Frosinone Calcio () is an
Italian football
Football ( it, calcio ) is the most popular sport in Italy. The Italy national football team is considered to be one of the best national teams in the world. They have won the FIFA World Cup four times (1934, 1938, 1982, 2006), trailing only ...
club based in
Frosinone
Frosinone (, local dialect: ) is a town and ''comune'' in Lazio, central Italy, the administrative seat of the province of Frosinone. It is located about south-east of Rome close to the Rome-Naples A1 Motorway. The city is the main city of the Va ...
,
Lazio
it, Laziale
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, demographics1_title2 ...
. The club was founded on 5 March 1906 under the name Unione Sportiva Frusinate, but conventionally the year 1928 is indicated as the beginning of competitive activities of significant importance. Following cancellation by the
Italian Football Federation
The Italian Football Federation ( it, Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio; FIGC), known colloquially as ''Federcalcio'', is the governing body of football in Italy. It is based in Rome and the technical department is in Coverciano, Florence.
It ...
, it was refounded in 1959 and in 1990. In the
2014–15 season the club played in
Serie B
The Serie B (), currently named Serie Balkrishna Industries, BKT for sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It has been operating for over ninety years since the 1929–30 ...
for the sixth time in its history. The club earned its first promotion to the top flight
Serie A
The Serie A (), also called Serie A TIM for national sponsorship with TIM, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and the winner is awarded the Scudetto and the Coppa ...
in the
2015–16 season, but were relegated back down to Serie B after just one season. In the
2018–19 season it was promoted to Serie A for a second time.
After a long tradition of playing in
Serie C
The Serie C () is the third-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie B and Serie A. The Lega Italiana Calcio Professionistico (Lega Pro) is the governing body that runs the Serie C.
The unification of the Lega Pro ...
, in recent years, following the historic promotion which took place in the 2005–06 season, the club participated in five consecutive seasons in Serie B, becoming, after the two teams in Rome, the third most notable team of the region of Lazio. In the club's history at a national level, Frosinone have won two championships of
Serie C2
Lega Pro Seconda Divisione was the fourth highest football league in Italy, the lowest with a professional status. Usually it consisted of 36 teams, but in the 2011–12 season, there were 41 teams divided geographically into two divisions of 2 ...
(1986–87 and 2003–04) and two of
Serie D
The Serie D () is the top level of semi-professional football in the country. The fourth tier of the Italian league system, the competition sits beneath the third professional league, Serie C. It is administered by the Lega Nazionale Dilettant ...
(1965–66 and 1970–71). On 16 May 2015, the ''Ciociari'', with a 3–1 win over
Crotone
Crotone (, ; nap, label= Crotonese, Cutrone or ) is a city and ''comune'' in Calabria, Italy. Founded as the Achaean colony of Kroton ( grc, Κρότων or ; la, Crotona) in Magna Graecia, it was known as Cotrone from the Middle Ages until ...
, secured their first, historic promotion to Serie A.
History
Foundation and early years
''Frosinone Calcio'' was founded on 5 March 1906 under the name ''Unione Sportiva Frusinate''. The colours of the team were originally red and blue which were later changed to the current yellow and blue. By year of foundation, the Frosinone company ranks third among those still active in the
Lazio
it, Laziale
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 =
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, after "
S.S. Lazio" (1900) and "
S.S. Formia" (1905)
On March 5, 1906, the lawyer Leone Vivoli, future mayor of Frosinone, gave birth to the "Unione Sportiva Frusinate". The objectives in the articles of association included the diffusion of various sports and among them there was explicitly included football.
![Statuto unione sportiva frusinate 1906](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3a/Statuto_unione_sportiva_frusinate_1906.jpg)
On March 14, 1906
Il Messaggero reported the news as follows: «''Made up of about thirty effective members, it was formed in our city with premises in Corso Vittorio Emanuele n.2 ''
B: today Corso della Repubblica, '' a Frosinone sports club chaired by the lawyer Leone Vivoli. Councilors: student R. Giovannelli - accountant G. Tora - receiver G. Pesci - engineer E. Marzi - Inspector E. Toscano - Secretary Gabriele Antonucci - Sports Director Gerardo Bodin de Chadelard''».
The presence of competitive football-related activities is demonstrated by some documents immediately following the signing of the company statute, including a photo dating back to 1907, taken from the Bottoni archive, which shows a youth team of Frosinone footballers probably aged between 10 and 12 years.
Il Messaggero underlined, in the edition of February 1, 1907, the feedback acquired in a short time by the new sports association in the city: «''This sports union which has as its main purpose physical education, given the ever increasing number of members , has occupied new premises
..The brilliant meeting is frequented by the most respectable people of the city who praise and encourage the healthy development of the Association''».
The first corporate colors, as specified in the articles of association in article IV, were red and blue, taken from the city coat of arms.
It showed a rampant lion on a red background and a blue cross band with the motto "Bellator Frusino". Given the cost of the uniforms of the time, it is unlikely that the rossoblu uniform was worn from the beginning.
Article III of the Articles of Association stated, with a rather modern approach for the time, that the sports association abstained from any activity of a political and religious nature
The first playing field adopted by the company was located in Frosinone along today's via Cicerone (at the time called via Casilina Nord) near the municipal villa, while the historic "
Stadio Matusa
Stadio Comunale Matusa was a multi-use stadium in Frosinone
Frosinone (, local dialect: ) is a town and ''comune'' in Lazio, central Italy, the administrative seat of the province of Frosinone. It is located about south-east of Rome close to ...
" (which would have resisted, with modifications and extensions subsequent, until 2017) was built only in 1932.
The same club, however, has conventionally chosen as its date of origin not the foundation of the sports club (5 March 1906), as is widely consolidated practice with illustrious examples such as the
Genoa
Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the List of cities in Italy, sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian ce ...
(1893) and
Milan
Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
(1899)(sports clubs which included "cricket" and "football") but rather the change of name in "''CXIX Legio
M.V.S.N. Frosinone''" and his consequent affiliation to the
FIGC
The Italian Football Federation ( it, Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio; FIGC), known colloquially as ''Federcalcio'', is the governing body of football in Italy. It is based in Rome and the technical department is in Coverciano, Florence.
It ...
which took place over twenty years later, on 19 September
1928
Events January
* January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly proving the existence of DNA.
* January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris Bazhanov, J ...
.
This method appears very unusual if we consider the establishment of many other sports clubs, such as the "''
Società Podistica Lazio''" (which, founded in 1900, joined the FIGC in 1908 and set up a football section only in 1910) or the "''Genoa Cricket and Football Club''" (which became affiliated five years after being created as a sports club).
![Gazzetta dello sport 28 giugno 1922 59 fanteria - US frusinate 6-0](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ad/Gazzetta_dello_sport_28_giugno_1922_59_fanteria_-_US_frusinate_6-0.jpg)
In fact, even before the change of company name induced by the
fascist regime
Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian, ultra-nationalist political ideology and movement,: "extreme militaristic nationalism, contempt for electoral democracy and political and cultural liberalism, a belief in natural social hierarchy an ...
, the '' U.S. Frusinate '' had already obtained affiliation with the FIGC in 1923 and had been involved in competitive activity by appearing in the federal ranks of the championship of the Fourth Division Lazio 1923-1924 in group B. The Ciociaro '' team '' in that period at an organizational level was coordinated by Augusto Diamanti, a reference figure who was in charge of the company's executives. In the starting lineup, among others: Biagi (goalkeeper), Armando Niro, Nobili, Magni, Luigi Diamanti, Dante and Giulio Toscani, Aldo and Renato Calmanti (the latter would also be captain for many years to come, also playing in the Prima Division until the mid-1930s, when he suddenly died of a heart attack at the age of 29)
[.]
The activity of the Frosinone team at the beginning of the 1920s is testified by the sports news of the time, including an article from 1922 published in ''
La Gazzetta dello Sport
''La Gazzetta dello Sport'' (; "The Sports Gazette") is an Italian daily newspaper dedicated to coverage of various sports. Founded in 1896, it is the most widely read daily newspaper of any kind in Italy (in 2018).
History and profile
''La ...
''. It reports the description of the match played on June 28, 1922, at the ''Madonna della Neve'' football field in Frosinone, between the ''59 º fanteria Frosinone'' and the ''U.S. Frusinate ''. The official meeting, directed by the referee Carlo Magni and played in the presence of the mayor Piero Gizzi and the military authorities, was valid for the assignment of the '' Comune di Frosinone '' award. The victory went to the selection of the Army for six goals to zero.
![US Frusinate old](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/ab/US_Frusinate_old.png)
Experienced players such as
Vincenzo Fresia
Vincenzo Fresia (; 2 October 1888 – 1946) was an Italian footballer and manager who played as a forward and made one appearance for the Italy national team.
Career
Fresia played the majority of his club career at Pro Vercelli, except for a ...
, four-time champion of Italy with
Pro Vercelli
Football Club Pro Vercelli 1892, commonly referred to as Pro Vercelli, is an Italian football club based in Vercelli, Piedmont. The club is mostly renowned as one of the most successful teams in the early football era of Italy, with seven natio ...
and former number 9 jersey in the
national team
A national sports team (commonly known as a national team or a national side) is a team that represents a nation, rather than a particular club or region, in an international sport.
The term is most commonly associated with team sports, for exa ...
were lined up in the latter's row. Who served as a lieutenant in Frosinone in the ''59th Infantry Regiment''
In another '' match '' played on 27 August of the same year, the Frosinone team reached the Rossoneri of the '' C.S. Alatri '' thanks to a marking by its captain Renato Calmanti.
[.]
At that time the presence of category players in the military selection stimulated the competitive activity of the Unione Sportiva Frusinate, which was deployed on the field with the white and blue social colors. After affiliation to the FIGC in 1923 and registration in the IV Lazio Division, in 1925 the ''Unione Sportiva Frusinate'' passed the baton to the new ''Società Sportiva Alba Frusinate''.
At the end of the decade sports activity in Frosinone received new impetus from the fascist policies of incentives for physical exercise and sport,
[Augusto Parboni, Lo sport nella concezione fascista, "Lo sport fascista", n. 6 (1928), pp. 1-6] as well as the economic and political expansion that the city underwent following the establishment of the
new province of which it became the capital in
1927.
[ Regio Decreto Legge 2 gennaio 1927, n. 1, art. 1] In this context, on 19 September of the following year the company changed its name again to '' Gruppo Sportivo CXIX Legione M.V.S.N. Frosinone '', thus joining again the Italian Football Federation. On 25 September the team registered for the third division group B championship.
On 17 October 1929 the sports newspaper '' Il Littorale '' reported the news of the affiliation of the new '' Polisportiva Bellator Frusino '' to the FIGC. The sports club, which collected the inheritance from the '' CXIX Legione M.V.S.N. Frosinone '', was led by Pier Luigi Tinelli. The team participated in the III Division championship, group C, while the following season was included in group B
The club, later named ''Bellator Frusino'', managed to reach the National First Division in 1934. The figure of president Emilio Frongasse was crucial in this period. In the later half of the thirties, Bellator Frusinate disbanded, and was replaced by FF.GG. Frosinone which played its football in an interprovincial tournament.
All the championships were suspended during the Second World War and the football club Frusinate disappeared.
![Frosinone stadio e teatro](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/80/Frosinone_stadio_e_teatro.jpg)
The rebirth of Frosinone occurred in the 1945–1946 championship, the team competed in the Seconda Categoria championship and rose to Prima Categoria the following year, and later, following an excellent championship season, managed to gain promotion into
Serie C-Lego Centro. From 1948–49 to 1951–52, the Canarini competed in the Promozione-Interregionale della Lega Centro championship, and were included in the new Quarta Serie championship during the summer of 1952.
From 1952 to 1958, for six consecutive years, ''the Canarini'' competed in the Quarta Serie Championship, with their highest finish being fourth place, which was achieved in 1953. The most significant match this time was against
Cosenza
Cosenza (; local dialect: ''Cusenza'', ) is a city in Calabria, Italy. The city centre has a population of approximately 70,000; the urban area counts more than 200,000 inhabitants. It is the capital of the Province of Cosenza, which has a populati ...
on 24 November 1957. Cosenza were playing for promotion but Frosinone took the lead (and duly won) with three minutes remaining.
The referee, struck by a Cosenza player, fell to the ground and was booed until the end of the game. Several episodes of violence then took place and the game was transformed into a "western". After leaving the stadium, the referee was chased for a few kilometers by some Frosinone supporters. Cosenza forwarded an appeal and the CAF overturned the result of the match. Frosinone expressed their resentment against the Lega for the injustice suffered and threatened to withdraw from the league. Following this, Frosinone missed the return fixture in Cosenza and other penalties by the Lega were imposed.
The most important people of this time were the presidents Domenico Ferrante and Angelo Cristofaro (one of the leading figures in the history of the club), a former coach Genta and players Azzoni, Gabriele, Diglio, Dini and Spinato.
1960s–80s
In 1958, U.S. Frosinone was founded, competing in both the Seconda Categoria and Promozione championships. Football returned to Frosinone in 1963 when president Cristofari together with Dante Spaziani and Augusto Orsini, announced the formation of Sporting Club Frosinone. In
Serie D
The Serie D () is the top level of semi-professional football in the country. The fourth tier of the Italian league system, the competition sits beneath the third professional league, Serie C. It is administered by the Lega Nazionale Dilettant ...
, Frosinone always finished among the top positions, and in 1966 won promotion to
Serie C
The Serie C () is the third-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie B and Serie A. The Lega Italiana Calcio Professionistico (Lega Pro) is the governing body that runs the Serie C.
The unification of the Lega Pro ...
after an encounter with
Latina
Latina or Latinas most often refers to:
* Latinas, a demographic group in the United States
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America.
*Latin Americans
Latina and Latinas may also refer ...
. The following year, the canarini were relegated back to Serie D, where in 1967–68 they came third, then fifth and second. The leading figures at the club during this period were the Stirpe brothers, coaches De Angelis and Rambone and players Benvenuto, Caputi, Da Col, Del Sette, Fumagalli and Trentini.
In 1970–71, Frosinone, under club president Marocco, boasted the national record for the best defence (with goalkeeper Recchia only conceding 8 goals) and again managed promotion to Serie C, where the canarini played out four good seasons (the best finish was seventh in 1972) and their star player
Massimo Palanca
Massimo Palanca (born 21 August 1953) is an Italian former Association football, football Striker (association football), striker known for his skill at scoring directly from Corner kick, corner-kicks, with two successful spells at FC Catanzaro ...
entered the football firmament, top goalscorer of the central group of Serie C in 1974 and then later was successful representing
Catanzaro
Catanzaro (, or ; scn, label= Catanzarese, Catanzaru ; , or , ''Katastaríoi Lokrói''; ; la, Catacium), also known as the "City of the two Seas", is an Italian city of 86,183 inhabitants (2020), the capital of the Calabria region and of its p ...
in
Serie A
The Serie A (), also called Serie A TIM for national sponsorship with TIM, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and the winner is awarded the Scudetto and the Coppa ...
. From 1975 to 1978 the canarini played in
Serie D
The Serie D () is the top level of semi-professional football in the country. The fourth tier of the Italian league system, the competition sits beneath the third professional league, Serie C. It is administered by the Lega Nazionale Dilettant ...
, reaching promotion to
Serie C2
Lega Pro Seconda Divisione was the fourth highest football league in Italy, the lowest with a professional status. Usually it consisted of 36 teams, but in the 2011–12 season, there were 41 teams divided geographically into two divisions of 2 ...
in 1976–77. In 1977–78, Frosinone were again relegated back to Serie D and remained there until 1982. The club's key protagonists of the seventies were the presidents Marocco and Battista, coaches Giuseppe Banchetti and Giuseppe Lupi and players Brunello, Colletti, Dal Din, Santarelli,
Masiello Masiello is a surname originating in Italy. Notable people with the surname include:
* Andrea Masiello (born 1986), Italian soccer player
* Anthony Masiello, Buffalo, New York, politician
* Luciano Masiello (born 1952), Italian-born English and Iri ...
, Vescovi and, as mentioned earlier, Massimo Palanca. Frosinone started the next decade in the best possible way.
In 1980–81, the Canarini were promoted to Serie C2 without losing a game. Among the professionals, Frosinone managed good placements and produced new talent such as Gabbriellini, Perrotti and De Paola. Despite a precarious financial condition, Frosinone led by president Di Vito and coach Alberto Mari were promoted to Serie C1.
In 1987–88 season the Canarini played their first season in Serie C1 and finished mid-table. They returned immediately to Serie C2 the next season however despite a good start. Goalkeeper Marco Cari and coach Alberto Mari (later replaced by Robotti) were suspended for a football related betting offence. Among the most important players during the 1980s were Davato, Atzori, Di Liso, Cristiano, Bellini, Perrotti and Edoardo Artistico Poli, who then began an enviable football career.
Bankruptcy and return to Serie C
![Daniele Arrigoni](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1d/Daniele_Arrigoni.jpg)
In the summer of 1990, having missed out on promotion to C1 by just three points, Frosinone was removed from the
Italian Football Federation
The Italian Football Federation ( it, Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio; FIGC), known colloquially as ''Federcalcio'', is the governing body of football in Italy. It is based in Rome and the technical department is in Coverciano, Florence.
It ...
because of their financial state. When it seemed likely that they would return to the
Promozione
The Promozione (, "promotion") is the sixth level in the Italian football league system. Each individual league winner within the Promozione level progresses to their closest regional league in the Eccellenza level. Depending on each league's lo ...
division, the club was placed in the Interregionale, where it remained for four years.
In 1993–94, after the championship was almost completed, the ''Canarini'' ("the canaries") were overtaken by both
Giulianova and Albanova, and were relegated, but they were reinstated to Serie C after the season ended.
In 1996 the club gained a mid-table placing in
Serie C2
Lega Pro Seconda Divisione was the fourth highest football league in Italy, the lowest with a professional status. Usually it consisted of 36 teams, but in the 2011–12 season, there were 41 teams divided geographically into two divisions of 2 ...
, and was leading in Girone C of C2, but on the last day of the championship Frosinone was defeated by
Benevento
Benevento (, , ; la, Beneventum) is a city and ''comune'' of Campania, Italy, capital of the province of Benevento, northeast of Naples. It is situated on a hill above sea level at the confluence of the Calore Irpino (or Beneventano) and the ...
and was overtaken in the table by Avezzano. They also lost in the play-offs, being beaten in the semi-final by Albanova. They then played out three consecutive mediocre seasons. They survived the first two, in play-offs against
Casertana
Casertana Football Club is an Italian association football club based in Caserta, Campania. The club currently plays in Serie D.
History
The club was founded in 1908 as Robur Caserta and became known as Unione Sportiva Casertana from 1928 unt ...
and Albanova, but in the third year Frosinone was defeated by Tricase and relegated.
In
Serie D
The Serie D () is the top level of semi-professional football in the country. The fourth tier of the Italian league system, the competition sits beneath the third professional league, Serie C. It is administered by the Lega Nazionale Dilettant ...
, Frosinone finished fifth in 2000, while in their second year in Serie D the team was involved in an exciting head-to-head battle with
A.C. Martina of
Apulia
it, Pugliese
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, population_blank1 =
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, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographics1_title1 =
, demographics1_info1 =
, demographic ...
. In the end they finished second, but with an impressive 81 points. Under president Navarra and coaches Luca and Stefano Sanderra, the team returned to
Serie C2
Lega Pro Seconda Divisione was the fourth highest football league in Italy, the lowest with a professional status. Usually it consisted of 36 teams, but in the 2011–12 season, there were 41 teams divided geographically into two divisions of 2 ...
.
In their first two championships back in C2, Frosinone were managed by five different tacticians. After a good start, the team seemed able to reach the play-offs, however finished mid-table. In 2003 the club was taken over by a group of entrepreneurs led by Maurizio Stirpe, son of Benito, a former president of the club back in the sixties.
Stirpe called Enrico Graziani to Frosinone as a general director. Graziani had already worked at
Teramo
Teramo (; nap, label= Abruzzese, Tèreme ) is a city and ''comune'' in the Italian region of Abruzzo, the capital of the province of Teramo.
The city, from Rome, is situated between the highest mountains of the Apennines (Gran Sasso d'Italia) ...
, gaining the
Abruzzese club promotion to C1. The managerial position was entrusted to Giorgini, who had spent the previous season with Serie C2 side
Brindisi
Brindisi ( , ) ; la, Brundisium; grc, Βρεντέσιον, translit=Brentésion; cms, Brunda), group=pron is a city in the region of Apulia in southern Italy, the capital of the province of Brindisi, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea.
Histo ...
. After an average start to the season, Giorgini was replaced by
Daniele Arrigoni
Daniele Arrigoni (born 28 August 1959) is an Italian football manager and former player, who played as a defender.
Playing career
Arrigoni was born in Cesena. A defender, made fifteen Serie A appearances in his first professional playing ...
, former coach of
Messina
Messina (, also , ) is a harbour city and the capital of the Italian Metropolitan City of Messina. It is the third largest city on the island of Sicily, and the 13th largest city in Italy, with a population of more than 219,000 inhabitants in ...
and
Palermo
Palermo ( , ; scn, Palermu , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan ...
in
Serie B
The Serie B (), currently named Serie Balkrishna Industries, BKT for sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It has been operating for over ninety years since the 1929–30 ...
.
With an already strong side, including players such as Arno, Vitali,
Dario Rossi
Dario Rossi (born November 14, 1972 in Alatri) is an Italian professional football coach and a former player. Currently, he is an assistant manager with U.S. Cremonese.
He was on the Serie A squad of A.S. Roma for parts of 5 seasons, in 3 of w ...
, Gianluca and Stefano De Angelis, Manca, Tatomir, Galuppi and the goalkeeper de Juliis, being improved in the transfer market adding quality players such as De Cesare, Aquino and Buonocorre. Much expectation was placed upon Enrico Buonocorre, but the trequartista live up to them. He did however, score a crucial free kick in the match against
Castel Di Sangro
Castel di Sangro (locally ''Caštiéllë'') is a city and '' comune'' of 6,461 people (as of 2013) in the Province of L'Aquila, in Abruzzo, Central Italy. It is the main city of the Alto Sangro e Altopiano delle Cinque Miglia area.
Geography
Ca ...
.
The team performed well in 2003–04 Serie C2 season, fighting for supremacy near the top of the table with Brindisi. The two teams will take turns to occupy first place until the very end of the season. On the final day, Frosinone, with a point less than Brindisi, travelled to
Melfi
Melfi (Neapolitan language, Lucano: ) is a town and ''comune'' in the Vulture area of the province of Potenza, in the Southern Italian region of Basilicata. Geographically, it is midway between Naples and Bari. In 2015 it had a population of 17,7 ...
, while Brindisi faced a tough trip away to Sicilian club
Igea Virtus. Both Melfi and Igea were in the running for a place in the play-offs, leaving it all to play for in these two clashes. Frosinone beat Melfi thanks to a great goal by Ciro De Cesare, while Brindisi failed to beat Igea.
Frosinone were now back in
Serie C1
Lega Pro Prima Divisione was the third highest football (soccer), football league in Italy. It consisted of 33 teams, divided geographically into two divisions of 16 and 17 teams for group A and B respectively. Until 2008 it was known as Serie C1 ...
for the first time in sixteen years. The 2003–04 season is remembered not only for the historic promotion back to C1, but also victories in the derby with
Latina
Latina or Latinas most often refers to:
* Latinas, a demographic group in the United States
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America.
*Latin Americans
Latina and Latinas may also refer ...
, with whom there is a heated rivalry. Frosinone won both matches 1–0, with goal from Manca away and Aquino scoring at home.
Upon their return to C1, which saw them travel to such historic cities as
Cremona
Cremona (, also ; ; lmo, label= Cremunés, Cremùna; egl, Carmona) is a city and ''comune'' in northern Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left bank of the Po river in the middle of the ''Pianura Padana'' ( Po Valley). It is the capital of th ...
,
Mantua
Mantua ( ; it, Mantova ; Lombard language, Lombard and la, Mantua) is a city and ''comune'' in Lombardy, Italy, and capital of the Province of Mantua, province of the same name.
In 2016, Mantua was designated as the Italian Capital of Culture ...
, and
Pisa
Pisa ( , or ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for its leaning tower, the cit ...
, Frosinone appointed Dino Pagliari as coach, while the likes of
Salvatore Mastronunzio
Salvatore Mastronunzio (born 5 September 1979) is an Italian footballer who plays as a forward for Anconitana on amateur levels.
Club career
Early career
Born in Empoli, Tuscany, Mastronunzio started his career at Empoli F.C. He made his Ser ...
, Di Deo (later sold to
Ternana
Ternana Calcio, commonly referred to as Ternana, is an Italian football club based in Terni, Umbria.
The club was founded in 1925 and refounded in 1993. In its history, Ternana has twice played in Serie A (in the 1972–73 and 1974–75 seas ...
in B), Molinari, Nicola Pagani, Mauro Zaccagnini, goalkeeper
Zappino, promoted, Alfredo Cariello, Davide D'Antoni, Francesco Mocarelli, Antonio Di Nardo, Michele Ischia were all signed to bolster the playing squad. Famous men who have played for Frosinone include the sport commentator Sandro Ciotti.
The season saw Frosinone go through highs and lows, in the end finishing fifth and reaching the play-offs, where they were eliminated by
Mantova.
Serie B
![Сальваторе Бокетти](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/16/%D0%A1%D0%B0%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%B2%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%BE%D1%80%D0%B5_%D0%91%D0%BE%D0%BA%D0%B5%D1%82%D1%82%D0%B8.jpg)
In the following season,
2005–06, Frosinone were coached by
Ivo Iaconi
Ivo Iaconi (born 11 March 1956 in Teramo) is an Italian football manager and former player.
Playing career
Iaconi played mostly with Serie C and amateur clubs, starting his career with Giulianova in the 1970s. He retired in 1992 after Giulianov ...
, who had offers from two Serie B teams,
Fermana and
Pescara
Pescara (; nap, label= Abruzzese, Pescàrë; nap, label= Pescarese, Piscàrë) is the capital city of the Province of Pescara, in the Abruzzo region of Italy. It is the most populated city in Abruzzo, with 119,217 (2018) residents (and approxim ...
, yet opted to manage the Canarini.
Several players were signed to help the club in their push for promotion including Ciro Ginestra, Stefano Bellè, Jimmy Fialdini, Paolo Antonioli, Massimo Perra, Marco Martini, Marco Ogliari and Giuseppe Anaclerio.
Despite the presence of fallen giant and former
Scudetto
The ''scudetto'' (Italian language, Italian for: "little shield") is a decoration having the colors of the flag of Italy which is sewn onto the jersey of the Italian sports clubs that won the highest level championship of their respective sport in ...
winners
Napoli
Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
in the league, Frosinone emerged as strong challengers. They began the season well, with a 4–1 victory at
Perugia
Perugia (, , ; lat, Perusia) is the capital city of Umbria in central Italy, crossed by the River Tiber, and of the province of Perugia.
The city is located about north of Rome and southeast of Florence. It covers a high hilltop and part o ...
.
Frosinone continued their strong form right throughout the championship, finally finishing second behind Napoli and favourites to win the play-offs. Their first opponents were Tuscan side
Sangiovannese, who had finished fifth. Both matches ended scoreless and Frosinone progressed to the final by virtue of their higher placed finish in the league.
In the final they met another team from Tuscany,
Grosseto
Grosseto () is a city and ''comune'' in the central Italian region of Tuscany, the capital of the Province of Grosseto. The city lies from the Tyrrhenian Sea, in the Maremma, at the centre of an alluvial plain on the Ombrone river.
It is the m ...
, drawing 0–0 at home and winning 1–0 away thanks to a goalkeeping error. For the first time ever, Frosinone were promoted to
Serie B
The Serie B (), currently named Serie Balkrishna Industries, BKT for sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It has been operating for over ninety years since the 1929–30 ...
.
For their first season at Serie B level, the club made several signings to keep the team competitive. They included
Massimo Margiotta
Massimo Margiotta (born 27 July 1977) is an Italian-Venezuelan former professional footballer who played as a forward, currently working as youth system chief of Hellas Verona.
Club career
Udinese
Vicenza
Margiotta was signed by Vicenza in c ...
,
Francesco Lodi,
Lucas Rimoldi and
Fabio Di Venanzio. Meanwhile, work began on restructuring the Stadium Matusa, whose capacity was increased from 5,000 to almost 10,000 seats.
The first game of the season was a 1–0 loss away at the
Stadio Nereo Rocco against
Triestina
Unione Sportiva Triestina Calcio 1918, commonly referred to as Triestina, is an Italian football club based in Trieste, Friuli-Venezia Giulia. Originally founded in 1918, the club has been re-established several times in its history. As of the ...
. This was followed by draws at home against
Spezia
La Spezia (, or , ; in the local Spezzino dialect) is the capital city of the province of La Spezia and is located at the head of the Gulf of La Spezia in the southern part of the Liguria region of Italy.
La Spezia is the second largest city ...
and
Arezzo
Arezzo ( , , ) , also ; ett, 𐌀𐌓𐌉𐌕𐌉𐌌, Aritim. is a city and ''comune'' in Italy and the capital of the province of the same name located in Tuscany. Arezzo is about southeast of Florence at an elevation of above sea level. ...
and another away defeat at
Rimini
Rimini ( , ; rgn, Rémin; la, Ariminum) is a city in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy and capital city of the Province of Rimini. It sprawls along the Adriatic Sea, on the coast between the rivers Marecchia (the ancient ''Ariminu ...
. Their first victory came away from home at the
Stadio Romeo Menti against
Vicenza
Vicenza ( , ; ) is a city in northeastern Italy. It is in the Veneto region at the northern base of the ''Monte Berico'', where it straddles the Bacchiglione River. Vicenza is approximately west of Venice and east of Milan.
Vicenza is a th ...
. It finished 2–1 with goals from Margiotta and Di Nardo.
Among the most important victories of the season were the 2–1 wins against
Bologna
Bologna (, , ; egl, label= Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nat ...
and
Lecce
Lecce ( ); el, label=Griko, Luppìu, script=Latn; la, Lupiae; grc, Λουπίαι, translit=Loupíai), group=pron is a historic city of 95,766 inhabitants (2015) in southern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Lecce, the province ...
and the thrilling 1–0 win against
Bari
Bari ( , ; nap, label= Barese, Bare ; lat, Barium) is the capital city of the Metropolitan City of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, southern Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy a ...
, where the goalkeeper Zappino saved a penalty. On 28 October 2006, Frosinone met giants
Juventus
Juventus Football Club (from la, iuventūs, 'youth'; ), colloquially known as Juve (), is a professional Association football, football club based in Turin, Piedmont, Italy, that competes in the Serie A, the top tier of the Italian football leagu ...
. The goal from
Alessandro Del Piero
Alessandro Del Piero (; born 9 November 1974) is an Italian former professional footballer who mainly played as a deep-lying forward, although he was capable of playing in several offensive positions. Since 2015, he has worked as a pundit fo ...
(his 200th for Juve) decided the game, however the Frusinati returned home with their heads held high.
The season concluded with a draw against
Modena
Modena (, , ; egl, label=Emilian language#Dialects, Modenese, Mòdna ; ett, Mutna; la, Mutina) is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) on the south side of the Po Valley, in the Province of Modena in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern I ...
, and Frosinone finished 13th, a more than satisfactory position for their debut season.
''The Canarini'' improved on this during their second Serie B season, finishing 10th in
2007–08, and for much of the season were in real contention for a play-off place and a highly unlikely promotion to
Serie A
The Serie A (), also called Serie A TIM for national sponsorship with TIM, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and the winner is awarded the Scudetto and the Coppa ...
.
On 21 May 2011, the club was relegated from
Serie B
The Serie B (), currently named Serie Balkrishna Industries, BKT for sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It has been operating for over ninety years since the 1929–30 ...
to
Lega Pro Prima Divisione
Lega Pro Prima Divisione was the third highest football league in Italy. It consisted of 33 teams, divided geographically into two divisions of 16 and 17 teams for group A and B respectively. Until 2008 it was known as Serie C1.
Before the 1978 ...
after finishing bottom of the table.
From third tier to Serie A
![2015–16 Frosinone Calcio](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/86/2015%E2%80%9316_Frosinone_Calcio.jpg)
On 7 June 2014, Frosinone, under the guidance of head coach
Roberto Stellone, was promoted from
Lega Pro Prima Divisione
Lega Pro Prima Divisione was the third highest football league in Italy. It consisted of 33 teams, divided geographically into two divisions of 16 and 17 teams for group A and B respectively. Until 2008 it was known as Serie C1.
Before the 1978 ...
to
Serie B
The Serie B (), currently named Serie Balkrishna Industries, BKT for sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It has been operating for over ninety years since the 1929–30 ...
after winning the playoff 1–1, 3–1 (4–2 aggregate) against
Lecce
Lecce ( ); el, label=Griko, Luppìu, script=Latn; la, Lupiae; grc, Λουπίαι, translit=Loupíai), group=pron is a historic city of 95,766 inhabitants (2015) in southern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Lecce, the province ...
.
In the
2014–15 Serie B
The 2014–15 Serie B was the 83rd season since its establishment in 1929. A total of 22 teams contested the league: 14 of which returning from the 2013–14 season, 5 of which promoted from Prima Divisione, and three relegated from Serie A. T ...
season, Frosinone quickly emerged as a surprise package for a Serie A spot, fighting against more renowned teams such as
Vicenza
Vicenza ( , ; ) is a city in northeastern Italy. It is in the Veneto region at the northern base of the ''Monte Berico'', where it straddles the Bacchiglione River. Vicenza is approximately west of Venice and east of Milan.
Vicenza is a th ...
and
Bologna
Bologna (, , ; egl, label= Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 150 different nat ...
for a top flight place. On 16 May 2015, Frosinone won automatic promotion after a 3–1 home win against
Crotone
Crotone (, ; nap, label= Crotonese, Cutrone or ) is a city and ''comune'' in Calabria, Italy. Founded as the Achaean colony of Kroton ( grc, Κρότων or ; la, Crotona) in Magna Graecia, it was known as Cotrone from the Middle Ages until ...
, six points ahead of third-placed Bologna with only one game remaining; as such, the club made its first
Serie A
The Serie A (), also called Serie A TIM for national sponsorship with TIM, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and the winner is awarded the Scudetto and the Coppa ...
appearance ever in the
2015–16 season.
Frosinone's
maiden Serie A campaign began in a difficult style, losing their first four outings and dropping to bottom place in the table. In Round 5, the club came up against Italian football heavyweights
Juventus
Juventus Football Club (from la, iuventūs, 'youth'; ), colloquially known as Juve (), is a professional Association football, football club based in Turin, Piedmont, Italy, that competes in the Serie A, the top tier of the Italian football leagu ...
at the
Juventus Stadium
Juventus Stadium, known for sponsorship reasons as the Allianz Stadium since July 2017, sometimes simply known in Italy as the Stadium ( it, Lo Stadium), is an all-seater football stadium in the Vallette borough of Turin, Italy, and the home o ...
. Defying all odds, Frosinone came away with their first ever Serie A point thanks to an equalising last minute
Leonardo Blanchard header to end the match in a 1–1 draw. The following round, Frosinone achieved their first Serie A win, defeating
Empoli
Empoli () is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Florence, Tuscany, Italy, about southwest of Florence, to the south of the Arno in a plain formed by the river. The plain has been usable for agriculture since Roman times. The comm ...
2–0 at the
Stadio Matusa
Stadio Comunale Matusa was a multi-use stadium in Frosinone
Frosinone (, local dialect: ) is a town and ''comune'' in Lazio, central Italy, the administrative seat of the province of Frosinone. It is located about south-east of Rome close to ...
. Frosinone went on to pick up their second and third consecutive home wins by beating
Sampdoria
Unione Calcio Sampdoria, commonly referred to as Sampdoria (), is an Italian professional football club based in Genoa.
The club was formed in 1946 from the merger of two existing sports clubs whose roots can be traced back to the 1890s, ...
by the same scoreline as Empoli and fellow newly promoted side
Carpi
Carpi may refer to:
Places
* Carpi, Emilia-Romagna, a large town in the province of Modena, central Italy
* Carpi (Africa), a city and former diocese of Roman Africa, now a Latin Catholic titular bishopric
People
* Carpi (people), an ancie ...
2–1. Frosinone Calcio were relegated back to Serie B after one season in Serie A as they finished in 19th place.
On 29 May 2017, Frosinone lost the semifinal promotion playoff against Carpi, remaining in Serie B.
On 16 June 2018, Frosinone was promoted to Serie A for the second time in their history, defeating Palermo 2–0 at home to win 3–2 on aggregate in the promotion play-off finals after a 2–1 loss in the first leg. They were relegated back to
Serie B
The Serie B (), currently named Serie Balkrishna Industries, BKT for sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It has been operating for over ninety years since the 1929–30 ...
after one season at top level. In their first season back in Serie B, Frosinone missed out on promotion after losing in the playoff final to Spezia.
Colours and symbols
The first social colours of the club were red and blue. Now they are yellow and blue. From the 2007–08 season, the club has a
mascot
A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name. Mascots are also used as fi ...
called Lillo, represented by a lion, the animal that appears in the coat of arms. The name was chosen by fans of Frosinone with a poll on the club's official website. The mascot accompanies the home team and from the 2008–09 season there is also a chance to be selected, on request, to impersonate Lillo for a game.
Players
Current squad
Out on loan
Coaching staff
Stadiums
![Stadio Matusa, Frosinone (2007)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cc/Stadio_Matusa%2C_Frosinone_%282007%29.jpg)
Frosinone has always played its home games at the Stadio Comunale di Frosinone, nicknamed the ''Matusa'' because of the age of the structure. Founded in what was then the outskirts of the city, today, as a result of the massive urban growth of the city, it is set in the centre of the capital of Frosinone surrounded by several buildings. It has undergone several reconstructions but never related to the foundational structure of the grandstand, which is still the one from the foundation.
Over the years, also depending on the results of the team, it has had different capacities. In 2014 it could accommodate approximately 10,000 spectators.
In the eighties the new Stadio Casaleno began to be built in short distance of the area. The progress, which led to the construction of a grandstand, however, was interrupted as a result of scandals and erroneous projects and led to the temporary decline of the team. For several years projects have been proposed to complete the structure and give Frosinone a new stadium, but the idea, as well as complex bureaucratic loopholes and economic issues, has also seen resistance from many fans who prefer to play in the old historic stadium.
![Benito Stirpe cesena main imbrunire](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c3/Benito_Stirpe_cesena_main_imbrunire.jpg)
In 2007, in order to unlock the stalemate that concerned the management of the old Matusa and the construction of the new municipal stadium, some fans of the club, as a provocative gesture, put the stadium up for auction on
eBay
eBay Inc. ( ) is an American multinational e-commerce company based in San Jose, California, that facilitates consumer-to-consumer and business-to-consumer sales through its website. eBay was founded by Pierre Omidyar in 1995 and became a ...
for a single
euro
The euro ( symbol: €; code: EUR) is the official currency of 19 out of the member states of the European Union (EU). This group of states is known as the eurozone or, officially, the euro area, and includes about 340 million citizens . ...
, though in a few hours the bidding price was over €8 million.
The record of spectators in a game inside of the Matusa dates back to the Serie C1 championship of 1988–89, with about 12,000 spectators for a match against
Campobasso
Campobasso (, ; nap, label= Campobassan, Cambuàsce ) is a city and ''comune'' in southern Italy, the capital of the region of Molise and of the province of Campobasso. It is located in the high basin of the Biferno river, surrounded by Sann ...
.
Starting from October 2017, Frosinone plays its home games at Benito Stirpe stadium. The record number of spectators at a game inside of the Stirpe in Serie B championship of 2017–2018, was about 16,286 spectators for a match against Foggia.
In November 2017, Frosinone Calcio launched the first ever public mini-bond investment scheme in Italian football via sports investment platform Tifosy. Frosinone Calcio president Maurizio Stirpe mentions that the proceeds of the mini-bond would be used to:
"build the medical center (intended for all those who gravitate around the world of Frosinone Calcio) and the restaurant , both located in the belly of the central grandstand.
With the resources that the club aims to collect through crowdfunding the ring around the stadium could also be restructured , with the rebuilding of the flooring, so as to allow citizens who use these spaces to run and train themselves to have a more functional space to these activities".
The Frosinone Bond raised €1,500,000 which was €500,000 over what the club initially thought the bond would raise.
Honours
Domestic
League
*
Serie C2
Lega Pro Seconda Divisione was the fourth highest football league in Italy, the lowest with a professional status. Usually it consisted of 36 teams, but in the 2011–12 season, there were 41 teams divided geographically into two divisions of 2 ...
:*Winners (2):1986–87
(group D), 2003–04
(group C)
*
Serie D
The Serie D () is the top level of semi-professional football in the country. The fourth tier of the Italian league system, the competition sits beneath the third professional league, Serie C. It is administered by the Lega Nazionale Dilettant ...
:*Winners (2):1965–66
(group D), 1970–71
(group F)
Regional
* Terza Divisione
:*Winners (1): 1932–33
* Seconda Divisione
:*Winners (2): 1933–34, 1945–46
(group E)
*
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 t ...
:*Winners (1): 1962–63
Cups
*
Coppa Italia Serie C
Coppa Italia Serie C ( it, Serie C Italian Cup), formerly named Coppa Italia Lega Pro, is a straight knock-out based competition involving teams from Serie C in Italian football first held in 1972.
Format
There are a total of six rounds in the ...
:*''Runners-up'' (1): 2004–05
Youth
*
Campionato Nazionale Dante Berretti
Campionato Primavera 3, formerly Campionato Nazionale Dante Berretti (or simply ''Campionato Berretti''), is an Italian football competition played by youth teams (under 19) organized by the Lega Pro, and mainly composed by Serie C clubs but also ...
:*Winners (1): 2011–12
* Campionato Allievi Nazionali
:*Winners (1): 2011–12
* Supercoppa Allievi
:*Winners (1): 2011–12
Club records
League
Below is a table showing the participation of Frosinone in the Italian leagues.
[La storia del Frosinone Calcio]
Individual
''Source: Frosinone Calcio official website''
Managers
References
Bibliography
* Aversa Estella, ''Le porte della storia, la grande avventura del Frosinone Calcio'', Eraclea, Roma, 2007
* Di Sora Amedeo,''C'era una volta un pallone... La storia del calcio frusinate dai primi anni del Novecento ad oggi raccontata da un cronista da stadio'', Editrice Frusinate, 2004
* Lisi Luca e Rotondo Federico, ''Immagini Emozioni... Un anno storico'', Modulgraf srl, Pomezia, 2007
* Renna Piergiorgio, ''Storia del Frosinone Calcio'', Edizioni Multimedia, Frosinone, 1994
* Renna Piergiorgio, ''La Quarta serie negli anni '50'', Edizioni Multimedia, Frosinone, 2007
* Renna Piergiorgio, ''Frosinone 1906/2006 – Serie B come Bellator'', Edizioni Multimedia, Frosinone, 2007
* Vigliani Alessandro, "''Sembra Impossibile, il romanzo sui tifosi del Frosinone Calcio''", Pulp Edizioni, Frosinone 2010.
External links
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Frosinone
Football clubs in Italy
Football clubs in Lazio
Association football clubs established in 1912
Serie A clubs
Serie B clubs
Serie C clubs
1912 establishments in Italy