Fiorentina are back in the UECL grinder and the scars of 2024 still itch

The ghost of Athens and the road to a third final

Two years after the heartbreak in Athens, Fiorentina finds itself back in the quarter-finals of the Europa Conference League. It is a strange existence for a club of this status to be the permanent protagonist of a competition that feels like a consolation prize, but here we are. The 2024 final against Olympiacos remains a fresh wound for every fan who sat through that dreadful 120 minutes of football.

Vincenzo Italiano is long gone, and the tactical shift under the current regime has been anything but smooth. Yet, the team has managed to grind out results in Europe that they frankly struggle to replicate in Serie A. They are playing with a defensive posture that feels alien to the club’s history of expansive, if occasionally reckless, attacking football.

The defensive shift and the lack of a killer instinct

The 2024 final loss was not just about Ayoub El Kaabi finding space in the 116th minute. It was about a total failure to convert dominance into a scoreboard lead. Fiorentina had more possession, more shots, and yet looked like they were waiting for a mistake rather than forcing one. Watching them now, the fear is that they have learned nothing from that night on Greek soil.

They are currently averaging just 1.2 goals per game in this knockout phase. In a quarter-final environment, that lack of lethality is a death sentence. When you look at how they struggled against mid-table opposition in the group stages, you see a team that is terrified of being countered. It is a hyper-cautious approach that sucks the life out of the Artemio Franchi.

The squad depth problem

Relying on the same core group after three years of European slog is a recipe for disaster. The midfield, while technically gifted, lacks the legs to track back when the fullbacks push forward. We saw this in the 2025 campaign where they collapsed in the closing weeks of the season because the squad was physically spent.

The scouting department has brought in reinforcements, but the integration has been sluggish. Some of the newer signings look like they are playing a different sport compared to the veterans. While the club website maintains that the squad is balanced, the eye test tells a different story. The transition from defense to attack is often broken by a single misplaced pass in the final third.

Can they finally break the curse?

Fiorentina has now reached the deep stages of this tournament for three consecutive seasons. It is an impressive statistical feat, but it is also a ringing indictment of their inability to actually cross the finish line. If they crash out at this stage again, the narrative will shift from bad luck to a fundamental psychological block.

There is a real pressure to win this trophy, not just for the prestige, but for the automatic Europa League spot that comes with it. Missing out on the Champions League through the league table is a near certainty given the gaps in Serie A. The 2-0 victory in the round of 16 was a professional display, but it lacked the fire needed to scare the heavy hitters left in the bracket.

Ultimately, this is a team that knows the path to the final by heart, but has forgotten how to win it. They have the experience, the stadium, and the fan base that demands glory. But unless they find a way to stop playing like they are protecting a lead they do not have, another medal-less season is on the horizon. The 2024 final was a trauma; this quarter-final is their chance to prove it wasn't a ceiling.