May 28 – A week on from Atalanta lifting the Europa League trophy, fellow Italians Fiorentina will be looking for a European prize of their own as they line up the UEFA Conference League final in Athens on Wednesday night.
The only obstacle: in-form Greek side Olympiacos, who have proved to be an effective attacking force in the build-up to the final, having dismantled Champions League bound Aston Villa 6-2 in a stunning semi-final display.
Before overcoming Aston Villa, Olympiacos reached the final after a penalty shootout win versus Fenerbahce in the quarter finals and a theatrical aggregate comeback versus Maccabi Tel Aviv in the round of 16, which saw the side turn a 1-4 home defeat into a 7-5 aggregate victory.
Meanwhile, Fiorentina will hope to mend the heartbreak of last season’s final, where they surrendered the trophy to West Ham following a late winner from Jarrod Bowen.
They reached the final by scraping past Club Brugge, who were punished by poor discipline in the semi-finals, after similar close shaves versus Viktoria Plzen and Maccabi Haifa in the quarters and last 16 respectively.
Despite the Italians’ familiarity with this stage of the competition, it’s impossible to write off Olympiacos, especially on Greek soil, whose fan base is notorious for its passion and ferocity.
The final will be hosted in Athens, where a fan was fatally stabbed earlier in the season ahead of AEK Athens’ Europa League playoff match versus Dinamo Zagreb.
In 2022, teenager Alkis Kampanos was also fatally stabbed in a fight in the northern city of Thessaloniki between supporters of the city’s rival clubs, Aris Thessaloniki and PAOK.
Greek football has battled with knife violence, but UEFA has worked closely with local authorities to ensure fan safety.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1725753722labto1725753722ofdlr1725753722owedi1725753722sni@g1725753722niwe.1725753722yrrah1725753722