Fiorentina are set to take on Japan University FA on Thursday in their final pre-season friendly before their first competitive match in the Conference League play-offs. The friendly is scheduled for a 20:00 CEST kick-off at the Stadio Curva Fiesole at Rocco B. Commisso Viola Park. 

Japan University FA is a national team that includes the best Japanese players of university age – a sort of youth side for the senior Japan team.

JUFA contributes to developing Japanese football by organizing the men's and women's football university championships, coordinating the regional leagues and national finals, selecting Japanee university teams for international tournaments and collaborating with the Japan Football Association (JFA) on youth development.

Japan University FA are the most successful team at the World University Games, having won football gold seven times. They won the last edition in 2019, beating Italy in the semis and Brazil in the final with a team that included the likes of Kaoru Mitoma (now at Brighton), Ayase Ueda (Feyenoord) and Reo Hatate (Celtic). Since the creation of the University Football World Cup, football has no longer been part of the World University Games.

There have been plenty of Japanese players in Serie A over the years, including Hidetoshi Nakata, who spent a season at Fiorentina – but nowadays it's more common for them to play in other leagues. Scottosh club Celtic, for example, currently have no fewer than five Japanese players on their books: Kyogo Furuhashi, Daizen Maeda, Reo Hatate, Yuki Kobayashi and Tomoki Iwata.

The Japan University FA team has been on tour in Italy since early August and have so far played Genoa (1-1), Cesena (1-1), Hellas Verona (1-0 to the Italians), Milan Futuro and now Fiorentina. 

After Thursday's match at Viola Park, Japan University FA will play Viareggio on Saturday at 18:30, again at Viola Park.

Fiorentina meanwhile face the away leg of their Conference League play-off next Thursday (August 21), followed by their Serie A opener at Cagliari, before the decisive return leg in the Conference League.