Fiorentina and Guingamp keen for strong start
Tuesday, September 2, 2014
Article summary
ACF Fiorentina will be keen to improve their home record against French opposition when they open their Group K campaign against group stage debutants EA Guingamp.
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ACF Fiorentina breezed through last season's UEFA Europa League group stage, taking 16 points, and will look to make it similarly plain sailing in Group K when they kick off against EA Guingamp.
Form guide
• Fiorentina have won just two of their six home games against French opponents (W2 D2 L2), while Guingamp drew their only previous game in Italy.
• Guingamp's only win in seven European away fixtures was a 3-0 success against Georgian side FC Kolkheti Poti in the 1996 UEFA Intertoto Cup group stage. They have yet to win a UEFA Europa League/UEFA Cup game.
Trivia and links
• This is French Cup holders Guingamp's first major UEFA group stage appearance.
• Fiorentina's only home defeat in 17 major UEFA club competition group stage home matches was inflicted by French opponents: Olympique Lyonnais beat them 2-1 during the 2008/09 UEFA Champions League.
The coaches
• Fiorentina coach since June 2012, Vincenzo Montella was known as L'Aeroplanino (the Little Aeroplane) because of his modest stature and trademark goal celebration during his time as a striker. He won the Serie A title and two Coppa Italias with AS Roma, whom he later coached along with Calcio Catania.
• A losing UEFA Cup finalist as an Olympique de Marseille midfielder in 1999, Jocelyn Gourvennec played for a number of clubs all over France but returned to his native Brittany to take charge of Guingamp in 2010, leading them to their second French Cup triumph in 2013/14.
