ACF Fiorentina Youth Sector

Fiorentina Youth Sector
Full nameAssociazione Calcio Firenze Fiorentina Youth Sector
NicknamesViola (Purple), Gigliati (Lilies)
GroundRocco B. Commisso Viola Park[1][2]
Capacity
  • 3,000 (Curva Fiesole Stadium)
  • 1,500 (Davide Astori Stadium)
ChairmanGiuseppe B. Commisso
Head coachAurelio Andreazzoli (Primavera 1)
LeagueCampionato Primavera 1
2025–26Campionato Primavera 1, winner
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 four 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 nine-time winners.[3]

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.[4]

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.[5] 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.

In the 2024–25 Campionato Primavera 1 season, Fiorentina reached the final and consequently qualified for their first appearance in the Youth League. Fiorentina Primavera lost 3–0 to Inter in the final but secured a place in the Domestic Champions Path of the competition.[6] In the second round,[7] Fiorentina were eliminated by Legia Warsaw, losing 6–4 on aggregate.[8]

After 34 years, Fiorentina U18 have won the 2026 edition of the Torneo di Viareggio, reaching a total of nine titles—matching the record held by AC Milan and Juventus.[9][10] In the same season, after a 43-year wait, Fiorentina Primavera were crowned Italian champions following a 2–1 victory over Parma in the final phase of the championship, held at the Rocco B. Commisso Viola Park.[11]

Structure

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.

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.[1]

Academies

The Fiorentina Youth Sector includes a network of academies that operate according to the technical and educational model established by ACF Fiorentina.[12] These academies are dedicated to the training and development of male and female football players, promoting consistent standards of coaching and player education across different levels.

National activity

Throughout Italy, Fiorentina's affiliates are divided into Centri di Formazione and Affiliate.[12]

Fiorentina's Affiliated Clubs are a point of reference for their respective regional and national territories. Renewed in 2020, the Project now has a network of around 70 football organizations that carry out grassroots and competitive youth activities under the technical guidance of a dedicated staff since the 2024/25 season.[12]

International projects

The international projects linked to the Fiorentina Youth Sector comprise a series of programmes designed to share the club's training methods with players, coaches and partner organisations abroad.[13] These initiatives include academy partnerships, training experiences and educational activities that apply the Fiorentina model in different countries.

Viola Park

Viola Park is the new Viola home located within the training center in Bagno a Ripoli, near Florence, and covers an area of approximately 31 hectares, making it one of the largest sports facilities in Europe.[14] It houses the club's headquarters, the training pitches of the men's and women's first teams, and the pitches used by the youth teams.[1]

The Training Center was inaugurated on 11 October 2023.[14]

Stadium(s)

Viola Park also includes the 3000-capacity Curva Fiesole Stadium (Stadio Curva Fiesole) and the 1500-capacity Davide Astori Stadium (Stadio Davide Astori):[14] the Curva Fiesole Stadium hosts the women's first team and the men's Primavera side, while the Davide Astori Stadium is used by all the other teams.[1]

Stadio Curva Fiesole received UEFA licence.[15]

Primavera (under-20)

As of 23 August 2026[16]

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 Lorenzo Pinzani
3 DF  SUI Arnis Ademi
4 MF  ITA Salvatore Cianciulli
5 DF  CRO Matko Bošković
6 MF  CIV Bala Keita
7 MF  ITA Angelo Lorusso
8 MF  ITA Samuel Beldenti
9 FW  ITA Fortune Egharevba
10 MF  ITA Davide Atzeni
11 FW  ITA Alberto Angeloni
14 FW  GAM Sulayman Jallow
16 DF  ITA Dennis Beldenti
17 MF  ARG Federico Matarán
19 FW  ITA Francesco Forza
21 MF  ITA Christian Melai
No. Pos. Nation Player
23 DF  ITA Federico Melani
26 DF  ITA Antonio Pirrò
28 FW  ITA Brando Mazzeo
30 GK  ITA Gianmaria Fei
31 FW  ITA Mario Pietropaolo
33 MF  ITA Piergiorgio Bonanno
40 DF  ROU Robert Corduneanu
44 DF  ITA Niccolò Turnone (Captain)
73 DF  ITA Alessandro Perrotti
77 DF  ITA Gabriele Colaciuri
80 MF  ITA Angelo Martini
97 FW  ITA Federico Croci
99 GK  ITA Mattia Magalotti
— DF  ITA Filippo Fattori
— MF  GUI Alpha Diallo
— FW  CIV Mevale Kone

Out on loan

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
— GK  ITA Brando Dolfi (at Virtus Verona until 30 June 2027)
No. Pos. Nation Player
— DF  ITA Edoardo Sturli (at ChievoVerona until 30 June 2027)

Current technical staff

Role Name
Head coach Italy Aurelio Andreazzoli
Goalkeeping coach Italy Massimiliano Benassi
Scout Italy Davide Doné

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.

European record

As of match played 6 November 2026
Season Round Opposition 1st leg 2nd leg Aggregate
2025–2026 Second round Poland Legia Warsaw 1-4 (A) 3-2 (H) 4–6

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Rocco B. Commisso Viola Park". ACF Fiorentina. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
  2. ↑ "Fiorentina Viola Park Sports Centre". kscapemergingsenses.com. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  3. ↑ "ACF Fiorentina Academy Scholarship". Soccerspen.com. 19 October 2022. Archived from the original on 2 February 2023. Retrieved 10 February 2023.
  4. ↑ "Viola Portraits: Claudio Merlo". Museo Fiorentina. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  5. ↑ "Florence and the talent machine: Vlahovic and the players who left Fiorentina in big moves". FotMob. 28 January 2022. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  6. ↑ "Fiorentina Primavera defeated by Inter: goodbye Scudetto dream, but there is the Youth League". Quotidiano Sportivo. 21 May 2025. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  7. ↑ "UEFA Youth League domestic champions path latest: Third round ties set". UEFA. 5 November 2025. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  8. ↑ "La viola sfiora l'impresa: 3-2 al Legia, ma passano i polacchi" (in Italian). ACF Fiorentina. 5 November 2025. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  9. ↑ "La Fiorentina torna a vincere la Viareggio Cup dopo 34 anni: battuto 4-1 il Rijeka ai supplementari" (in Italian). Torneo di Viareggio. 23 March 2026.
  10. ↑ "Fiorentina win first Viareggio Cup in 34 year". ACF Fiorentina. 23 March 2026.
  11. ↑ "Fiorentina Primavera crowned Italian champions". ACF Fiorentina. 28 May 2026.
  12. 1 2 3 "Affiliated Academies". ACF Fiorentina. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
  13. ↑ "International projects". ACF Fiorentina. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
  14. 1 2 3 "FIFA President congratulates Fiorentina as ultra-modern Viola Park facility opens". FIFA. 11 October 2023. Retrieved 11 September 2024.
  15. ↑ "2024/2025: UEFA licences to 16 Serie A and 2 Serie B sides". FIGC. 10 May 2024. Retrieved 9 September 2024.
  16. ↑ "Under 20 Male". ACF Fiorentina. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.