On this day 91 years ago, Fiorentina were formed by the merger of CS Firenze and PGF Libertas.

While some claim that the game Calcio Fiorentino was the precursor of modern football, the game as we know it today was introduced to Florence in 1898 with the formation of Florence Football Club.

That side lasted just nine years, with two sides, Palestra Ginnastica Fiorentina Libertas and Club Sportivo Firenze taking most of the players.

On this day 91 years ago, Fiorentina were formed by the merger of CS Firenze and PGF Libertas.

While some claim that the game Calcio Fiorentino was the precursor of modern football, the game as we know it today was introduced to Florence in 1898 with the formation of Florence Football Club.

That side lasted just nine years, with two sides, Palestra Ginnastica Fiorentina Libertas and Club Sportivo Firenze taking most of the players.

With the ruling fascist party seeking to promote the idea of Italy having invented football, and wanting a strong Florentine side to reflect that – as well as challenge the northern clubs – a merger was proposed by Fascist Party member Luigi Ridolfi, as well as Niccolò Gentile and other sporting authorities.

On August 26, 1926 the merger was made official, with the two clubs combining to form Associazione Fiorentina del Calcio.

Initially playing in red and white, Fiorentina played their first match against Bari on October 3, taking on Pisa at the stadium on Via Bellini.

The iconic purple jerseys were worn for the first time in 1929 for a friendly with Roma, after a decision by Ridolfi, the club’s first President.

The new side reached Serie A for the 1930-31 season, finishing fourth in their first top-flight campaign thanks to 25 goals from Pedro Petrone, who was Capocannoniere that season.

They struggled to match that early success though, and were relegated to Serie B in 1937, but Fiorentina bounced back at the first time of asking and won the Coppa Italia in 1940.

The 1950s saw the Viola competing near the top of Serie A, and the Tuscans won their first Scudetto in the 1955-56 season, finishing 12 points clear of Milan in the era of two points for a win.

The following campaign saw Fiorentina reach the European Cup final, losing to Real Madrid, while the 1960s brought two Coppe Italia, the Cup Winners’ Cup and a second Scudetto in 1969.

A young side inspired by Giancarlo Antognoni won the Coppa Italia in 1975, but that decade saw the Florentine’s flirting with relegation on a number of occasions.

Antognoni and his teammates came to the brink of the Scudetto in the 1981-82 season, but were denied on the final day when they failed to beat Cagliari, while Juventus beat Catanzaro with a controversial Liam Brady penalty.

That ignited a bitter resentment of the Bianconeri in Florence, a situation which wasn’t helped by the sale of Roberto Baggio to the Old Lady in 1990, after Il Divin Codino had helped the Viola to the UEFA Cup final.

The 90s are inextricably linked with Gabriel Batistuta for fans of the Gigliati, but the Argentine striker’s goals never quite managed to fire them to a third Scudetto, the 1996 Coppa Italia serving as some compensation.

Fiorentina ran up huge debts over that decade under the stewardship of Vittorio Cecchi Gori, and they were placed into administration after being relegated in 2002, causing them to be denied entry to Serie B.

Entrepreneur Diego Della Valle refounded the club as Florentia Viola in the fourth tier, with Angelo Di Livio remaining to try and take the club back to Serie A.

After winning Serie C2, the expansion of Serie B due to the Caso Catania allowed the Viola back into the second division.

In the summer of 2003, the Florentia Viola bought the rights to use the club’s pre-bankruptcy name, Associazone Calcio Fiorentina, and they won promotion through the play-offs.

Fiorentina have been in Serie A ever since, but have so far been unable to add to their trophy collection, losing the Coppa Italia final to Napoli in 2014.

Regular European finishes under Vincenzo Montella and then Paulo Sousa ended last year, and the Viola have revolutionised their squad over this summer.

Now Coached by Stefano Pioli they have lost their first two games of the season, with the Della Valle family looking to sell the club.

Fiorentina continue to be one of the most passionately supported clubs in Italy though, with fans still dreaming of a first major trophy since the 2001 Coppa Italia.

Bygaby

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