Opinion: Juventus have 39 reasons to beat Fiorentina | OneFootball

After sealing a spot in next season’s edition of the Champions League, Juventus were left with very little to play for in the final three rounds of the season. This has been extremely evident during the club’s last two league encounters against Genoa and Lazio, as they allowed their opponents to score last-minute goals on both occasions.

This is far from being a unique case in football. In fact, the end of the campaign always bears bizarre results. After all, sports in general is all about grit and determination, and when a team takes a foot off the pedal, even the weakest of opponents can pounce on the situation.

On Saturday, we could be set to witness one final disheartening showing from Max Allegri’s men who will contend their last fixture of an underwhelming campaign away in Florence. For their part, Fiorentina will be eager to secure a spot in Europe for the first time 2016/17.

Even though the Viola will be the favorites to win in front of the loud and enthusiastic Artemio Franchi crowds, it would be a shame if Juventus offered them the win on a silver plate.

When it comes to rivalries, the Old Lady has enemies in every corner of the Italian peninsula, from north to south. Nonetheless, the hatred shared with the purple side goes beyond all acceptable limits.

When 39 Juventus fans (including helpless women and children) had lost their lives in the Heysel tragedy ahead of the 1985 Champions League final against Liverpool, the Bianconeri’s domestic rivals put their differences aside and displayed their compassion with the innocent victims… All except the Ultras group of one club.

Until this day, a section of Fiorentina fans still celebrate the Heysel disaster in a shameful and sickening fashion. Albeit it’s a minority, but the recurring chants and the lack of action from the club itself towards the repulsive act should be more than enough to lit a fire within the Old Lady’s soldiers.

Winning can never be guaranteed in football, and Fiorentina might emerge victorious at the end of the day. However, Allegri’s men have a duty towards the fallen victims to give their all in order to sabotage their opponents’ European hopes. And if the league table doesn’t offer them a strong enough motif, then the sour history between the two clubs should give them 39 major reasons to secure a morally-rewarding victory at the heart of Tuscany.