Florence aches for a football renaissance by ending their wait for silverware

There are two sides to every story around a final. It might seem an obvious thing to say, but I’m not sure we truly consider it, particularly when an English team are going for a European trophy.

It’s fantastic to see the excitement around West Ham. Their fans have headed to Prague in huge numbers and it would be enormous for them to win the Europa Conference League, but don’t think they are the only ones with dreams. Fiorentina’s sense of destiny is just as strong.

Fiorentina will always hold a special place in my heart. I joined them in September 2014 on loan and, while I had reservations at first, within a couple of weeks they had been banished. It turned out to be one of my best decisions, the opportunity to experience a different culture in one of the world’s most historic cities.

This was a club that knew it couldn’t go toe-to-toe with the giants of Serie A over the course of a season but it was the perfect place for upcoming talent. In our squad, we had Federico Bernardeschi, Mohamed Salah, Marcos Alonso and Stefan Savic. Alberto Aquilani, Marko Marin and Mario Gomez provided the experience.

I’d compare it to Newcastle or Liverpool in terms of the way football is regarded in the city. The people of Florence are besotted with their team.

Fiorentina boss Vincenzo Italiano will know how much football means to the city of Florence

My highlight was the night we beat Juventus in the Coppa Italia, 2-1 in Turin, when Salah scored a goal that told me he was going to the very top.

The result came against the odds and the reception we were given was like nothing I had ever seen. When we got back to the station in the centre of town, fans lined the streets, then ran with the bus all the way to the training ground. You’d have thought we had just won the World Cup, not the first leg of a knockout game.

And that’s what I mean about passion being a two-way thing. Fiorentina have only won one European trophy in their history – the 1961 Cup-Winners Cup – and the last time they got their hands on silverware was the Coppa Italia in 2001.

I can’t stress enough how much these fans will be praying this is their moment in the sun. The team might not have many household names but it would be a huge error to dismiss them. 

Sofyan Amrabat will carry the responsibility of trying to give Fiorentina the kind of high they have not seen since the days of Gabriel Batistuta, and his battle with Declan Rice will go a long way to determining which team lift the trophy.

I have affinity for Fiorentina, but I’d be thrilled to see David Moyes have his moment, too. I’ve followed David closely ever since he took Dickson Etuhu, a former team-mate of mine at Manchester City, on loan to Preston.

He is a man of principles, his teams work relentlessly and he has consistently shown everyone what he can do. This is his time to land a trophy.

I would also be happy for David Moyes if West Ham win, as he has done a fine job at the club