The ACF Fiorentina–Juventus F.C. rivalry is an inter-city football rivalry contested between Florence-based Fiorentina and Turin-based Juventus. Unlike most other football derbies, this one is borne not out of geographical proximity (such as the Derby della Madonnina); political differences (El Clásico); or longstanding competitiveness (Liverpool–Manchester United rivalry), but rather is a development from the latter decades of the 20th century based on local patriotism, or campanilismo, bitterness and accusations of 'thievery'.
The rivalry has been fuelled by their controversial meetings in cup finals, and competition in the transfer market. A player transferring from one club to the other, especially from Florence to Turin, is usually branded a 'traitor' by fans.
Juventus is the most successful team in Italian football, winning 36 league titles, 14 Coppa Italia titles and nine Supercoppa Italiana titles, all national records. Fiorentina, meanwhile, has won two league titles, six Coppa Italia titles, and one Supercoppa Italiana.
Background
To some extent the rivalry has its origins in the fans of the local teams in Tuscany, as in many other areas of Italy, growing tired of seeing people from their towns heading off to support the country's most successful teams, primarily Juventus. Like many of Europe's biggest clubs, the Bianconeri have attracted followers from far and wide, but the Renaissance town of Florence remained true to Fiorentina. In addition to this and the typical aspect of pride between the residents of two important cities, Juventus had beaten Fiorentina 11–0 in their first league meeting in 1928, a humiliating result which had not been forgotten by either set of fans despite the passage of time. They also contested the 1960 Coppa Italia final, won by Juve.
1981–82 Serie A title
In 1980, Fiorentina was bought by Flavio Pontello, a man from a rich house-building family who had aspirations to bring the Viola its third title and built the team around Italian star, Giancarlo Antognoni. On the final day of the 1981–82 Serie A season, with both teams competing for the national championship, a series of debatable decisions in two different matches intensified the rivalry. Heading into the last game, both teams were level on 44 points at the top of the table; Fiorentina went to relegation-threatened Cagliari, who needed a point to survive, while Juventus headed to Catanzaro, in seventh position with nothing to play for. Fiorentina had a goal disallowed for a push on the opposing goalkeeper as Cagliari managed to play out a 0–0 draw to steer clear of relegation. In Calabria, Catanzaro were denied a penalty while Juventus were awarded one, from which they scored to win 1–0 and claim their 20th scudetto In the aftermath, Fiorentina's playmaker Giancarlo Antognoni famously remarked, 'Ci hanno rubato il titolo', meaning 'They have stolen the title'. The Viola tifosi soon coined a saying, 'meglio secondo che ladri', meaning 'better to be second than thieves'.
1989–90 UEFA Cup final
Juventus won two more championships in the 1980s, while Fiorentina had inconsistent fortunes. In 1985, Fiorentina bought Roberto Baggio, an 18-year-old striker, from Vicenza, for 2.7 billion lire (£1.5 million). Considered one of the leading players of the league, he led Fiorentina to the final of the 1989–90 UEFA Cup, setting up the first all-Italian final in the history of the tournament against their arch-nemesis Juventus. Both sides had had close encounters with German teams in the semi-finals, Fiorentina beating Werder Bremen on away goals, and Juventus pipping 1. FC Köln 3–2.