ACF Fiorentina Youth Sector

Fiorentina Youth Sector
Full nameAssociazione Calcio Firenze Fiorentina Youth Sector
Nickname(s)Viola (Purple), Gigliati (Lilies)
GroundRocco B. Commisso Viola Park[1]
Capacity
  • 3,000 (Curva Fiesole Stadium)
  • 1,500 (Davide Astori Stadium)
ChairmanRocco B. Commisso
Head coachDaniele Galloppa
LeagueCampionato Primavera 1
2023–24Campionato Primavera 1, 15th
Websitewww.acffiorentina.com/en/fiorentina-youth-men-u20

ACF Fiorentina Youth Sector (Italian: Settore Giovanile) comprises the under-20 team and the academy of Italian professional football club ACF Fiorentina. The side currently compete in the Campionato Primavera 1, which they have won three times, and the Coppa Italia Primavera, which they won eight times. Additionally, they have won the Supercoppa Primavera three times, most recently in 2022. The club has also taken part in the annual Torneo di Viareggio, an international tournament of which they are eight-time winners.[2]

The Youth Sector is made up of various squads divided by age groups. All of the squads train at the first team's main training ground, "Rocco B. Commisso Viola Park" Training Center in Bagno a Ripoli.

History

Fiorentina has historically placed great importance on nurturing local talent and continues to do so. Many young players have successfully transitioned from the youth academy to the first team, with notable examples like Claudio Merlo, who spent most of his career in Florence. Merlo joined Fiorentina at the age of 17 after moving from Rome and quickly rose through the ranks. Alongside players like Luciano Chiarugi, they became a key figure in the Fiorentina team of the 1960s, famously debuting in Serie A against the legendary Inter side in 1965. Their contributions helped the team win the Mitropa Cup and the Italian Cup, culminating in Fiorentina's iconic 1969 Scudetto triumph.[3]

In the 1960s, Fiorentina's youth sector achieved its first victory in the prestigious Viareggio Tournament in 1966. The 1970s saw further success with the club winning its first youth league title in the Campionato Primavera, followed by a second title in the 1979-1980 season. During the same decade, the Viola triumphed four more times at the Torneo di Viareggio. The 1980s brought a third and final Campionato Primavera title, while international victories at Viareggio reached a total of eight by 1992. The growth of Fiorentina's youth academy continued to produce successful talents, with numerous players debuting in the first team during the 2000s, including Federico Bernardeschi, Federico Chiesa, and Serbian striker Dusan Vlahovic.[4] The team also embarked on a remarkable winning streak in the Coppa Italia Primavera, securing a total of eight titles by the end of the 2023-2024 season, with five victories in six consecutive finals.

Structure

Fiorentina owns its own training ground with the complex set to provide a single hub for both the men's and women's first teams, as well as the youth academy.

The Youth Sector is divided into 10 squads: "Primavera" (under-20), under-18, under-17, under-16, under-15, under-13, under-12, under-11, under-10 and under-9.

Viola Park

Fiorentina' home ground includes the 3000-capacity Curva Fiesole Stadium (Stadio Curva Fiesole) and the 1500-capacity Davide Astori Stadium (Stadio Davide Astori), situated inside the "Rocco B. Commisso Viola Park" Training Center in Bagno a Ripoli, near Florence.[5] The Training Center was inaugurated on 11 October 2023, Stadio Curva Fiesole received UEFA licence.[6]

Primavera (under-20)

As of 3 January 2025[7]

Current squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  ITA Tommaso Vannucchi
4 DF  ITA Leonardo Baroncelli
5 DF  ITA Edoardo Sadotti
6 MF  LTU Ernestas Gudelevičius
7 MF  FRA Hugo Lamouliatte
8 MF  ITA Jonas Harder
9 FW  ITA Jacopo Tarantino
10 MF  ITA Mattia Ievoli (Captain)
11 FW  ITA Tommaso Rubino
12 GK  ITA Brando Dolfi
16 MF  ITA Bala Keita
17 DF  ITA Lorenzo Romani
18 FW  ITA Giorgio Puzzoli
No. Pos. Nation Player
19 MF  ITA Niccolò Trapani
21 MF  ITA Lapo Deli
22 GK  ITA Pietro Leonardelli
23 MF  ITA Diego Pisani
24 FW  ITA Riccardo Braschi
25 DF  ITA Mirko Elia
26 DF  ITA Eddy Kouadio
27 DF  VEN Luís Balbo
28 FW  ITA Gabriele Bertolini
29 FW  ITA Brando Mazzeo
31 MF  ITA Giulio Scuderi
36 FW  ITA Maat Daniel Caprini
73 FW  ITA Francesco Presta

Out on loan

As of 1 July 2024

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player

Current technical staff

Role Name
Head coach Daniele Galloppa
Assistant coach Luca Antonelli
Technical Collaborator Lorenzo Sandri
Goalkeeping coach Massimiliano Benassi
Fitness coach Giuseppe Mazza
Analyst Alessandro Rubichini
Club Doctor Matteo Donadei
Physiotherapists Daniele Bacci
Michele Puglisi
Storeman Maurizio Paoli
Massimiliano De Angelis
Team Manager Rocco De Vincenti
Head of Youth Development Valentino Angeloni

Managerial history

Honours

National

Primavera

Other Youth teams

  • Berretti: 2
    • 1975–1976, 1978–1979
  • Under-17 Allievi: 3
    • 1985–1986, 1988–1989, 2008–2009
  • Under-15 Giovanissimi: 1
    • 2010-2011
  • Juniores Nazionali: 2
    • 1957-1958, 1958-1959

International

Primavera

Notable former youth team players

The following is a list of players who have played in Fiorentina's Primavera squad and represented their country at full international level and/or have played regularly at a high-level club football. Players who are currently playing at Fiorentina, or for another club on loan from Fiorentina, are highlighted in bold.

References

  1. ^ "Fiorentina Viola Park Sports Centre". kscapemergingsenses.com. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
  2. ^ "ACF Fiorentina Academy Scholarship". Soccerspen.com. October 19, 2022. Archived from the original on 2023-02-02.
  3. ^ "Viola Portraits: Claudio Merlo". Museo Fiorentina. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
  4. ^ "Florence and the talent machine: Vlahovic and the players who left Fiorentina in big moves". FotMob. January 28, 2022. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
  5. ^ "FIFA President congratulates Fiorentina as ultra-modern Viola Park facility opens". FIFA. 11 October 2023. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
  6. ^ "2024/2025: UEFA licences to 16 Serie A and 2 Serie B sides". FIGC. May 10, 2024. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
  7. ^ "Under 20 Male". ACF Fiorentina. Retrieved 2025-01-07.