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Fiorentina, number four in Italy (PSV.nl)

14 mrt 2008 - Source: PSV.nl

This newsitem has been supplied by PSV.nl


PSV's next UEFA Cup opponents Fiorentina currently sit fourth in the Italian Serie A table. PSV will meet an Italian team for the second time this season after they faced Internazionale during the Champions League group stages. Fiorentina knocked FC Groningen out of the UEFA Cup earlier this season.
Fiorentina advanced to the group stages after beating FC Groningen 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw and a 2-2 aggregate score. Fiorentina boast a great penalty shoot-out record, as they also beat Everton in the Round of 16 on penalties. Portugal-born French defender Manuel Da Costa joined Fiorentina from PSV during the January window, but he is not eligible to play in the UEFA Cup.

Fiorentina is based in Florence (Firenze), one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. Tuscany is said to be the most beautiful region in Italy and the cultural and historical impact of Florence is overwhelming. Fiorentina are known widely by the nickname La Viola, a reference to their distinctive purple colours. On 14 July 2006, Fiorentina were demoted to the Italian second division for their involvement in Italy's match-fixing scandal and were penalised twelve league points. Fiorentina successfully appealed against relegation into the second division, with an appeals sports court allowing them to stay in the Italian top flight, but had fifteen points deducted. Yet they finished sixth in the table that season, making sure of UEFA Cup football. Without the fifteen-point deduction, they would have finished third.
After their encounter with FC Groningen, Fiorentina reached the group stages where they met Villareal, IF Elfsborg, AEK Athens and FK Mladá Boleslav. Fiorentina beat BK Rosenborg in the Round of 32 and knocked out Everton after penalties in the Round of 16. PSV will travel to the Stadio Artemio Franchi on 3 April. The stadium underwent renovations for the 1990 FIFA World Cup, which included removing the running track and increasing the seating capacity to 47, 500 seats.