UEFA competitions There is another taboo that must now be dispelled

If it's not a Bela Guttmann-style curse, we're close. The reference concerns the last 4 semi-finals played by Fiorentina in UEFA events, eight matches in which the Viola have never won, scoring only 2 goals, the last of which with Batistuta on 10 April 1997 in Barcelona when the "Lion King" remained silent Camp Nou. Since that evening, 5 matches valid for the UEFA semi-finals have passed, for a total of almost 510 minutes, without a goal scored. The last success in a UEFA semi-final dates back to 11 April 1962, in the Cup Winners' Cup, when the Viola beat Ujpest 1-0 in Budapest (goal by Can Bartù). However, the last goal scored in Florence by the Gigliati in a UEFA semi-final dates back to the first leg of that edition, exactly on 21 March 1962, when a brace from Hamrin allowed Fiorentina to prevail over the Hungarians. After having already established, during this season, the records of victories (10) and goals scored (34) in a single edition of a UEFA event, the Italian team will try to demolish a taboo that has lasted for over 30 years.

Roberto Vinciguerra