Spezia Calcio

Spezia
Full name Spezia Calcio
Nickname(s) Aquilotti (Little Eagles)
Founded 1906
2008 (refounded)
Ground Stadio Alberto Picco,
La Spezia, Italy
Ground Capacity 10,336
Owner Gabriele Volpi
Chairman Andrea Corradino
Manager Domenico Di Carlo
League Serie B
2015–16 Serie B, 7th
Website Club home page

Spezia Calcio is an Italian football club, based in La Spezia, Liguria. Currently it plays in Serie B, hosting games at the 10,336-capacity Stadio Alberto Picco.

History

Foundation

Spezia Calcio was founded in 1906.

1944 scudetto

See also Campionato Alta Italia 1944

In 1944, because of the World War II the Italian football federation decided to split the top league in regional rounds. The team, named 42° Corpo dei Vigili del Fuoco della Spezia (Firefighters of La Spezia) after a merger with the local firefighter to have a sufficient number of players, was included in Round D of Emilia-Romagna, together with Corradini Suzzara, Fidentina, Orlandi Busseto and Parma. Spezia won the round and qualified to the semi-finals, in which it challenged Suzzara, Carpi and Modena. Spezia won also this round, winning five of the six matches played, losing only to Carpi. By winning the semi-final round, Spezia was admitted to play a two-legs play-off against Bologna.

The first match, played in Bologna, was suspended because of incidents started after the 1–0 goal of Spezia, contested by the Bologna supporters; Spezia was awarded a 2–0 win because of that. The return match, scheduled to be played in La Spezia, was first moved to Carpi, because of the heavy bombings underwent by the Ligurian city in the period, then cancelled because of protest by Bologna chairman Renato Dall'Ara, so Spezia was admitted to the final without playing the return match.

The finals, held in Milan, were played against Venezia and Torino. On 9 July 1944, the first match between Spezia and Venezia was played: it ended in a 1–1 draw, commented by the Gazzetta as "surprising result".

On 16 July, Spezia challenged the Great Torino, with Vittorio Pozzo as coach and Silvio Piola as striker. The match ended in an epic 2–1 victory of Spezia. After the third match, in which Torino beat Venezia in a 5–2 win, Spezia was declared champion.

However, the Italian league of 1944 was not immediately considered as official by the Italian federation, because it was obtained during war times in a reduced league, and the only scudetto of Spezia was finally awarded only in 2002 by the Federation, even if not counted officially as an Italian championship triumph, but as a "decoration".

Today, Spezia remembers the 1944 triumph by playing with a tricolour badge on the team's official jersey (but different from the Scudetto), with the authorisation of the Football Federation.

From Serie B to the bankruptcy

In 2002, the club reached an agreement with Inter,[1] made the club became Inter's feeder club and reserve team. The team got Goran Pandev, Aco Stojkov (now Macedonian internationals) and Alex Cordaz in the first season. In the second season, Cristian Lizzori, Luca Ceccarelli and Nicola Napolitano was signed from Inter. In 2004–05 season Spezia got Antonio Rizzo from ACF Fiorentina and Paolo Castelli from Inter..

Players likes Alex Cordaz, Riccardo Meggiorini and Paolo Hernán Dellafiore joined the team directly from Inter to boost the team in January 2005. The season ended with winning Coppa Italia Serie C.[2] After the season, Inter sold most of the shares of Spezia.[3] The next season (2005–06) started with the arrival of a new owner and a new manager, respectively Giuseppe Ruggieri and Antonio Soda. After a long battle for the first position with rivals Genoa C.F., Spezia were crowned Serie C1 champion and promoted to Serie B after 55 years of absence. The squad included Vito Grieco, Massimiliano Guidetti, Giuseppe Alessi, Massimiliano Varricchio and Roberto Maltagliati. Life in a Serie B with powerhouses Juventus, Genoa C.F.C. and S.S.C. Napoli was difficult for the newly promoted Ligurian side, which themselves were fighting to avoid the relegation spots. With mid-season signing Guilherme do Prado, Tomás Guzmán, Corrado Colombo, the old member Massimiliano Guidetti's good form and Nicola Santoni, Spezia survived in Serie B, gaining participation in the playout round after a late 3–2 victory in Turin against Juventus. Spezia then survived by winning the playout round against Hellas Verona. But in the next season, with Isah Eliakwu, Colombo and Do Prado, the club failed to make the miracle happened twice, primarily due to a troubled situation in the financies of the club.

In 2008, due to financial difficulty and following their relegation from Serie B, the club was forced to declare bankruptcy.[4] In June 2011 FIGC sanctioned numbers of former board member of old Spezia for sports fraud.[5]

The refoundation

The team was refounded in 2008 as A.S.D. Spezia Calcio 2008 by Gabriele Volpi the owner of water polo team of Pro Recco and Croatian side HNK Rijeka, winner of numerous scudetti and admitted to Serie D, thanks to Article 52 NOIF of FIGC.[6]

Upon promotion in Lega Pro Seconda Divisione at the end of the Serie D 2008-09 season, A.S.D. Spezia changes its denomination in the current "Spezia Calcio".[7] Spezia finished Girone A of Lega Pro Seconda Divisione as 2nd and quaified for promotion play-offs in 2009–10 season. Spezia defeated Pavia at semifinal and Legnano at final and promoted to Girone A of Lega Pro Prima Divisione with making second consecutive promotion.

2011–12 season: triplete

The club in the season 2011–12 obtains for the first time in Lega Pro a prestigious "triplete":

Current squad

As of 31 August 2016.[8]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
1 Argentina GK Leandro Chichizola
3 Argentina DF Nahuel Valentini
5 Italy DF Filippo De Col
6 Italy DF Pietro Ceccaroni
7 Italy MF Daniele Sciaudone
8 Venezuela MF Franco Signorelli
9 Brazil FW Nenê
10 Italy FW Antonio Piccolo
11 Uruguay FW Jaime Báez (on loan from Fiorentina)
12 Italy GK Jacopo Pagnini
13 Italy MF Alessandro Deiola (on loan from Cagliari)
15 Spain MF Jon Errasti
16 Italy DF Marco Crocchianti
17 Italy DF Francesco Migliore
No. Position Player
18 Nigeria FW David Okereke
19 Italy DF Claudio Terzi
20 Croatia DF Niko Datković
23 Italy FW Alessandro Piu (on loan from Empoli)
24 Italy MF Luca Vignali
25 Italy MF Giulio Maggiore
26 Italy FW Giuseppe Mastinu
27 Italy DF Edoardo Barbato
28 Hungary DF Krisztián Tamás
29 Uruguay FW Pablo Granoche
30 Italy MF Nico Pulzetti
32 Italy DF Iacopo Galli (on loan from Crotone)
33 Italy GK Alex Valentini
34 Italy FW Juri Cisotti

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
Italy GK Thomas Saloni (at Prato)
Italy DF Cristian Cauz (at Real Forte Querceta)
Republic of Macedonia DF Stefan Ristovski (at Rijeka)
Montenegro DF Marko Vešović (at Rijeka)
4 Italy MF Gennaro Acampora (at Perugia)
Italy MF Stefano Antezza (at Como)
14 Nigeria MF Theophilus Awua (at Inter)
No. Position Player
20 Italy MF Simone Bastoni (at Carrarese)
8 Spain MF Juande (at Murcia)
Italy MF Salvatore Russo (at Viareggio 2014)
Italy FW Andrea Catellani (at Carpi)
Italy FW Patrick Ciurria (at Südtirol)
Italy FW Matteo Paccagnini (at Ghivizzano Borgoamozzano)

Youth team

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
2 Italy DF Antonio Candela
14 Italy MF Giovanni Vatteroni
No. Position Player
22 Italy GK Andrea Fontana
31 Nigeria FW Abdullahi Suleiman

Seasons

  • 1906: Sport Club Spezia is founded.
  • 1911: Foot Ball Club Spezia is founded.
  • 1911–1917: Friendly matches.
  • 1919–20: 1st in Promozione Ligure. Promoted to I Categoria Ligure.
  • 1920–21: 4th in I Categoria Ligure.
  • 1921–22: 11th in Lega Nord – I Divisione gir. A (C.C.I. Championship).
  • 1922–23: 9th in Lega Nord – I Divisione gir. B.
  • 1923–24: 11th in Lega Nord – I Divisione gir. B.
  • 1924–25: 12th in Lega Nord – I Divisione gir. A. Relegated to II Divisione.
  • 1925–26: 1st in II Divisione gir. B. Promoted to I Divisione.
  • 1926–27: 6th in I Divisione gir. A.
  • 1927–28: 3rd in I Divisione gir. C.
  • 1928–29: 1st in I Divisione gir. A. Promoted to Serie B. I Divisione Italian champion.
  • 1929–30: 13th in Serie B.
  • 1930–31: 11th in Serie B.
  • 1931–32: 7th in Serie B.
  • 1932–33: 4th in Serie B.
  • 1933–34: 7th in Serie B.
  • 1934–35: 11th in Serie B. Relegated to Serie C.
  • 1935–36: 1st in Serie C gir. C. Promoted to Serie B.
  • 1936: Name changed in Associazione Calcio Spezia.
  • 1936–37: 4th in Serie B.
  • 1937–38: 13th in Serie B.
  • 1938–39: 15th in Serie B. Relegated to Serie C.
  • 1939–40: 1st in Serie C gir. E. Promoted to Serie B.
  • 1940–41: 12th in Serie B.
  • 1941–42: 6th in Serie B.
  • 1942–43: 6th in Serie B.
  • 1943–44: 1st in Campionato Alta Italia. Italian Champion.
  • 1944–45: league suspended due to World War II.
  • 1945–46: 3rd in I Divisione Ligure gir. A.
  • 1946–47: 3rd in Serie B gir. A.
  • 1947–48: 4th in Serie B gir. A.
  • 1948–49: 18th in Serie B.
  • 1949–50: 7th in Serie B.
  • 1950–51: 17th in Serie B. Relegated to Serie C.
  • 1951–52: 14th in Serie C gir. C. Relegated to IV Serie.
  • 1952–53: 15th in IV Serie gir. D. Relegated to Promozione.
  • 1953–54: 4th in Promozione Ligure.
  • 1954 Name changed in A.C. Spezia-Arsenal.
  • 1954–55: 6th in IV Serie gir. A.
  • 1955 Name changed in Foot Ball Club Spezia 1906.
  • 1955–56: runners-up in IV Serie gir. E.
  • 1956–57: 3rd in IV Serie gir. E.
  • 1957–58: 1st in IV Serie I Serie gir. A. Promoted to Serie C. IV Serie Italian Champion.
  • 1958–59: 3rd in Serie C gir. A.
  • 1959–60: 6th in Serie C gir. A.
  • 1960–61: 8th in Serie C gir. A.
  • 1961–62: 18th in Serie C gir. B. Relegated to Serie D.
  • 1962–63: 3rd in Serie D gir. A.
  • 1963–64: 4th in Serie D gir. A.
 
  • 1964–65: 4th in Serie D gir. A.
  • 1965–66: 1st in Serie D gir. A. Promoted to Serie C.
  • 1966–67: 4th in Serie C gir. B.
  • 1967–68: runners-up in Serie C gir. B.
  • 1968–69: 17th in Serie C gir. B.
  • 1969–70: 11th in Serie C gir. B.
  • 1970–71: 9th in Serie C gir. B.
  • 1971–72: 11th in Serie C gir. B.
  • 1972–73: 14th in Serie C gir. B.
  • 1973–74: 12th in Serie C gir. B.
  • 1974–75: 12th in Serie C gir. B.
  • 1975–76: 12th in Serie C gir. B.
  • 1976–77: 3rd in Serie C gir. B.
  • 1977–78: 7th in Serie C gir. B.
  • 1978–79: 17th in Serie C1 gir. A. Relegated to Serie C2.
  • 1979–80: 3rd in Serie C2 gir. A. Promoted to Serie C1.
  • 1980–81: 17th in Serie C1 gir. A. Relegated to Serie C2.
  • 1981–82: 10th in Serie C2 gir. A.
  • 1982–83: 16th in Serie C2 gir. A.
  • 1983–84: 14th in Serie C2 gir. A.
  • 1984–85: 13th in Serie C2 gir. A.
  • 1985–86: runners-up in Serie C2 gir. A. Promoted to Serie C1.
  • 1986: Name changed in Associazione Calcio Spezia.
  • 1986–87: 12th in Serie C1 gir. A.
  • 1987–88: 6th in Serie C1 gir. A.
  • 1988–89: 3rd in Serie C1 gir. A.
  • 1989–90: 12th in serie C1 gir. A.
  • 1990–91: 6th in Serie C1 gir. A.
  • 1991–92: 8th in Serie C1 gir. A.
  • 1992–93: 15th in Serie C1 gir. A.
  • 1993–94: 17th in Serie C1 gir. A.
  • 1994–95: 8th in Serie C1 gir. A.
  • 1995: Name changed in Spezia Calcio.
  • 1995–96: 15th in Serie C1 gir. A.
  • 1996–97: 18th in Serie C1 gir. A. Relegated to Serie C2.
  • 1997–98: 5th in Serie C2 gir. B.
  • 1998–99: 5th in Serie C2 gir. A.
  • 1999–00: 1st in Serie C2 gir. A. Promoted to Serie C1.
  • 2000–01: 5th in Serie C1 gir. A.
  • 2001–02: runners-up in Serie C1 gir. A.
  • 2002–03: 6th in Serie C1 gir. A.
  • 2003–04: 6th in Serie C1 gir. A.
  • 2004–05: 7th in Serie C1 gir. A. Wins Coppa Italia Serie C.
  • 2005–06: 1st in Serie C1 gir. A. Promoted to Serie B. Wins Supercoppa di Lega Serie C1.
  • 2006–07: 19th in Serie B. Wins the relegation play-out.
  • 2007–08: 21st in Serie B. Relegated to Serie C1.
  • 2008: Excluded from Lega Pro I div. A new society restarts as A.S.D. Spezia Calcio 2008.
  • 2008–09: 2nd in Serie D gir.A. Rescued to Lega Pro II div. by FIGC. Becames Spezia Calcio.
  • 2009–10: 2nd in Lega Pro II div. gir.A Promoted to Lega Pro I div. after play-offs
  • 2010–11: 6th in Lega Pro I div. gir.A
  • 2011–12: 1st in Lega Pro I div. gir.B. Promoted to Serie B. Wins Coppa Italia Lega Pro and Supercoppa di Lega di Prima Divisione.
  • 2012–13: 13th in Serie B.
 

Honours

References

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