winners' Cup against Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
.
After several years of runner-up finishes, Fiorentina dropped away slightly in the 1960s, bouncing from 4th to 6th place, although the club won the Coppa Italia and the Mitropa Cup
Mitropa Cup
The Mitropa Cup, officially called the La Coupe de l'Europe Centrale was one of the first really international major European football cups for club sides...
in 1966.
Second scudetto and '70s
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
finishes for Fiorentina, nobody believed that the club could challenge for the title. The 1968–69 season
Serie A 1968-69
The 1968/1969 Serie A season was won by A.C. Fiorentina.-Final classification:-Results:-References and sources:*Almanacco Illustrato del Calcio - La Storia 1898-2004, Panini Edizioni, Modena, September 2005-External links:...
started with Milan as frontrunners, but on match day 7 they lost to Bologna and were overtaken by Gigi Riva's Cagliari Calcio
Cagliari Calcio
Cagliari Calcio is an Italian football club based in Cagliari, Sardinia. The club was formed in 1920 and currently plays in Italian Serie A, having spent a large part of recent years mainly in Serie A and Serie B....
. Fiorentina, after an unimpressive start, then moved to the top of the Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
, but the first half of their season finished with a 2–2 draw against Varese
A.S. Varese 1910
A.S. Varese 1910 is an Italian football club from Varese, founded 22 March 1910. It currently plays in Serie B, ranked one division below Serie A in the Italian football league.-History:...
, leaving Cagliari as outright league leader. The second half of the season was a three-way battle between the three contending teams, Milan, Cagliari and Fiorentina. Milan fell away, instead focusing their efforts on the European Cup
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
, and it seemed that Cagliari would retain top spot, but after losing against Juventus, Fiorentina took over at the top. The team then won all of their remaining matches, beating rivals Juventus in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
on the penultimate matchday to seal their second, and last, national title. In the European Cup competition the following year Fiorentina had some good results, including a win in the USSR against Dynamo Kyiv, but they were eventually knocked out in the quarter finals after a 3–0 defeat in Glasgow to Celtic.
Viola players began the 1970s decade with Scudetto sewed on their breast, but the period was not especially fruitful for the team. After a 5th place finish in 1971, they finished in mid-table almost every year, even flirting with relegation in 1972 and 1978. The Viola did win the Anglo-Italian League Cup
Anglo-Italian League Cup
The Anglo-Italian League Cup was a short-lived football competition between clubs in England and Italy.-History:...
in 1974 and won the Coppa Italia again in 1975. The team consisted of young talents like Vincenzo Guerini and Moreno Roggi, who had the misfortune to suffer bad injuries, and above all Giancarlo Antognoni
Giancarlo Antognoni
Giancarlo Antognoni, is a former Italian footballer. He played offensive midfielder, mainly with Fiorentina. He won the 1982 FIFA World Cup with the Italian national team.-Clubs:...
, who would later become an idol to Fiorentina's fans. The young average age of the players led to the team being called Fiorentina Ye-Ye.
Pontello era
Francesco Graziani
Francesco "Ciccio" Graziani is an Italy football manager and former player.-Playing career:Graziani was born in Subiaco, in the province of Rome....
and Eraldo Pecci
Eraldo Pecci
Eraldo Pecci is an Italian former footballer.During his club career he played for Bologna, Fiorentina and Torino. He also played for the Italy national football team, and was a member of the 1978 FIFA World Cup squad.-References:...
from Torino, Daniel Bertoni
Daniel Bertoni
Ricardo Daniel Bertoni is a former Argentine footballer who played in a Right Winger role.He played 31 times for the Argentina national football team between 1974 and 1982. in both the 1978 and the 1982 FIFA World Cups...
from Sevilla
Sevilla FC
Sevilla Fútbol Club S.A.D. is a Spanish professional football club based in Seville, Spain that plays in the Spanish La Liga championship.They are one of the most successful clubs in Spanish football having won a 1 La Liga title, 5 Spanish "Copa del Rey" Cups, 1 Spanish Super Cup and 2 UEFA...
, Daniele Massaro
Daniele Massaro
Daniele Massaro is a former Italian football forward. He was a member of the Italian squad that won the FIFA World Cup held in Spain in 1982....
from Monza and a young Pietro Vierchowod
Pietro Vierchowod
Pietro Vierchowod is an Italian former footballer turned coach.Vierchowod was nicknamed the zar because he was the son of a Ukrainian Red Army soldier. Vierchowod was a man-marker ....
from Sampdoria. The team was built around Giancarlo Antognoni, and in Serie A 1981-82
Serie A 1981-82
The 1981/1982 Serie A season was won by Juventus F.C..-Final classification:Juventus FC became the first, and as of 2011, the only team in Italian football to be awarded two golden stars, to commemorate their 20th title win.-Results:...
Fiorentina were involved in an exciting duel with rival Juventus. After a bad injury to Antognoni, the league title was decided on the final day of the season, when Fiorentina were denied a goal against Cagliari and were unable to win. Juventus won the title with a disputed penalty, and the rivalry between the two teams erupted.
The following years were strange for Fiorentina, who vacillated between high finishes and relegation battles. Fiorentina also bought two interesting players, El Puntero Ramón Díaz
Ramón Díaz
Ramón Ángel Díaz , is a former Argentine football player. For most of his career, he played for, and later coached, Club Atlético River Plate. He is also known by the nickname of El Pelado ....
and, most significantly, the young Roberto Baggio
Roberto Baggio
Roberto Baggio is a retired Italian footballer. Widely regarded as one of the finest footballers of his generation, Baggio won both the Ballon d'Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year in 1993. He is the only Italian player ever to score in three World Cups. He is also one of the top 5 all-time...
.
In 1990 Fiorentina fought to avoid relegation right up until the final day of the season, but did reach the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
final, where they again faced Juventus. The Turin team won the trophy, but Fiorentina's tifosi
Tifosi
Tifosi is an Italian word to describe a group of supporters or fans, especially in sports. Tifosi is used for a mixed gender or an all-male group; masculine singular tifoso, feminine singular tifosa, feminine plural tifose.-Football:...
once again had real cause for complaint: the second leg of the final was played in Avellino
Avellino
Avellino is a town and comune, capital of the province of Avellino in the Campania region of southern Italy. It is situated in a plain surrounded by mountains 42 km north-east of Naples and is an important hub on the road from Salerno to Benevento.-History:Before the Roman conquest, the...
(Fiorentina's home ground was suspended), a city with a lot of Juventus' fans, and Roberto Baggio
Roberto Baggio
Roberto Baggio is a retired Italian footballer. Widely regarded as one of the finest footballers of his generation, Baggio won both the Ballon d'Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year in 1993. He is the only Italian player ever to score in three World Cups. He is also one of the top 5 all-time...
was sold to the rival team on the day of the final. Pontello, suffering from economic difficulties, was selling all the players and was forced to leave the club after serious riots in Florence's streets. The club was then acquired by the famous filmmaker Mario Cecchi Gori.
Cecchi Gori era: from Champions League to bankruptcy
The first season under Cecchi Gori's ownership was one of stabilization, after which the new chairman started to sign some good players like Brian LaudrupBrian Laudrup
Brian Laudrup is a Danish former football player and current football commentator, pundit and analyst on TV3+. Along with former international goalkeeper Lars Høgh, Laudrup manages a football academy for marginalized youth...
, Stefan Effenberg
Stefan Effenberg
Stefan Effenberg is a retired German footballer. A central midfielder, he possessed leadership skills, powerful shooting ability, physical strength, but also a fearsome and controversial character....
, Francesco Baiano
Francesco Baiano
Francesco Baiano was an Italian football and currently a coach. He is a well-known striker famous for his shooting technique....
and, most importantly, Gabriel Batistuta
Gabriel Batistuta
Gabriel Omar Batistuta , nicknamed Batigol, is a former professional footballer. The prolific Argentine striker played most of his club football at Fiorentina in Italy, and he is the tenth top scorer of all-time in the Italian Serie A league, with 184 goals in 318 matches...
, who became an iconic player for the team during the 1990s. In 1993, however, Mario Cecchi Gori died and was succeeded as chairman by his son Vittorio Cecchi Gori
Vittorio Cecchi Gori
Vittorio Cecchi Gori is an Italian film producer and politician.Born in Florence, he is the son of Mario Cecchi Gori. He has produced numerous films, most notably Il Postino , which received an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture.He was also senator from the Italian People's Party.He owned...
. Despite a good start to the season, Vittorio Cecchi Gori fired the coach, Luigi Radice, after a defeat against Atalanta
Atalanta B.C.
Atalanta Bergamasca Calcio, commonly known as just Atalanta, Atalanta Bergamo or the abbreviation Atalanta BC, is an Italian football club based in Bergamo, Lombardy.They are nicknamed the Nerazzurri and the orobici...
, and replaced him with Aldo Agroppi
Aldo Agroppi
Aldo Agroppi is a professional Italian football coach and a former player.He played for 12 seasons in Serie A with Torino Calcio and Perugia Calcio....
. The results were dreadful: Fiorentina fell into the bottom half of the standings and were relegated on the last day of the season.
Claudio Ranieri
Claudio Ranieri
Claudio Ranieri, is an Italian football manager, currently in charge as head coach of Internazionale.He has also managed many other well-known clubs in Europe, including Cagliari, Napoli, Fiorentina, Valencia, Atlético Madrid, Chelsea, Parma, Juventus and Roma.-Early life:Ranieri attended St...
was brought in as coach for the 1993–94 season, and that year Fiorentina dominated Serie B
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
(second division). Upon their return to Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
, Ranieri put together a good team centred around new top scorer Batistuta, signing the young talent Rui Costa from Benfica and the new world champion Brazilian defender Márcio Santos
Márcio Roberto dos Santos
Márcio Roberto dos Santos, best known as Márcio Santos is a former association footballer, who played as a defender for such teams as Internacional, Fiorentina and Ajax. He was born in São Paulo. He was a member of the Brazilian national football team that won the 1994 FIFA World Cup, in which he...
. The former became an idol to Fiorentina fans, while the second disappointed and was sold after only a season. Viola finished the season in 10th.
The following season Cecchi Gori bought other important players like Stefan Schwarz
Stefan Schwarz
Hans-Jürgen Stefan Schwarz is a Swedish former footballer.Born to a German father, he played as a midfielder and a left-back. He started playing football at youth level in Kulladals FF and began his career at his hometown club Malmö FF...
. The club again proved its mettle in cup competitions, winning the Coppa Italia against Atalanta
Atalanta B.C.
Atalanta Bergamasca Calcio, commonly known as just Atalanta, Atalanta Bergamo or the abbreviation Atalanta BC, is an Italian football club based in Bergamo, Lombardy.They are nicknamed the Nerazzurri and the orobici...
, and finished joint 3rd in Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
. In the summer, Fiorentina was the first non-national champion to win the Supercoppa Italiana
Supercoppa Italiana
The Supercoppa Italiana is a pre-season football competition held the week before the season begins in Italy every year. It is contested by the winners of the Serie A and the Coppa Italia in the previous season, as a curtain raiser to the new season. It is usually played at the home of the Serie A...
, defeating AC Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
2–1 at the San Siro
San Siro
The Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, originally and commonly referred to as the San Siro because of its location, officially given its current name on 3 March 1980, is a football stadium located in the San Siro district in Milan, Italy. It is the home of both A.C. Milan and F.C. Internazionale Milano...
.
Fiorentina's 95–96 season was disappointing in the league, but they did reach the Cup Winners' Cup semi-final by beating Gloria Bistrita
Gloria Bistrita
Gloria Bistriţa is a Romanian professional football club from Bistriţa, Bistriţa-Năsăud County.-History:The club was founded on July 6, 1922 and among the founding staff members there were: Simion Sbârcea as the club's president, Teofil Moldovan as the club's secretary, Ion Bota, Dumitru Hara,...
, Sparta Prague, and Benfica. The team lost the semi-final to the eventual winner of the competition, FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
(Away 1–1, Home 0–2). The season's main signings were Luís Oliveira
Luis Oliveira
Luis Airton Barroso Oliveira is a former Brazilian-Belgian football player and currently coach of the Nuorese.He spent most of his playing career in Italy.-Career:...
and Andrei Kanchelskis
Andrei Kanchelskis
Andrei Antanasovich Kanchelskis is a Ukrainian-born Russian football manager and former association footballer who played as a right winger. Kanchelskis is the only player in history to have scored in each of the Glasgow, Merseyside and Manchester local derbies.Currently, he is managing FC...
, the latter of whom suffered a lot of injuries.
At the end of the season, Ranieri left Fiorentina for Valencia CF
Valencia CF
Valencia Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club based in Valencia, Spain. They play in La Liga and are one of the most successful and biggest clubs in Spanish Football and European Football. Valencia have won six La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey trophies, two Fairs Cups which was the...
, and Cecchi Gori appointed Alberto Malesani
Alberto Malesani
Alberto Malesani is an Italian association football manager, currently in charge of Genoa.-Early career and breakthrough at Chievo:...
. Fiorentina played well but struggled against smaller teams, although they did manage to qualify for the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
. Malesani left Fiorentina after only a season and was succeeded by Giovanni Trapattoni
Giovanni Trapattoni
Giovanni Trapattoni , sometimes known as "Trap" or "Il Trap", is an Italian football coach and former player, considered the most successful club coach in the history of Serie A. As a player he was part of Italy's squad at the 1962 FIFA World Cup....
. With Trapattoni's expert guidance and Batistuta's goals, Fiorentina challenged for the title in 1998–99
Serie A 1998-99
AC Milan won their 16th Scudetto, led by coach Alberto Zaccheroni. Lazio finished second, losing the title on the last day. Inter with an often Injured or rested Ronaldo had a disastrous season, finishing in 8th position, whereas Juventus impressive start was cut short by a bad injury to Alessandro...
but finished the season in third, earning them qualification for the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
. The following year was disappointing in Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
, but Viola played some historical matches in Champions League, beating Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
1–0 at the old Wembley Stadium and Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
2–0 in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
. They were ultimately eliminated in the second group stage.
At the end of the season Trapattoni left the club and was replaced by Turkish coach Fatih Terim
Fatih Terim
Fatih Terim, Commendatore OSSI, is a Turkish football former player and manager. Terim was born in Adana, Turkey to Nuriye and Talat Terim. His father, Talat, is a Turkish Cypriot who emigrated to Turkey....
. More significantly, however, Batistuta was sold to Roma
A.S. Roma
Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...
, who eventually won the title the following year. Fiorentina played well in 2000–01
Serie A 2000-01
In the 2000-01 season, Serie A, the major football Italian professional league, was composed by 18 teams, for the 13th consecutive time from season 1988-89....
and stayed in the top half of Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
, despite the resignation of Terim and the arrival of Roberto Mancini
Roberto Mancini
Roberto Mancini is an Italian football manager, formerly an international player and current manager of Premier League club Manchester City.As a player Mancini was best known for his time at Sampdoria, where he played more than 550 matches, and helped them win the Serie A league title, four Coppa...
. They also won the Coppa Italia for the sixth and last time.
2001 heralded major changes for Fiorentina, as the terrible state of the club's finances was revealed: they were unable to pay wages and had debts of around USD 50 million. The club's owner, Vittorio Cecchi Gori
Vittorio Cecchi Gori
Vittorio Cecchi Gori is an Italian film producer and politician.Born in Florence, he is the son of Mario Cecchi Gori. He has produced numerous films, most notably Il Postino , which received an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture.He was also senator from the Italian People's Party.He owned...
, was able to raise some more money, but even this soon proved to be insufficient resources to sustain the club. Fiorentina were relegated at the end of the 2001–02
Serie A 2001-02
In the 2001-02 season, the Serie A, the major football Italian professional league, was composed by 18 teams, for the 14th consecutive time from season 1988-89....
season and went into judicially controlled administration in June 2002. This form of bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
(sports companies cannot exactly fail in this way in Italy, but they can suffer a similar procedure) meant that the club was refused a place in Serie B for the 2002–03
Serie A 2002-03
In the 2002-03 season, the Serie A, the major football Italian professional league, was composed by 18 teams, for the 15th consecutive time from season 1988-89....
season, and as a result effectively ceased to exist.
Della Valle era
The club was promptly re-established in August 2002 as Associazione Calcio Fiorentina e Florentia Viola with shoe and leather entrepreneur Diego Della Valle as new owner, and was admitted into Serie C2Serie C2
Lega Pro Seconda Divisione is the name of the fourth highest football league in Italy, the lowest with a professional status. Usually it consists of 54 teams, but in the season 2010–11 the teams are only 49 divided geographically into three divisions of 17, 16 and 16 teams each...
, the fourth tier of Italian football. The only player to remain at the club in its new incarnation was Angelo Di Livio
Angelo Di Livio
Angelo di Livio is a former Italian football midfielder. He was given the nickname il soldatino during his playing career due to his characteristic way of running up and down the flank....
, whose commitment to club's cause further endeared him to the fans. Helped by Di Livio and 30-goal striker Christian Riganò
Christian Riganò
Christian Riganò is an Italian football striker who is currently playing with Rondinella Calcio, the second team of Florence.-Career:...
, the club won its Serie C2
Serie C2
Lega Pro Seconda Divisione is the name of the fourth highest football league in Italy, the lowest with a professional status. Usually it consists of 54 teams, but in the season 2010–11 the teams are only 49 divided geographically into three divisions of 17, 16 and 16 teams each...
group with considerable ease, which would normally have led to a promotion to Serie C1
Serie C1
Lega Pro Prima Divisione is the name of the third highest football league in Italy. It consists of 36 teams, divided geographically into two divisions of 18 teams each. Until 2008 it was known as Serie C1....
. However, due to the bizarre Caso Catania (Catania Case) the club skipped Serie C1
Serie C1
Lega Pro Prima Divisione is the name of the third highest football league in Italy. It consists of 36 teams, divided geographically into two divisions of 18 teams each. Until 2008 it was known as Serie C1....
and was admitted into Serie B
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
, something that was only made possible by the Italian Football Federation's decision to resolve the Catania situation by increasing the number of teams in Serie B
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
from 20 to 24 and promoting Fiorentina for "sports merits". In the 2003 off-season, the club also bought back the right to use the Fiorentina name and the famous shirt design, and re-incorporated itself as ACF Fiorentina.
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
and managed to finish the 2003–04
Serie B 2003-04
This article contains information on the 2003-2004 season of Serie B, the second highest football league in Italy.-Final classification:-Results:...
season in sixth place. This put the Viola in a two-legged playoff against Perugia
Perugia Calcio
Associazione Calcistica Perugia Calcio is an Italian association football club based in Perugia, Umbria, direct heir of the old Perugia Calcio and A.C. Perugia, excluded from Italian football because of financial troubles....
(the 15th-place finisher in Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
) for a top-flight place during the next season. Fiorentina completed their remarkable comeback by winning the match 2–1 on aggregate, with both goals scored by Enrico Fantini
Enrico Fantini
Enrico Fantini is an Italian footballer. He currently plays for Alessandria.During the 2005/06 season, Fantini was on loan to Torino. As of 2006, Fantini has played only 9 Serie A matches as a starter.- Career statistics :...
, to gain promotion back to Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
. In their first season back in Italian football's top flight the club struggled to avoid relegation, only securing survival on the last day of the season and only avoiding a relegation playoff based on their head-to-head record against Bologna
Bologna F.C. 1909
Bologna Football Club 1909, known simply as Bologna, is an Italian Football League club based in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, formed in 1993. The club are nicknamed the rossoblù because of the red and blue striped shirts they wear. Red and Blue are the official colours of the town.During its history...
and Parma
Parma F.C.
Parma Football Club , commonly referred to as just Parma, is an Italian professional football club based in Parma, Emilia–Romagna that will compete in Serie A for the 2011–12 season, having finished in twelfth position last season. Founded as Verdi Foot Ball Club in July 1913, the club changed its...
. In 2005, Della Valle decided to appoint Pantaleo Corvino
Pantaleo Corvino
Pantaleo Corvino is an Italian director of football, currently working for Italian Serie A club ACF Fiorentina....
as new sports director.
Serie A 2005-06
In the 2005–06 season, Serie A, the major professional football league in Italian, was contested for the second year in a row by 20 teams. The league commenced on August 28, 2005 and finished on May 14, 2006...
, Fiorentina hired Cesare Prandelli
Cesare Prandelli
Cesare Claudio Prandelli is an Italian football coach and former player. He is currently the manager of the Italy national football team.-Playing career:...
as their new head coach and made several signings during the summer transfer market, most notably Palermo
U.S. Città di Palermo
Unione Sportiva Città di Palermo is an Italian football club from Palermo, Sicily which currently plays in Serie A, the top level of Italian football. Formed in 1900 as Anglo Panormitan Athletic and Football Club, the club had various names before assuming its final form in 1987 and is currently...
's 20-goal striker Luca Toni
Luca Toni
Luca Toni, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who currently plays for Serie A club Juventus. He has had successful spells at top clubs such as Palermo, Fiorentina, Bayern Munich, and Roma...
and French goalkeeper Sébastien Frey
Sébastien Frey
Sébastien Frey is a French footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Serie A club Genoa.-Club career:Frey began his career with French side AS Cannes in 1997, at the age of 17...
. The combination of captain Dario Dainelli
Dario Dainelli
Dario Dainelli is an Italian footballer who plays as a defender for Serie A club Genoa.-Early career:Dainelli started his professional career at Empoli...
and Czech international regular Tomáš Ujfaluši
Tomáš Ujfaluši
Tomáš Ujfaluši is a Czech footballer who plays for Galatasaray SK in Turkey.He can operate as either a central or right defender, and has played professionally in the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy and Spain.-Early years / Hamburg / Fiorentina:...
in defence, Cristian Brocchi
Cristian Brocchi
Cristian Brocchi is an Italian footballer, who currently plays for Lazio.-Career:Early careerStarting his career at his native club A.C. Milan youth system, he was loaned to Pro Sesto and Lumezzane in early years.Hellas Verona...
as midfield ball winner, Martin Jorgensen on the wing, Stefano Fiore
Stefano Fiore
Stefano Fiore is an Italian football manager and former player, who can play as an attacking midfielder or on the wing. He is currently in charge as manager technical area of Cosenza in Serie D.-Parma and early years:...
as playmaker and key marksman Toni, with Frey in goal, proved to be an outstanding force in Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
, giving them a fourth place finish with 74 points and qualifying the team for the third qualifying round of the Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
. Toni scored 31 goals in 38 appearances, the first player to pass the 30-goal mark since Antonio Valentin Angelillo
Antonio Valentin Angelillo
Antonio Valentín Angelillo is an Italian Argentine former football forward who played the majority of his professional career in the Italian Serie A, and was a member of both the Argentine and the Italian national teams.-Club career:...
in the 1958–59
Serie A 1958-59
The 1958/1959 Serie A season was the 29th edition of Serie A, the top-level football competition in Italy. The championship was won by A.C...
season, for which he was awarded the European Golden Boot
European Golden Boot
The European Golden Shoe, formerly known as the European Golden Boot, is an association football award presented each season to the leading goalscorer in league matches from the top division of every European national league...
.
On 14 July 2006, however, Fiorentina were relegated to Serie B due to their involvement in the 2006 Serie A match fixing scandal
2006 Serie A scandal
The 2006 Italian football scandal involved Italy's top professional football leagues, Serie A and Serie B...
and given a 12-point penalty. The team was reinstated to the Serie A on appeal, but with a 19-point penalty for the 2006–07 season. The team's UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League 2006-07
The 2006–07 UEFA Champions League was the 15th season of UEFA's premier European club football tournament, the UEFA Champions League, since it was rebranded from the European Cup, and the 52nd season overall. The final was contested by Milan and Liverpool on 23 May 2007...
place was also rescinded. After the start of the season Fiorentina's penalization was reduced from 19 points to 15 on appeal to the Italian courts.
Despite starting the 2006–07 season with a 15-point penalty, Fiorentina nevertheless managed to secure a place in the 2007–08 edition of the UEFA Cup. The combination of Toni and Adrian Mutu
Adrian Mutu
Adrian Mutu is a Romanian footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Cesena.-Argeş Piteşti:Mutu began his professional career with his home club Argeş Piteşti...
proved to be one of Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
's most proficient strike partnerships, scoring 31 goals between them.
While many doubted the potential of the Viola in the 2007–08
Serie A 2007-08
The 2007-08 Serie A football season was the seventy-sixth since its establishment, and started on August 26, 2007 and ended on May 18, 2008. Internazionale successfully defended the championship on the final day of the season, finishing first with 85 points, three ahead of Roma.-Plusvalenze...
season due to Toni's departure, Fiorentina had a sensational start to the season and were tipped by Marcello Lippi
Marcello Lippi
Marcello Lippi, Commendatore OMRI is a former Italian World Cup-winning football manager and former player. He served as Italian national team head coach from 16 July 2004 to 12 July 2006 and led Italy to win the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He was re-appointed as Italian head coach in the summer of 2008...
and other prominent names in football as a surprise challenger for the Scudetto. However, this form tailed off towards the middle of the season, with several disappointing losses in connection with a grievous family loss suffered by club manager Prandelli. The club reached the semi-final of the UEFA Cup, where they were ultimately defeated by Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
on penalties after two 0–0 ties. The season ended on a high note as Fiorentina defeated Torino 1–0 on the final day of the season to secure a UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
spot at the expense of AC Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
. That campaign ended in the group stages, however, with the club finishing third and securing a path to the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
instead.
The 2008–09 season continued this success, a fourth place finish assuring Fiorentina's spot in 2010's Champions League playoffs. The Viola also took part to the 2008–09 UEFA Champions League, reaching the group phase after defeating Slavia Prague in the third qualifying round, but the club did not manage to qualify to the knockout rounds and was successively eliminated from the 2008–09 UEFA Cup too. In contrast to their Champions League campaign, La Viola remained in the top tier of the domestic league.
A reversal of trends took place in the ongoing 2009–10 season, as the club saw a dip in their Serie A form, yet proved itself to be a surprise dark horse in Europe. Fiorentina started their domestic campaign strongly, trailing leaders Inter
F.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
along with Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
and Sampdoria
U.C. Sampdoria
Unione Calcio Sampdoria is an Italian association football club based in Genoa. The club was formed in 1946 from the merger of two existing sports clubs whose roots can be traced back to the 1890s, Sampierdarenese and Andrea Doria...
earlier in the season, but steadily lost momentum and slipped to mid-table positions at the latter half of the season. In Europe, the team got past Sporting in the qualifying rounds and drawn a tight group consisting of Lyon
Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais is a French association football club based in Lyon. They play in France's highest football division, Ligue 1. The club was formed as Lyon Olympique Universitaire in 1899, according to many supporters and sport historians, but was nationally established as a club in 1950. The...
, Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
and Debrecen
Debreceni VSC
Debreceni VSC or just Debrecen or DVSC is a football club from the city of Debrecen in Hungary. They are best known for reaching the group stages of the UEFA Champions League 2009–10 season. Debreceni VSC has been the most successful Hungarian club since 2000. The club has won the Hungarian...
. Losing their first away fixture against Lyon, many dismissed their chances of getting through, but the Italians staged a comeback with winning all their remaining matches, which included defeating Liverpool home and away. The Viola qualified as group champions, but eventually succumbed to Bayern Munich due to away goals, in a controversial double encounter involving what was considered as poor refereeing. Tom Henning Øvrebø
Tom Henning Øvrebø
Tom Henning Øvrebø is a Norwegian football referee. Born in Oslo, Øvrebø is a former UEFA Elite referee, who has refereed matches in the UEFA Cup and UEFA Champions League...
, who led the first leg in Germany, was then lambasted by journalists and Italian footballing figures for his decisions, most notably allowing a Miroslav Klose
Miroslav Klose
Miroslav Josef Klose is a German footballer who plays as a striker for Lazio in the Serie A. Since bursting onto the international stage at the 2002 World Cup, he has become well known for his knack of scoring headers, front-flip goal celebrations, and decisive short passing.Klose holds German...
offside goal (that eventually fired Bayern through the next round), calling into attention the possible implementation of video replays in football. Fiorentina also maintained a strong Coppa Italia
Coppa Italia
The Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...
campaign, reaching the semifinal before being defeated by the eventual winner Inter. The domestic season ended on a sour note as the Viola failed to reach a European position. During this period, on 24 September 2009, Andrea Della Valle resigned from his position as chairman of ACF Fiorentina, and announced all duties would be temporarily transferred to Mario Cognini, Fiorentina's vice president until a permanent position could be filled. On 26 October 2009, Andrea Della Valle stepped down as chairman. The position is now vacant.
In June 2010 the Viola bid farewell to long-time manager Prandelli (by then the longest-serving coach in the team's history), who was departing to coach the national team
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
, with Catania
Calcio Catania
Calcio Catania is an Italian football club founded in 1908 and based in Catania, Sicily. The club has spent much of its history in Serie B, gaining promotion to Italy's top league Serie A five times...
's young Siniša Mihajlović
Siniša Mihajlovic
Siniša Mihajlović is a Serbian football manager and former player. He was in charge of Serie A club Fiorentina since June 2010 to November 2011....
replacing him.
Current squad
Out on loan
Managerial history
Fiorentina have had many managers and head coaches throughout their history. Below is a chronological list from the club's foundation in 1926 to the present day.|
|align=left|1928–30
|-
|align=left|Gyula Feldmann
|
|align=left|1930–31
|-
|align=left|Hermann Felsner
Hermann Felsner
Hermann Felsner also known as Ermanno Fellsner, was an Austrian football player and manager from Vienna.-Club career:...
|
|align=left|1931–33
|-
|align=left|William Rady
|
|align=left|1933
|-
|align=left|Ferenc Ging
|
|align=left|1933–34
|-
|align=left|Guido Ara
Guido Ara
Guido Ara was an Italian association footballer and manager from Vercelli in the region of Piedmont. He is most noted for his playing career at Pro Vercelli where he was a one club man, winning six Serie A titles; during the club's entire history they only won seven...
|
|align=left|1934–37
|-
|align=left|Ottavio Baccani
|
|align=left|1937–38
|-
|align=left|Ferenc Molnar
|
|align=left|1938
|-
|align=left|Rudolf Soutschek
|
|align=left|1938–39
|-
|align=left|Giuseppe Galluzzi
Giuseppe Galluzzi
Giuseppe Galluzzi was an Italian footballer and manager from Florence. He was a prominent figure in the Florentine football scene, appearing for CS Firenze and then ACF Fiorentina after the merger took place...
|
|align=left|1939–45
|-
|-
|align=left|Guido Ara
Guido Ara
Guido Ara was an Italian association footballer and manager from Vercelli in the region of Piedmont. He is most noted for his playing career at Pro Vercelli where he was a one club man, winning six Serie A titles; during the club's entire history they only won seven...
|
|align=left|1946
|-
|align=left|Renzo Magli
|
|align=left|1946–47
|-
|align=left|Imre Senkey
Imre Senkey
Imre Senkey was a Hungarian football player and manager, who spent the majority of his managerial time in Italy. Senkey managed some of the top clubs in Italian football such as Roma, Torino, Fiorentina and Genoa.-References:...
|
|align=left|1947
|-
|align=left|Luigi Ferrero
Luigi Ferrero
Luigi Ferrero was an Italian football manager and former player from Turin. As a player he spent time with some of the top clubs in his country such as Inter and others.-References:...
|
|align=left|1947–51
|-
|align=left|Renzo Magli
|
|align=left|1951–53
|-
|align=left|Fulvio Bernardini
Fulvio Bernardini
Fulvio Bernardini was an Italian footballer and coach.During his playing career, he played for Lazio, Inter, Roma and M.A.T.E.R....
|
|align=left|1953–58
|-
|align=left|Lajos Czeizler
Lajos Czeizler
Lajos Czeizler was a Hungarian football coach born in Heves.With altogether 11 major titles he remains one of the most successful football coaches of all time....
|
|align=left|1958–59
|-
|align=left|Luigi Ferrero
Luigi Ferrero
Luigi Ferrero was an Italian football manager and former player from Turin. As a player he spent time with some of the top clubs in his country such as Inter and others.-References:...
|
|align=left|1959
|-
|align=left|Luis Carniglia
Luis Carniglia
Luis Antonio Carniglia was a football striker and manager from Argentina. He played for Boca Juniors in the 1930s, but is probably best known for managing Real Madrid in the 1950s....
|
|align=left|1959–60
|-
|align=left|Giuseppe Chiappella
Giuseppe Chiappella
Giuseppe Chiappella was an Italian football midfielder and manager. He started his career with Pisa, but is most famous for making over 300 appearances for Fiorentina...
|
|align=left|1960
|-
|align=left|Nándor Hidegkuti
Nándor Hidegkuti
Nándor Hidegkuti was a Hungarian football player and manager. He played as a forward or attacking midfielder and spent the majority of his playing career at MTK Hungária FC. During the 1950s he was also a member of the Hungarian National Team team known as the Golden Team...
|
|align=left|1960–62
|-
|align=left|Ferruccio Valcareggi
|
|align=left|1962–64
|-
|align=left|Giuseppe Chiappella
Giuseppe Chiappella
Giuseppe Chiappella was an Italian football midfielder and manager. He started his career with Pisa, but is most famous for making over 300 appearances for Fiorentina...
|
|align=left|1964–67
|-
|align=left|Luigi Ferrero
Luigi Ferrero
Luigi Ferrero was an Italian football manager and former player from Turin. As a player he spent time with some of the top clubs in his country such as Inter and others.-References:...
|
|align=left|1967–68
|-
|align=left|Andrea Bassi
|
|align=left|1968
|-
|align=left|Bruno Pesaola
|
|align=left|1968–71
|-
|align=left|Oronzo Pugliese
Oronzo Pugliese
Oronzo Pugliese was an Italian football manager from Turi in the Province of Bari.Over the course of his career, Pugliese managed several notable clubs in Italian football, amongst them were; Roma, Fiorentina and his home province side Bari.-References:...
|
|align=left|1971
|-
|align=left|Nils Liedholm
Nils Liedholm
Nils Liedholm was a Swedish football midfielder and coach. Il Barone , as he is affectionately known in Italy, was renowned for being part of Sweden's "Gre-No-Li" trio of strikers along with Gunnar Gren and Gunnar Nordahl at A.C. Milan and the Swedish national team...
|
|align=left|1971–73
|-
|align=left|Luigi Radice
|
|align=left|1973–74
|-
|align=left|Nereo Rocco
Nereo Rocco
Nereo Rocco was an Italian football player and manager. He is famous for having been one of the most successful head coaches in Italy, and the first proponent of catenaccio in the country.-Playing career:...
|
|align=left|1974–75
|-
|}
|width="30"|
|valign="top"|
| Name | Nationality | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Carlo Mazzone Carlo Mazzone Carlo "Carletto" Mazzone is an Italian football manager.A former centre back who played several seasons for his beloved team, AS Roma, other than Spal and Ascoli, where he played for nine season, Mazzone left the playing career in season 1968-1969, to become the manager of Ascoli itself, in Serie... |
|
1975–77 |
| Mario Mazzoni | |
1977–78 |
| Giuseppe Chiappella Giuseppe Chiappella Giuseppe Chiappella was an Italian football midfielder and manager. He started his career with Pisa, but is most famous for making over 300 appearances for Fiorentina... |
|
1978 |
| Paolo Carosi | |
1978–81 |
| Giancarlo De Sisti Giancarlo De Sisti Giancarlo de Sisti is a former Italian footballer and football manager.Best known by his nickname Picchio, during his career he played for A.S. Roma and ACF Fiorentina... |
|
1981–85 |
| Ferruccio Valcareggi | |
1985 |
| Aldo Agroppi Aldo Agroppi Aldo Agroppi is a professional Italian football coach and a former player.He played for 12 seasons in Serie A with Torino Calcio and Perugia Calcio.... |
|
1985–86 |
| Eugenio Bersellini | |
1986–87 |
| Sven-Göran Eriksson Sven-Göran Eriksson Sven-Göran Eriksson , in Sweden commonly referred to just by his nickname Svennis, is a Swedish ex-football manager. From October 2010 to October 2011 he managed Football League Championship side Leicester City.... |
|
1987–89 |
| Bruno Giorgi | |
1989–90 |
| Francesco Graziani Francesco Graziani Francesco "Ciccio" Graziani is an Italy football manager and former player.-Playing career:Graziani was born in Subiaco, in the province of Rome.... |
|
1990 |
| Sebastião Lazaroni Sebastião Lazaroni Sebastião Barroso Lazaroni, commonly known as Sebastião Lazaroni , is a Brazilian football manager, currently heading the Qatar national football team. He was born in Muriaé, Minas Gerais state.... |
 |
1990–91 |
| Luigi Radice | |
1991–93 |
| Aldo Agroppi Aldo Agroppi Aldo Agroppi is a professional Italian football coach and a former player.He played for 12 seasons in Serie A with Torino Calcio and Perugia Calcio.... |
|
1993 |
| Luciano Chiarugi Luciano Chiarugi Luciano Chiarugi is an Italian football manager and former player.-Player:Chiarugi started his career with ACF Fiorentina, being part of the lineup that won the 1968–69 Serie A title... |
|
1993 |
| Claudio Ranieri Claudio Ranieri Claudio Ranieri, is an Italian football manager, currently in charge as head coach of Internazionale.He has also managed many other well-known clubs in Europe, including Cagliari, Napoli, Fiorentina, Valencia, Atlético Madrid, Chelsea, Parma, Juventus and Roma.-Early life:Ranieri attended St... |
|
1993–97 |
| Alberto Malesani Alberto Malesani Alberto Malesani is an Italian association football manager, currently in charge of Genoa.-Early career and breakthrough at Chievo:... |
|
1997–98 |
| Giovanni Trapattoni Giovanni Trapattoni Giovanni Trapattoni , sometimes known as "Trap" or "Il Trap", is an Italian football coach and former player, considered the most successful club coach in the history of Serie A. As a player he was part of Italy's squad at the 1962 FIFA World Cup.... |
|
1998–00 |
| Fatih Terim Fatih Terim Fatih Terim, Commendatore OSSI, is a Turkish football former player and manager. Terim was born in Adana, Turkey to Nuriye and Talat Terim. His father, Talat, is a Turkish Cypriot who emigrated to Turkey.... |
 |
2000–01 |
| Luciano Chiarugi Luciano Chiarugi Luciano Chiarugi is an Italian football manager and former player.-Player:Chiarugi started his career with ACF Fiorentina, being part of the lineup that won the 1968–69 Serie A title... |
|
2001 |
| Roberto Mancini Roberto Mancini Roberto Mancini is an Italian football manager, formerly an international player and current manager of Premier League club Manchester City.As a player Mancini was best known for his time at Sampdoria, where he played more than 550 matches, and helped them win the Serie A league title, four Coppa... |
|
2001 |
| Ottavio Bianchi Ottavio Bianchi Ottavio Bianchi is an Italian former football player and coach.-Biography:Bianchi was born in Brescia. During his playing days, he has won two caps for Italy, and played for a number of teams, including Brescia, Napoli, Atalanta, Milan and Cagliari.He is best remembered for being the coach of... |
|
2001–02 |
| Luciano Chiarugi Luciano Chiarugi Luciano Chiarugi is an Italian football manager and former player.-Player:Chiarugi started his career with ACF Fiorentina, being part of the lineup that won the 1968–69 Serie A title... |
|
2002 |
| Eugenio Fascetti | |
2002 |
| Pietro Vierchowod Pietro Vierchowod Pietro Vierchowod is an Italian former footballer turned coach.Vierchowod was nicknamed the zar because he was the son of a Ukrainian Red Army soldier. Vierchowod was a man-marker .... |
|
2002 |
| Alberto Cavasin Alberto Cavasin Alberto Cavasin is an Italian football manager and former player. He last served as head coach of Serie A team Sampdoria.-Playing career:... |
|
2002–03 |
| Emiliano Mondonico Emiliano Mondonico Emiliano Mondonico is an Italian football manager. He last served as head coach of Serie B side AlbinoLeffe.-Career:... |
|
2003–04 |
| Sergio Buso | |
2004–05 |
| Dino Zoff Dino Zoff Dino Zoff is an Italian former football goalkeeper and is the oldest winner ever of the World Cup, which he earned as captain of the Italian team in the 1982 tournament in Spain, at the age of 40 years, 4 months and 13 days.Zoff was a goalkeeper of outstanding ability and has a place in the... |
|
2005 |
| Cesare Prandelli Cesare Prandelli Cesare Claudio Prandelli is an Italian football coach and former player. He is currently the manager of the Italy national football team.-Playing career:... |
|
2005–10 |
| Siniša Mihajlović Siniša Mihajlovic Siniša Mihajlović is a Serbian football manager and former player. He was in charge of Serie A club Fiorentina since June 2010 to November 2011.... |
 |
2010–11 |
| Delio Rossi Delio Rossi Delio Rossi is an Italian association football manager, currently managing Fiorentina.-Playing career:Rossi's playing career was not a bright one, as he reached his personal top from 1981 to 1983, playing Serie B with U.S. Foggia, where he spent most of his footballing time... |
|
2011– |
|}
Badge
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
, a red fleur-de-lis
Fleur-de-lis
The fleur-de-lis or fleur-de-lys is a stylized lily or iris that is used as a decorative design or symbol. It may be "at one and the same time, political, dynastic, artistic, emblematic, and symbolic", especially in heraldry...
on a white field, has been pivotal in the all-round symbolism of the club.
Over the course of the club's history they have had several badge changes, all of which incorporated Florence's fleur-de-lis
Fleur-de-lis
The fleur-de-lis or fleur-de-lys is a stylized lily or iris that is used as a decorative design or symbol. It may be "at one and the same time, political, dynastic, artistic, emblematic, and symbolic", especially in heraldry...
in some way. The first one was nothing more than the city's coat of arms, a white shield with the red fleur-de-lis inside. It was soon changed to a very stylized fleur-de-lis, always red, and sometimes even without the white field. The most common symbol, adopted for about twenty years, had been a white lozenge
Lozenge
A lozenge , often referred to as a diamond, is a form of rhombus. The definition of lozenge is not strictly fixed, and it is sometimes used simply as a synonym for rhombus. Most often, though, lozenge refers to a thin rhombus—a rhombus with acute angles of 45°...
with the flower inside. During the season they were Italian champions, the lozenge disappeared and the flower was overlapped with the scudetto.
The logo introduced by owner Flavio Pontello in 1980 was particularly distinct, consisting of one half of the city of Florence's emblem and one half of the letter "F", for Fiorentina. People disliked it when it was introduced, believing it was a commercial decision and, above all, because the symbol bore more of a resemblance to a halberd
Halberd
A halberd is a two-handed pole weapon that came to prominent use during the 14th and 15th centuries. Possibly the word halberd comes from the German words Halm , and Barte - in modern-day German, the weapon is called Hellebarde. The halberd consists of an axe blade topped with a spike mounted on...
than a fleur-de-lis.
Today's logo is a kite shaped double lozenge
Lozenge
A lozenge , often referred to as a diamond, is a form of rhombus. The definition of lozenge is not strictly fixed, and it is sometimes used simply as a synonym for rhombus. Most often, though, lozenge refers to a thin rhombus—a rhombus with acute angles of 45°...
bordered in gold. The outer lozenge has a purple background with the letters "AC" in white and the letter "F" in red, standing for the club's name. The inner lozenge is white with a gold border and the red fleur-de-lis of Florence. This logo had been in use from 1992 to 2002, but after the financial crisis and resurrection of the club the new one couldn't use the same logo. Florence's comune
Comune
In Italy, the comune is the basic administrative division, and may be properly approximated in casual speech by the English word township or municipality.-Importance and function:...
instead granted Florentia Viola use of the stylized coat of arms used in other city documents. Diego Della Valle acquired the current logo the following year in a judicial auction for a fee of €
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
2.5 million, making it the most expensive logo in Italian football.
Kit and colours
When Fiorentina was founded in 1926, the players wore red and white halved shirts derived from the colour of the city emblem. The more well-known and highly distinctive purple kit was adopted in 1928 and has been used ever since, giving rise to the nickname La Viola ("The Purple (team)"). Tradition has it that Fiorentina got their purple kit by mistake after an accident washing the old red and white coloured kits in the river.The away kit has always been predominantly white, sometimes with purple and red elements, sometimes all-white. The shorts had been purple when the home kit was with white shorts. Fiorentina's third kit was first one in the 1995–96 season and it was all-red with purple borders and two lilies on the shoulders. The red shirt has been the most worn 3rd shirt by Fiorentina, although they also wore rare yellow shirts ('97–'98, '99–'00 and '10–'11) and a sterling version, mostly in the Coppa Italia
Coppa Italia
The Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...
, in 2000–01.
Kit evolution
World Cup winners
Mario PizzioloMario Pizziolo
Mario Pizziolo was an Italian football player who played as a midfielder.Pizziolo was born in Castellammare Adriatico, province of Pescara....
(Italy 1934
1934 FIFA World Cup
The 1934 FIFA World Cup was the second FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Italy from 27 May to 10 June 1934....
) Giancarlo Antognoni
Giancarlo Antognoni
Giancarlo Antognoni, is a former Italian footballer. He played offensive midfielder, mainly with Fiorentina. He won the 1982 FIFA World Cup with the Italian national team.-Clubs:...
(Spain 1982
1982 FIFA World Cup
The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:...
) Francesco Graziani
Francesco Graziani
Francesco "Ciccio" Graziani is an Italy football manager and former player.-Playing career:Graziani was born in Subiaco, in the province of Rome....
(Spain 1982
1982 FIFA World Cup
The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:...
) Giovanni Galli
Giovanni Galli
Giovanni Galli is an Italian former football goalkeeper and currently a politician.-Club:Galli started his professional career with ACF Fiorentina, where he played nine seasons. In 1986–87, he joined A.C. Milan, being first choice for three of his four years...
(Spain 1982
1982 FIFA World Cup
The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:...
) Pietro Vierchowod
Pietro Vierchowod
Pietro Vierchowod is an Italian former footballer turned coach.Vierchowod was nicknamed the zar because he was the son of a Ukrainian Red Army soldier. Vierchowod was a man-marker ....
(Spain 1982
1982 FIFA World Cup
The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:...
) Daniele Massaro
Daniele Massaro
Daniele Massaro is a former Italian football forward. He was a member of the Italian squad that won the FIFA World Cup held in Spain in 1982....
(Spain 1982
1982 FIFA World Cup
The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:...
) Daniel Passarella
Daniel Passarella
Daniel Alberto Passarella is a former Argentine football centre back and former manager of the Argentine and Uruguayan national football teams. He was captain of the Argentina team that won the 1978 World Cup...
(Mexico 1986
1986 FIFA World Cup
The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA but, largely due to economic reasons, was not able to do so and officially...
) Luca Toni
Luca Toni
Luca Toni, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who currently plays for Serie A club Juventus. He has had successful spells at top clubs such as Palermo, Fiorentina, Bayern Munich, and Roma...
(Germany 2006
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
) Alberto Gilardino
Alberto Gilardino
Alberto Gilardino, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Fiorentina and the Italian national team....
(Germany 2006
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
)
National titles
Serie ASerie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
:
- Winners (2) : 1955–56; 1968–69
- Runners-up (5): 1956–57, 1957–58, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1981–82
Coppa Italia
Coppa Italia
The Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...
:
- Winners (6) : 1939–40; 1960–61; 1965–66; 1974–75; 1995–96; 2000–01
- Runners-up (3): 1958, 1959–60, 1998–99
Supercoppa Italiana
Supercoppa Italiana
The Supercoppa Italiana is a pre-season football competition held the week before the season begins in Italy every year. It is contested by the winners of the Serie A and the Coppa Italia in the previous season, as a curtain raiser to the new season. It is usually played at the home of the Serie A...
:
- Winners (1) : 1996
- Runners-up (1): 2001
Europeans titles
European Cup/ UEFA Champions LeagueUEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
:
- Runners-up (1): 1956–57
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
:
- Winners (1) : 1960–61
- Runners-up (1): 1961–62
UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
/ UEFA Europa League:
- Runners-up (1): 1989–90
Minor titles
Mitropa CupMitropa Cup
The Mitropa Cup, officially called the La Coupe de l'Europe Centrale was one of the first really international major European football cups for club sides...
- Winners (1) : 1966
Anglo-Italian League Cup
Anglo-Italian League Cup
The Anglo-Italian League Cup was a short-lived football competition between clubs in England and Italy.-History:...
- Winners (1) : 1975
Serie B
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
- Winners: 1930–31; 1938–39; 1993–94
Serie C2 (as Florentia Viola)
- Winners: 2002–03