The team in which the Portuguese players David Carmo, Rúben Vezo, Chiquinho, João Carvalho, André Horta, Daniel Podence and Gelson Martins play only needs to travel a few kilometers in Athens to discuss the trophy of the third European club competition of the 2023/24 season, but in a stadium that will be little to their liking, belonging to the rival AEK.

Olympiacos, which was already coached this season by the Portuguese Carlos Carvalhal, for two brief months, had never gone so far in UEFA competitions, becoming only the second Greek team to reach the final, after Panathinaikos, in 1970/71, in the predecessor of the Champions League, lost to Ajax, by 2-0.

The team led by the Spaniard José Luis Mendilibar will try to follow the example of the youth teams, since the young 'thrylos' won the Youth League a month ago, by beating the Italians of AC Milan 3-0 in the final, who had eliminated FC Porto in the 'semis'.

Fiorentina has a more extensive history in European competitions, although, of the five times it reached the decisive game, only once did it manage to lift the trophy, in the 1960/61 season, by beating the Scots of Glasgow Rangers in the inaugural edition of the extinct Cup Winners' Cup.

The most recent failure of the team coached by Vincenzo Italiano happened a year ago, precisely in this competition, against the English of West Ham, who won 2-1 in the final played in Prague, thanks to a goal scored in the 90th minute by Jarrod Bowen.

Currently eighth in the Italian League, Fiorentina won Group F of the Europa Conference League with relative ease, but faced more difficulties in the round of 16, against Maccabi Haifa (4-3 and 1-1), in the 'quarters', with Plzen (0-0 and 2-0, after extra time), and in the 'semis', against Club Brugge (3-2 and 1-1).

Olympiacos, which finished the Greek championship in third place, started the European campaign in the Europa League, but the third place in Group A relegated the Greeks to the play-off of the third continental competition, in which they eliminated Ferencváros with two 1-0 triumphs.

In the round of 16, they starred in one of the most sensational ties of the season, by beating Maccabi Tel Aviv 6-1, after extra time, after having lost at home by 4-1. In the 'quarters', they only qualified in the penalty shootout against Fenerbahçe (3-2 and 0-1), but, in the 'semis', they unexpectedly beat Aston Villa, by 4-2 and 2-0.

The final of the third edition of the Europa Conference League, whose first trophy was won by Roma, under the command of Portuguese coach José Mourinho, is scheduled to start at 8:00 pm (Lisbon time), in Athens, and will be directed by Artur Soares Dias.

This will be the fifth European club final with Portuguese referees, after António Garrido and Pedro Proença refereed the decisive games of the Champions League in 1979/80 and 2011/12, respectively, and Vítor Pereira refereed the final of the UEFA Cup in 2001/02 and the European Super Cup in 2001.