ACF Fiorentina

ACF Fiorentina, based at the Stadio Artemio Franchi in Florence with a capacity of 43,147, have won 2 Serie A titles and reached back-to-back UEFA Conference League finals in 2023 and 2024, losing both.

The two consecutive Conference League final defeats are the defining wound of the club’s recent history. In 2023, Fiorentina lost 2-1 to West Ham in Prague. In 2024, they lost 1-0 to Olympiacos in Athens after extra time, with the Greek club scoring in the 116th minute. Two finals, six days apart in two different years, both lost. The emotional weight accumulated. The Viola, as Fiorentina are known for their purple shirts, carried those two results into 2024-25 with the question of whether the club can convert their consistent Europa League presence into a trophy.

The Artemio Franchi, built in 1931 and listed as a protected architectural monument, is one of the oldest intact football stadiums in Europe and the reason renovation has been complicated: it cannot simply be demolished and rebuilt. Florence’s city authorities have debated its future for years. In the meantime, it creates an atmosphere that feels genuinely historic: concrete curves and a running track separating fans from the pitch, a layout that went out of fashion in the 1990s.

Paladin Italiano’s tenure produced the Conference League runs. Raffaele Palladino arrived from Monza in 2024, bringing with him a tactical identity centred on pressing from the front and quick vertical transitions. Moise Kean, signed from Juventus, provides the goal-scoring focal point that eluded previous managers.

When does Fiorentina play? Serie A matches at the Franchi are typically 15:00, 18:00, or 20:45 CET (UTC+1). Florence is in Tuscany, central Italy. A 20:45 CET kickoff means 19:45 GMT in London and 14:45 ET in New York. Check Florence time for live conversions. See the Serie A schedule.