100 Years of Fiorentina: A Look at I Viola’s Best Players, Kits, and Moments
· Yahoo Sports
With the club celebrating its centennial anniversary this year, we dive into some of the most iconic moments from Fiorentina’s history.
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While it may have a modest history in terms of titles, Fiorentina is nonetheless an incredibly interesting and influential club that has garnered a cult-like following around the world. Once home to the likes of greats like Roberto Baggio and Gabriel Batistuta, the club has also weathered the lowest of lows, at one point even literally ceasing to exist.
Collapsing under massive debt in 2002, the team was liquidated and forced to restart in the fourth division under a temporary identity. While many clubs would call it a day and fold for good, I Viola completed a miraculous climb from total extinction back into Serie A and has remained a fixture in the top flight ever since, but not without a lot of bumps along the way.
Here is a look at some of the most important players in Fiorentina’s history, their best kits, and the magic moments that have helped define the club as it celebrates 100 years.
Players and Moments to Never Forget at Fiorentina
The player who really helped put Fiorentina on the map was Roberto Baggio. In the late ’80s, Baggio excelled in Florence, scoring 24 goals across all competitions during the 1988-89 season. The Divine Ponytail would eventually move to Juventus after five seasons, finishing with 55 goals in 136 games for the club. His transfer to Juventus caused protests and riots across Florence, but Baggio’s time at Fiorentina was just the beginning of an era in which the best was still to come.
Gabriel Batistuta, or for many simply Mr. Fiorentina, arrived in 1991 and stayed until 2000. BatiGol became the club’s joint all-time top scorer alongside Swedish legend Kurt Hamrin with 208 goals. Among those 208 were some unforgettable strikes, including a screaming bullet against Manchester United in the Champions League and another magnificent finish against Barcelona at the Camp Nou.
Like Baggio before him, and by his own admission, life became a little crazy for Batistuta in Florence. Fans would leave food outside his house, and he had to wear wigs when going out to dinner to avoid being recognized. Still, Batistuta defined Fiorentina throughout the ’90s, and it was almost a miracle that the club was able to hold on to such a prolific goalscorer for so long.
Hamrin may be somewhat lost to the sands of time for younger football fans, but the Swede remains one of the most important players in Fiorentina’s history. He was around during the club’s golden period in the ’60s and played a major role in three of Fiorentina’s major title-winning campaigns.
Another ’90s cult classic was Portuguese playmaker Rui Costa. While Batistuta supplied the goals, Costa supplied the elegance. Together, they became one of the most feared No. 10 and No. 9 duos in Serie A at the height of Italian football’s global dominance.
Argentines have always found a home at Fiorentina, and for four seasons in the ’80s, the club had one of the top defenders in football history, Daniel Passarella. The two-time World Cup winner was known for his strong leadership and command as a defender, but he was also lethal in front of goal. Passarella scored 35 goals in 139 games across his four seasons in Florence, an impressive return for a defender.
In the nets, Francesco Toldo was one of the top goalkeepers of the ’90s and made more than 300 appearances for Fiorentina. We also can’t forget names like Julinho, Adrian Mutu, and Enrico Chiesa, all of whom played a massive part at different points in the club’s long history. Fiorentina has always had a knack for producing or attracting players who leave a lasting impression, and that is a big part of what makes the club such a cult favorite.
Kits Made for History
Image via FootbalKitArchive.
When it comes to kits, Fiorentina has never been short on style. The club crest and famous purple colors have always made for some great designs, but none may be more stylish than the 1995-96 away kit. The all-white shirt, featuring abstract purple and red graphic waves, looked almost more like an NHL hockey jersey than a football shirt, but that was part of what made it so memorable. It was a perfect example of the wild ’90s style of football kits.
Image credit: Allsport UK /Allsport
A few years later in 1997, Fiorentina partnered with Nintendo for an iconic front-of-jersey sponsorship. The 1998-99 home shirt, which was the second and final year of the partnership, was particularly memorable. The purple shirt, Fila patterns, and Champions League nights combined to make it one of the club’s most iconic kits of the era. It was very much a ’90s Fiorentina shirt, and it’s been bootlegged to no end.
Going back a little further, the 1984-85 home and away shirts by Ennerre were beautifully crafted Italian classics. Made entirely from acrylic, they stood out with a clean white stripe across the chest, a bright red collar and the purple Opel logo. These designs might not have been as wild as some of the ’90s era selections, but they captured the unmistakable look and feel of Italian football during the era.
Image via FootbalKitArchive.
Fiorentina is one of the more beloved cult-classic clubs in Italian football. Located in one of the most beautiful areas of Italy and home to generations of unforgettable players, iconic kits, and some truly memorable moments, I Viola have a special place in the hearts of football fans around the world. They may not have the history of Juventus, Milan or Inter, but that has never stopped Fiorentina from creating its own place in football culture.