Phoenix rises in Florence

By Paolo Menicucci

Florentia Viola, the club born out of the ashes of AC Fiorentina, have taken the first step to bringing Serie A football back to Florence after winning promotion from Serie C2. Some 35,000 fans watched Florentia's 3-0 home victory over Savona Calcio yesterday which left them nine points ahead of second-placed Rimini Calcio with two games of the season remaining.

Fall from grace
Last summer the collapse of the former Fiorentina meant a fresh start for the club in the fourth tier of Italian football. It was a remarkable fall from grace for the Viola, two-times Italian champions and the first Italian team to lift a European trophy when they won the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in 1961. They were competing in the UEFA Champions League as recently as 1999/00 and two years ago won the Italian Cup.

Keep the faith
Yet they began the season in Italy's lowest professional tier, Serie C2, a regional competition comprising three groups of 18 teams. Despite the heartache, plenty of Viola fans have kept the faith. It was no surprise that the Artemio Franchi stadium was sold out yesterday. Florentia have recorded an average of 25,000 spectators for home matches this season - this in a division where sides struggle to attract crowds of 3,000.

Fans' favourite
The heroes of the Artemio Franchi stadium are no longer big names like Gabriel Batistuta and Rui Costa. Now the fans' favourite is Christian Riganò, a 29-year-old striker who has spent most of his career with amateur sides while working part-time as a carpenter. However, after scoring 28 goals for Florentia this season - a record for a Viola player and for Serie C too - he has become one of the most famous players in the country. "I was touched to see so many people watching the deciding match yesterday," said the powerful striker.

Dreaming of Serie A
"I have never played in front of so many people before. I want to dedicate this success to the town and to our fans. They have always supported us despite the fact that they didn't deserve to play in Serie C2. And they don't deserve to have a team in Serie C1 next year as well. A town like Florence must have a team in the top flight. My dream is to play in Serie A with Fiorentina one day."

Key figure
Another key figure behind Florentia's revival this year is coach Alberto Cavasin. The former US Lecce coach replaced Pietro Vierchowod on 29 October with the team struggling in the middle of the table. He set out his stall immediately, saying: "We have 26 matches to play and I want to win them all." As it is, 16 wins from his 24 matches so far has proved enough.

'A victory for sport'
"We had to win this championship," said Cavasin. "It was not easy but we managed. It's a great victory for the town but also for sport in general. However my goal is to take this team back into Serie A as soon as possible. That's why I came here. Even if it will be really difficult, I'm sure that Fiorentina will be back where they belong soon."

Loyal Di Livio
Florentia's success must be especially sweet for former Italian international Angelo Di Livio. The 36-year old winger returned from the FIFA World Cup last summer to pledge his future to the new club, accepting a huge pay cut in the process (from €1.5m to €130,000 a year). Di Livio was a key figure until he suffered a serious knee injury in December. The problem put his career in doubt but he has confirmed that he will return to play next season in Serie C1.

Back in business
The first step to restoring the Viola to the top flight may have been taken but the new owner of the club, Diego Della Valle, has another battle to win before they kick off next season in Serie C1. On 15 May there will be an auction of all the goods owned by the old Fiorentina. After rewarding their loyal supporters with promotion, Della Valle's next target is to buy back the club's logo and name. Then, the Viola truly will be back in business.