UEFA CUP SEMI-FINAL FIRST LEG
Venue: Ibrox Date: Thursday, 24 April Kick-off: 1945 BST
Coverage: BBC Sport website, BBC Radio Scotland & BBC Radio 5 Live

By Giancarlo Rinaldi

Adrian Mutu has been in outstanding form this season

Nine years ago Fiorentina were on a Champions League run which saw them record famous victories over Arsenal and Manchester United.

Three years later they were playing against Castelnuovo Garfagnana in Italy's fourth division.

Even in the tempestuous world of Italian football the Viola - the Purples - have had an eventful recent history.

Back in the 1990s with the likes of Gabriel Batistuta and Rui Costa in their side they were serious league title contenders.

However, their financial foundations under owner Vittorio Cecchi Gori were shaky and the club was sent down to Italy's lowest professional league due to its economic collapse.

Thanks to fresh investment from shoe magnates Diego and Andrea Della Valle they returned to Serie A in 2004 but even since then things have not gone smoothly.

In their first season back in the top flight the side from the Stadio Artemio Franchi flirted with relegation but survived late in the day.

The following campaign they qualified for the Champions League only to have that prize taken off them due to their part in the Calciopoli scandal.

It showed the undue influence some clubs - particularly Juventus - had in the selection process for match referees.

As part of their sentence the side from the Renaissance City also received a hefty points penalty for last season which effectively killed their chances of a top four finish once again.

FIORENTINA HONOURS 2 Italian league titles 6 Italian Cups 1 Cup Winners' Cup 1 Italian Super Cup

Nonetheless, thanks in large part to the goals of Luca Toni, they managed to qualify for the Uefa Cup this campaign.

They currently sit in a Champions League spot in Serie A, while Rangers stand between them and a first major European final in 18 years.

The boys from the banks of the river Arno have got to this stage with a youthful side which likes to play attacking and skilful football.

And in manager Cesare Prandelli they have one of the most astute tacticians in Italy.

His teams like to play an adventurous 4-3-3 formation but with wide men who can work back to create five in the midfield when the side has to defend.

MY SPORT: DEBATE How should Rangers line up against Fiorentina?

The heart of the team is born-again Romanian Adrian Mutu who has come through some hard times - most notably his well-publicised drugs problem at Chelsea - to become an highly influential figure.

He used to play under Prandelli at Parma and clearly going back to his old mentor has brought the best out of him.

Mutu has had a number of strike partners this season but he works most effectively with former Italy Under 21 international Giampaolo Pazzini.

The young forward announced himself to a wider audience with a hattrick against England Under 21s in the match which opened the new Wembley.

Another star performer is French goalkeeper Sebastien Frey who has been in outstanding form this year.

He would probably be a regular for his country if they were not run by such an eccentric figure as Raymond Domenech.

Coach Cesare Prandelli is one of the most astute in Italy

The Florentine defence relies on the solid Alessandro Gamberini, Dario Dainelli and Tomas Ujfalusi at its heart with Martin Jorgensen sometimes asked to play as a makeshift right-back while Manuel Pasqual marauds forward on the left.

In the midfield there is an interesting array of options at Prandelli's disposal.

He has the craft and guile of Fabio Liverani, the exquisite technique of Riccardo Montolivo, the versatile Massimo Gobbi or the all-round ability of Zdravko Kuzmanovic to call on.

In addition, he has midfield enforcer Marco Donadel on the books although the long-haired battler is suspended for the first game at Ibrox.

The Viola have shown with their gutsy survival against Everton and a classy win over PSV Eindhoven that they are more than a match for anyone.

They believe it is their destiny to meet up with old striker Luca Toni and his Bayern Munich team in the Uefa Cup final in Manchester.

It will be up to Walter Smith and company to prove them wrong.