ACF Fiorentina Youth Sector
Football club
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)
ChairmanRocco B. Commisso
Head coachDaniele Galloppa (Primavera 1)
LeagueCampionato Primavera 1
2024–25Campionato Primavera 1, 2nd
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.[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]

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.[9] 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.[9]

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.[9]

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.[10] 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.[11] 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.[11]

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):[11] 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.[12]

Primavera (under-20)

As of 3 September 2025[13]

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 Brando Dolfi
2 DF  ITA Gabriele Colaciuri
3 DF  ITA Tommaso Masoni
4 MF  ITA Piergiorgio Bonanno
5 DF  ITA Edoardo Sadotti (Captain)
6 DF  ITA Niccolò Turnone
7 FW  ITA Gabriele Bertolini
8 MF  ITA Lapo Deli
9 FW  ITA Riccardo Braschi
10 FW  ITA Giorgio Puzzoli
11 FW  ITA Stefano Maiorana
14 FW  CIV Mevale Kone
16 MF  CIV Bala Keita
18 FW  GAM Sulayman Jallow
No. Pos. Nation Player
19 DF  ITA Niccolò Trapani
21 FW  ITA Gianmarco Angiolini
22 GK  ITA Pietro Leonardelli
24 DF  ITA Francesco Batignani
27 DF  VEN Luis Balbo
28 FW  ITA Brando Mazzeo
29 MF  GUI Mamadou Alpha Diallo
30 GK  ITA Gianmaria Fei
31 MF  ITA Gabriele Conti
33 FW  ITA Carlo Evangelista
37 DF  CRO Ante Bilobrk
47 MF  ITA Luca Montenegro
72 DF  ITA Edoardo Sturli
80 MF  ITA Davide Atzeni

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

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. ^ a b c d "Viola Park". ACF Fiorentina. Retrieved 2026-01-06.
  2. ^ "Fiorentina Viola Park Sports Centre". kscapemergingsenses.com. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
  3. ^ "ACF Fiorentina Academy Scholarship". Soccerspen.com. October 19, 2022. Archived from the original on 2023-02-02. Retrieved 2023-02-10.
  4. ^ "Viola Portraits: Claudio Merlo". Museo Fiorentina. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
  5. ^ "Florence and the talent machine: Vlahovic and the players who left Fiorentina in big moves". FotMob. January 28, 2022. Retrieved 2024-09-28.
  6. ^ "Fiorentina Primavera defeated by Inter: goodbye Scudetto dream, but there is the Youth League". Quotidiano Sportivo. May 21, 2025. Retrieved 2025-11-08.
  7. ^ "UEFA Youth League domestic champions path latest: Third round ties set". UEFA. November 5, 2025. Retrieved 2025-11-08.
  8. ^ "La viola sfiora l'impresa: 3-2 al Legia, ma passano i polacchi" (in Italian). ACF Fiorentina. November 5, 2025. Retrieved 2025-11-08.
  9. ^ a b c "Affiliated Academies". ACF Fiorentina. Retrieved 2026-01-06.
  10. ^ "International projects". ACF Fiorentina. Retrieved 2026-01-06.
  11. ^ a b c "FIFA President congratulates Fiorentina as ultra-modern Viola Park facility opens". FIFA. 11 October 2023. Retrieved 2024-09-11.
  12. ^ "2024/2025: UEFA licences to 16 Serie A and 2 Serie B sides". FIGC. May 10, 2024. Retrieved 2024-09-09.
  13. ^ "Under 20 Male". ACF Fiorentina. Retrieved 2025-01-07.
  • Under 20 Male | Official website (in English and Italian)
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