Viola playing for glory once again

(CNN) -- Florence may be blessed with a unique cultural heritage, but fans of the Tuscan city's football team, Fiorentina, have grown used to living in the here and now.

Ten years ago, the Viola were one of Italian football's perennial challengers for honors both at home and in Europe, fueled by the goals of Argentine striker Gabriel Batistua.

Ten years earlier, in the late 1980s, the club had enjoyed another purple patch, inspired by the unique abilities of Roberto Baggio. But recent times have been tougher on the two-time Scudetto winners.

In 2002, the club briefly ceased to exist after going bankrupt with debts of around $50 million. A new club was founded from the remnants, starting afresh in Serie C2 and eventually reclaiming the Fiorentina name and historic badge a year later.

Returning to Serie A in 2004, Fiorentina's rehabilitation appeared complete in 2006 when the club finished fourth, claiming a Champions League qualifying spot.

But the club's involvement in the Juventus match-fixing scandal put paid to its European ambitions. The club also started last season with a 15-point penalty, having avoided another relegation on appeal.

This season however the club may finally have put its problems behind it. Currently fourth in Serie A, Fiorentina once again has its sights set on a return to the Champions League. With a last 32 clash with Rosenborg of Norway in the UEFA Cup next month, European honors remain on the agenda this season too.

"The UEFA Cup is really important to us, it's one of our main goals, and we will not put it to one side in favor of the championship," Fiorentina's French goalkeeper Sebastien Frey told UEFA.com.

Still, Fiorentina's popular coach, Cristiano Prandelli, would probably sacrifice the UEFA Cup if his side can hold onto that all-important fourth place.

Last weekend's 2-0 win over Tuscan rivals Empoli was the Viola's fourth straight win in Serie A, but their Champions League prospects face a tougher test on Sunday with the visit of AC Milan, currently 10 points adrift but with two games in hand.

Prandelli's squad is a potent mix of experience and youthful talent, with rehabilitated Romanian striker Adrian Mutu leading the line, ably supported by Italian under-21 international Giampaolo Pazzini and the veteran goalscorer Christian Vieri, persuaded from the brink of retirement to bring his experience to the Stadio Artemio Franchi for one final campaign.

Frey says team spirit has also been a key to Fiorentina's success this season, especially during the intensely difficult spell after the death of Prandelli's wife in November following a long illness.

"We all supported him during his difficult period because he is a great person, a special man, and it's really hard to find people like him in football," says Frey. "It's fantastic to deal with somebody genuine, and to talk with a person like him who is always helpful."

With away trips to come to Juventus, Roma, Inter Milan and Udinese, currently its nearest challenger for fourth place, Fiorentina faces a daunting run-in but Prandelli insists his players will be focusing on their own game, rather than worrying about their rivals.

"We are only thinking about the way we are playing rather than the way others play," he said. "We have the right enthusiasm to improve even further. I am convinced that we will be more motivated in the second half of the season." E-mail to a friend