Their purple shirts stay well-known throughout the continent, however it’s greater than half a century since they lifted the outdated Cup Winners’ Cup. Giancarlo Rinaldi seems to be at Fiorentina’s painful document in European finals down the years.
Within the early days of European soccer, Fiorentina will need to have thought that they had cracked it. Within the area of 5 superb years straddling the Fifties and Sixties they made no fewer than three finals. It has taken them greater than 60 years to succeed in one other three.
With greater than 30 participations in continental competitors – sixth within the all-time Italian standings behind Juve, Inter, Milan, Roma and Napoli – it provides you an thought of the dimensions of the heartache the Viola have suffered. Their solely triumph stays that Cup Winners’ Cup crown greater than six many years in the past.
Forward of Wednesday’s Convention League Last towards Olympiacos, here’s a snapshot of Tuscany’s best and their agonising document of their 5 earlier European finals.
Actual Madrid 2-0 Fiorentina (European Cup 1956/57)
Within the childhood of the competitors, Los Blancos have been already its dominant pressure, however the Serie A facet’s job was made all of the tougher by enjoying the sport on the Santiago Bernabeu in entrance of a reported 124,000 crowd. Regardless of enjoying with “braveness and honour” – in keeping with La Stampa – Giuliano Sarti may solely maintain out for therefore lengthy in objective. He was ultimately crushed by an Alfredo Di Stefano penalty, with greater than a suspicion of offside within the build-up, halfway by means of the second half. Francisco Gento added one other because the Spanish giants continued their spectacular run.
Fiorentina 4-1 Rangers on agg (Cup Winners’ Cup 1960/61)
The Lions of Ibrox noticed off their Scottish rivals in some fashion with wins each at dwelling and away in what stays their solely main European trophy. Luigi Milan was the protagonist of the primary leg in Glasgow with a lethal double, making the return to Florence one thing of a formality as Kurt Hamrin ran riot. Milan struck once more early in Italy to place the end result past doubt earlier than Alex Scott bought a comfort for the Scottish facet. It was the excellent Hamrin – who handed away earlier this yr – who fittingly delivered the ultimate objective to raise the trophy. Little did followers suspect they might by no means see one other.
Fiorentina 0-3 Atletico Madrid (Cup Winners’ Cup 1961/62)
A courageous defence of their title would find yourself in heartache towards a membership from the Spanish capital as soon as extra for the Viola. This time round it will take a replay to disclaim them the retention of their crown, having drawn 1-1 with Atletico in entrance of fewer than 30,000 followers at Hampden Park in Glasgow. Hamrin was as soon as once more the scorer for the Tuscans after future Serie A star Joaquín Peiró had given the Colchoneros the lead. Extremely, for these days anyway, the replay would happen practically 4 months later in Stuttgart. Whereas Atletico have been largely unchanged, the Viola had altered practically half their workforce, and it confirmed because the Spaniards strolled to a 3-0 triumph.
Fiorentina 1-3 Juventus (UEFA Cup 1989/90)
Unhealthy sufficient to lose a last, however worst of all to lose it to your most bitter rivals. In a fast fireplace trade within the first leg in Turin, Roberto Galia gave the Bianconeri the lead earlier than Renato Buso equalised with a flying header. Nevertheless it was Gigi Casiraghi’s objective close to the hour mark which most irked the boys in purple, as there was a reasonably clear shove within the again in its build-up. A protracted-range Gigi De Agostini effort – badly judged by keeper Marco Landucci – left them with a mountain to climb. It might need been surmountable in their very own floor, however they needed to play the return match in Avellino as a consequence of pre-World Cup work in Florence, and their alternate possibility in Perugia denied as a consequence of fan misbehaviour within the semi-final. The selection of venue, seen by Viola followers as heartland of Juve help, solely made it all of the extra painful.
Fiorentina 1-2 West Ham (Convention League 2022/23)
The newest agonising chapter was simply final yr, as Vincenzo Italiano’s males gained the undesirable tag of changing into the primary facet to lose a last in all 4 main European competitions. Having battled by means of spherical after spherical, they fell behind to a Stated Benrahma penalty, however hit again by means of Jack Bonaventura. The stats would present that the Serie A facet had extra possession and extra pictures as they pressed for a winner, however they have been caught by a sucker punch late within the day from Jarrod Bowen. The bitter finish to the season was solely compounded by Fiorentina dropping the Coppa Italia last to Inter in the identical marketing campaign.
