A.S.D. Martina Calcio 1947, formerly A.S. Martina Franca 1947, and A.C. Martina, usually referred to as simply Martina Franca or just Martina, is an Italian association football club, based in

Martina Franca Martina Franca, or just Martina ( Martinese: ), is a town and ''municipality'' in the province of Taranto, Apulia, Italy. It is the second most populated town of the province after Taranto, and has a population (2016) of 49,086. Since 1975, th ...

, Apulia. The club was re-founded in 2008 as A.S.D. Martina Franca 1947 and again 2016 as A.S.D. Martina Calcio 1947.

History

The club was founded in 1947. Martina has played in Serie C1 Group B in the 2007–08 season, finishing last, and thus directly relegated to Lega Pro Seconda Divisione (ex-Serie C2). The club needed new financial backers, but with its relegation to Italy's fourth level of professional football, no investors were found and the club decided to withdraw from the 2008–09 season. All players were released.

2008 re-foundation

At the same time with the dissolve of A.C. Martina, a phoenix club, A.S.D. Martina Franca was founded in the same transfer window. It was admitted in the

Prima Categoria The Prima Categoria is a level of football in Italy. It is the seventh level (since 2014–15) in the Italian football league system and is organized by the National Amateur League by the Regional Committees. Each individual league winner within ...

Apulia. The club finished as the second in 2008–09 Prima Categoria Apulia season and promoted to Promozione Apulia. The has won the Promozione Apulia playoffs and the promotion to season. The company Ostuni Sports, militant in Serie D, Martina proposes an exchange of sports titles that would allow a double promotion, but after a first initial interest in the company it was decided to give up and then participate in

Eccellenza Apulia Eccellenza Apulia ( it, Eccellenza Puglia) is the regional Eccellenza football division for clubs in the Southern Italian region of Apulia, Italy. It is competed among 18 teams, in one group. The winners of the Groups are promoted to Serie D. The ...

. In the 2010–11 season, after a long battle with Cerignola which ended only in extra time of the promotion playoff, Martina was finally promoted to

2011–12 Serie D The 2011–12 Serie D was the sixty-fourth edition of the top level Italian non-professional football championship. It represented the fifth tier in the Italian football league system. It consisted of 168 teams divided into six 18-team divisions ...

. In the

season, Martina Franca was promoted to Lega Pro Seconda Divisione. This marked the return of Martina in professionally football with 4 promotions in 4 years. Martina was relegated back to Serie D after ending the

2013–14 Lega Pro Seconda Divisione The 2013–14 Seconda Divisione season is the thirty-sixth and final football league season of Italian Seconda Divisione since its establishment in 1978, and the sixth since the renaming from Serie C to Lega Pro. It is divided into two phases: th ...

in thirteenth place, only to be admitted back to the 2014–15 Lega Pro after being picked in order to fill a league vacancy. In 2016, the club did not enrolled in the professional league, thus all players were released.

2016 re-foundation

A phoenix club, A.S.D. Martina Calcio 1947, was admitted to

Apulia on 8 September 2016.

Colors and badge

The team's colors are blue and white.

References

External links

Official website of A.S. Martina Franca 1947
Football clubs in Apulia AS Martina Association football clubs established in 1947 Serie C clubs 1947 establishments in Italy {{Italy-footyclub-stub