Spezia Calcio is a professional
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
club based in
La 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 ...
,
Liguria
Liguria (; lij, Ligûria ; french: Ligurie) is a Regions of Italy, region of north-western Italy; its Capital city, capital is Genoa. Its territory is crossed by the Alps and the Apennine Mountains, Apennines Mountain chain, mountain range and is ...
, Italy. Spezia Calcio was founded in 1906 by the Swiss banker Hermann Hurni (or Hurny in some documents), who played for the early Crystal Palace amateur teams in London during his time there as a student. He played for Crystal Palace again in 1909.
The first Spezia playing kit, light blue and white, was a second-hand amateur Crystal Palace kit donated to Hurny when he returned to La Spezia. In 1911, following the decision of Alberto Picco and others to honour Pro Vercelli as an example of a small team able to beat the big teams, a plain white shirt was adopted with black shorts and black socks, which is still in use today. In the 1920s prior to the creation of Serie A, Spezia played several top league games against the giants of Italian football including
AC Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan (), commonly referred to as AC Milan or simply Milan, is a professional football club in Milan, Italy, founded in 1899. The club has spent its entire history, with the exception of the 1980–81 and 1982–83 seasons ...
,
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 ...
, and
Inter Milan
Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale () or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan in English-speaking countries, is an Football in Italy, Italian professional Association football, football ...
. The club has participated in all tiers of the Italian football system.
Spezia won the 1944 Campionato Alta Italia which was officially recognized by FIGC (the Italian Football Federation) in 2002 after a long dispute and the use of a special permanent badge was authorized. The tricolour badge is exhibited on the official jerseys during games and has a different shape and size compared to the ordinary Scudetto.
Following the fall from Serie B in 1951, Spezia was destined to languish in third and fourth division for 55 years. The 2000s saw the return to Serie B in 2006, bankruptcy and the rebirth re-establishing themselves as a regular Serie B team once again. In 2020, exactly 100 years from its first appearance at the top level, Spezia finally returned to Serie A as the winner of the promotion play-offs, securing a second Serie A term for the
2021–22 season.
History
Early history (1906–1944)
![Spezia through the ages 2](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b2/Spezia_through_the_ages_2.jpg)
Spezia Calcio was founded in 1906 by the Swiss banker Hermann Hurny (or Hurni in some documents), who played for the reserves of Crystal Palace in London during his time there as a student.
Allegedly the first Spezia kit, light blue and white, was a second hand Crystal Palace kit donated to Hurny when he returned to La Spezia. He played for Crystal Palace again (in its revived form) in 1909.
In
1926
Events January
* January 3 – Theodoros Pangalos declares himself dictator in Greece.
* January 8
**Abdul-Aziz ibn Saud is crowned King of Hejaz.
** Crown Prince Nguyễn Phúc Vĩnh Thuy ascends the throne, the last monarch of V ...
, they won the Seconda Divisione and were promoted to the
Prima Divisione
Prima Divisione (''First Division'') was the name of the first level of the Italian Football Championship from 1921 to 1926. The competition was initially founded in opposition to the FIGC by the richest clubs of Northern Italy, which disagreed the ...
, which was at that time the second-highest level of Italian football. In 1929 Spezia won the Prima Divisione but the league was demoted to become the third division in Italy so the team remained at the second level, playing 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
1929-30 season, the club played in the first season of the newly formed Serie B and changed their name to AC Spezia. Spezia remained at this level before suffering relegation in 1935, only to swiftly return for the
1936-37 season.
In 1944, because of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, the Italian football federation decided to split the top league into regional rounds. The team, named ''42° Corpo dei Vigili del Fuoco della Spezia'' (
Firefighter
A firefighter is a first responder and rescuer extensively trained in firefighting, primarily to extinguish hazardous fires that threaten life, property, and the environment as well as to rescue people and in some cases or jurisdictions also ...
s 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
egl, Emigliàn (man) egl, Emiglièna (woman) rgn, Rumagnòl (man) rgn, Rumagnòla (woman) it, Emiliano (man) it, Emiliana (woman) or it, Romagnolo (man) it, Romagnola (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title ...
, together with Corradini Suzzara, Fidentina, Orlandi Busseto and
Parma
Parma (; egl, Pärma, ) is a city in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna known for its architecture, Giuseppe Verdi, music, art, prosciutto (ham), Parmigiano-Reggiano, cheese and surrounding countryside. With a population of 198,292 ...
. Spezia won the round and qualified to the semi-finals, in which it challenged Suzzara,
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 ...
and
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 ...
. 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
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 ...
.
The first match, played in Bologna, was suspended because of incidents after the 1–0 goal of Spezia 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
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 ...
, because of the heavy bombings in the Ligurian city during the period, then cancelled because of protests by Bologna chairman
Renato Dall'Ara
Renato Dall'Ara (10 October 1892 in Reggio Emilia – 3 June 1964 in Milan) was an Italian entrepreneur, sports manager, and chairman of Bologna for thirty years.
Biography
An entrepreneur of modest origins, Dall'Ara went from his native Reggio Em ...
, so Spezia was admitted to the final without playing the return match.
The finals, held in
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 ...
, were played against
Venezia
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 bridges. The islan ...
and
Torino
Turin ( , Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. T ...
. On 9 July 1944, the first match between Spezia and Venezia was played: it ended in a 1–1 draw. commented by the
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 ...
as a "surprising result".
On 16 July, Spezia challenged the ''
Grande Torino
The Grande Torino was the historic Italian football team of Torino Football Club in the 1940s, five-time champions of Italy, whose players were the backbone of the Italy national team and died on 4 May 1949 in the plane crash known as the Superg ...
'', with
Vittorio Pozzo
Vittorio Pozzo (; 2 March 1886 – 21 December 1968) was an Italian football player, manager and journalist.
The creator of the ''Metodo'' tactical formation, Pozzo is regarded as one of the greatest managers of all time, and is the only manag ...
as coach and
Silvio Piola
Silvio Piola (; 29 September 1913 – 4 October 1996) was an Italian footballer who played as a striker. He is known as a highly prominent figure in the history of Italian football due to several records he set, and he is regarded as one of the ...
as striker. The match ended in an epic 2–1 victory for Spezia. After the third match, in which Torino beat Venezia in a 5–2 win, Spezia was declared champion.
The title was officially recognised by FIGC in 2002 as decoration.
Following the decision of FIGC in 2002, Spezia is authorized by the Italian Federation to exhibit a tricolour badge on the official jerseys which is unique, being the only example of a permanent one in Italy.
The badge has a different shape and size compared to the ordinary Scudetto.
Post-war era to bankruptcy (1944–2008)
After the war, the Italian football system once again consisted of national leagues, as opposed to regional rounds, and Spezia returned to Serie B from 1946 to 1951. Relegation in the
1950-51 season led to a rapid fall through the divisions, as the club was relegated in three consecutive seasons back into the local Promozione Ligure in 1953. The club's name was changed to A.C. Spezia-Arsenal in 1954, only to change again to Football Club Spezia 1906 just a year later.
Promotion back 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 ...
in 1958 marked the beginning of a period in which the club bounced back and forth between the third and fourth levels of Italian football, a cycle that would continue until finally returning to Serie B in the 2000s. The most consistent spell in a single division was Spezia's run in Serie C from 1966 to 1979, when the club finished in 17th position and was again relegated to the fourth-division
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 ...
. Spezia returned the next year with another promotion but again fell back down in 1981. Another spell in Serie C was to follow from 1986 to 1997, when the club returned to the fourth tier once more. The name of the club was changed to its current name Spezia Calcio in 1995.
In 2002, the club reached an agreement with
Internazionale
Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale () or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan in English-speaking countries, is an Italian professional football club based in Milan, Lombardy. Inter is ...
, making the club Inter's feeder club, with the Milan club holding a percentage in Spezia ownership shares. The team signed
Goran Pandev
Goran Pandev ( mk, Горан Пандев, ; born 27 July 1983) is a Macedonian former professional footballer who played as a forward.
After establishing himself at Lazio, Pandev moved to Inter Milan in early 2010. While playing for the ''Ne ...
,
Aco Stojkov
Aco Stojkov ( mk, Ацо Стојков; born 29 April 1983) is a Macedonian retired footballer who last played for Osogovo.
Club career
Previously he has played with national teammate Goran Pandev in F.C. Internazionale Milano Primavera, 2001 ...
, and
Alex Cordaz
Alex Cordaz (born 1 January 1983) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for club Inter Milan.
Career Inter Milan
Cordaz started his career at Inter Milan. In the 2001–02 season, he was the regular selection ahead of ...
in the first season. In the second season,
Cristian Lizzori,
Luca Ceccarelli and
Nicola Napolitano were signed. In 2004–05 season, Spezia received
Antonio Rizzo from
Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as Fiorentina (), is an Italian professional football club based in Florence, Tuscany, Italy. The original team was founded by a merger in August 1926, while the actual club was refounded in August 2002 fo ...
and
Paolo Castelli
Paolo Castelli (born 3 January 1980) is an Italian footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Monza. He spent his most of his career in the Prima Divisione, seasons in the Seconda Divisione and seasons in Serie B. (3rd, 4th and 2nd highest di ...
from
Internazionale
Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale () or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan in English-speaking countries, is an Italian professional football club based in Milan, Lombardy. Inter is ...
.
Players like
Alex Cordaz
Alex Cordaz (born 1 January 1983) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for club Inter Milan.
Career Inter Milan
Cordaz started his career at Inter Milan. In the 2001–02 season, he was the regular selection ahead of ...
,
Riccardo Meggiorini
Riccardo Meggiorini (born 4 September 1985) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a forward for an amateur side San Giovanni Lupatoto.
Club career
Early career
Meggiorini took his first steps as a footballer at age eight, in a smal ...
and
Paolo Hernán Dellafiore
Paolo Hernán Dellafiore (born 2 February 1985) is an Argentine-born Italian footballer, who plays as a central defender for Serie D club Mantova.
Club career
Internazionale
Born in Buenos Aires to Italian parents, Dellafiore started his profe ...
joined the team directly from Inter to boost the team in January 2005. The season ended with winning
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 c ...
against
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 ...
. After the season, Inter sold most of its shares in Spezia.
The next season (2005–06) started with the arrival of a new owner, Giuseppe Ruggieri, and a new manager, Antonio Soda. After a long battle for the first position with rivals
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 ...
, 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
Massimiliano Varricchio (born 14 November 1976) is an Italian footballer. He currently plays as a forward for A.C. Cuneo 1905
Associazione Calcio Cuneo 1905 is a defunct Italian football club, based in Cuneo, Piedmont. At the end of the 2 ...
and
Roberto Maltagliati
Roberto Maltagliati (born 7 April 1969 in Cuggiono, Milan) is a former Italian footballer who played as a defender.
During his career of more than eighteen years, including seven in Serie A, he has played for Parma, Torino (from 1994–1995 to ...
.
Life in Serie B with traditional Italian powerhouses
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 ...
,
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 ...
and
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 ...
was difficult for the newly promoted Ligurian side, which themselves were fighting to avoid the relegation spots in the
2006-07 campaign. With a squad consisting of mid-season signing
Guilherme do Prado
Guilherme "Guly" do Prado Raymundo, (born 31 December 1981) is a retired Brazilian professional Association football, footballer who played as a Forward (association football)#Striker, striker.
Club career Early career and Italy
Do Prado star ...
,
Tomás Guzmán,
Corrado Colombo
Corrado Mario Colombo (born 3 August 1979) is an Italian association football, footballer. He currently plays for A.S.D. Tuttocuoio Calcio, Tuttocuoio as a Forward (association football)#Striker, striker.
Club career
Atalanta, Inter and loans
...
, Massimiliano Guidetti,
Nicola Santoni
Nicola Santoni (born 18 January 1979) is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
Career
Santoni started his professional career at native club Cesena of Emilia-Romagna region. He was on loan to Chieti (Serie C1) ...
, amongst others, Spezia managed to survive in Serie B through finishing in 19th place, gaining participation in the playout round after a late victory in
Turin
Turin ( , Piedmontese language, Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital ...
against
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 ...
. Having tied 2–2 with Juventus, the Ligurians were only seconds away from relegation, but a dramatic goal on the 91st minute by
Nicola Padoin condemned
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. ...
to the drop to Serie C and qualified Spezia for the playoffs. The first leg against
Hellas Verona
Hellas Verona Football Club, commonly referred to as Hellas Verona or simply Verona, is a professional Italian football club based in Verona, Italy, that currently plays in Serie A. The team won the Serie A Championship in 1984–85.
His ...
, who had ended the regular season in 18th position, ended in a 2–1 win for Spezia, and a 0–0 tie in the return match secured Spezia's place in Serie B for the following season.
However, in the next season, with the team led by players such as
Isah Eliakwu
Isah "Aly" Abdulahi Eliakwu (born 25 October 1985) is a former Nigerian association football, footballer who played as a centre forward.
Football career
Early career
After the abolition of the non-EU quota per team in 2000–01 season, Eliakw ...
, Colombo and Do Prado, the club failed to make the miracle happen in consecutive seasons, primarily due to a troubling situation in the financiers of the club and growing economic issues. Spezia finished the 2007/08 season in 21st place, only above
Cesena
Cesena (; rgn, Cisêna) is a city and ''comune'' in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, served by Autostrada A14, and located near the Apennine Mountains, about from the Adriatic Sea. The total population is 97,137.
History
Cesena was o ...
and three points behind
Avellino
Avellino () is a town and ''comune'', capital of the province of Avellino in the Campania region of southern Italy. It is situated in a plain surrounded by mountains east of Naples and is an important hub on the road from Salerno to Benevento. ...
in the final safety position, relegated after two seasons back in Serie B.
In 2008, due to financial difficulty and following their relegation 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 ...
, the club was forced to declare bankruptcy. In June 2011
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 ...
sanctioned a number of former board members of the bankrupted Spezia for sports fraud.
Refoundation and Serie A (2008–present)
The team was refounded in 2008 as A.S.D. Spezia Calcio 2008 by
Gabriele Volpi
Gabriele Volpi (born 29 June 1943) is an Italian-born Nigerian businessman, active in various sectors in Nigeria and Angola, the owner of the Italian football club Spezia Calcio and the former owner of Croatian football club HNK Rijeka.
Early l ...
, the owner of
water polo
Water polo is a competitive team sport played in water between two teams of seven players each. The game consists of four quarters in which the teams attempt to score goals by throwing the ball into the opposing team's goal. The team with the ...
team of
Pro Recco
A.S.D. Pro Recco (Official name: Associazione Sportiva Dilettantistica Pro Recco) is an Italian water polo club from Recco, in Liguria. It currently plays in Serie A1.
Pro Recco is the most successful club in men's water polo. In men's domestic ...
and Croatian side
HNK Rijeka
Hrvatski nogometni klub Rijeka ( en, Croatian Football Club Rijeka), commonly referred to as NK Rijeka or simply Rijeka, is a Croatian professional association football, football club from the city of Rijeka.
HNK Rijeka compete in Croatia's top ...
, winner of numerous scudetti and admitted to the non-professional
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 ...
, thanks to ''Article 52 NOIF of
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 ...
''.
Upon promotion in
Lega Pro Seconda Divisione
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 ...
at the end of the
Serie D 2008-09
Series may refer to:
People with the name
* Caroline Series (born 1951), English mathematician, daughter of George Series
* George Series (1920–1995), English physicist
Arts, entertainment, and media
Music
* Series, the ordered sets used in ...
season, A.S.D. Spezia changed its denomination in the current "Spezia Calcio", a return to the club name from 1995. Spezia finished Girone A of Lega Pro Seconda Divisione as second and qualified for promotion play-offs in 2009–10 season. Spezia defeated
Pavia
Pavia (, , , ; la, Ticinum; Medieval Latin: ) is a town and comune of south-western Lombardy in northern Italy, south of Milan on the lower Ticino river near its confluence with the Po. It has a population of c. 73,086. The city was the capit ...
at semifinal and
Legnano
Legnano (; or ''Lignàn'') is an Italian town and ''comune'' in the north-westernmost part of the Metropolitan City of Milan, Province of Milan, about from central Milan. With 60,259, it is the thirteenth-most populous township in Lombardy. Le ...
at final and were promoted to Girone A of
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 making a second consecutive promotion.
During the 2011–12 season, the club secured a
Lega Pro
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 ...
treble for the first time; finishing as champions of
Lega Pro Prima Divisione/B and being 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 ...
, winning the
Coppa Italia Lega Pro, and also winning the
Supercoppa di Lega di Prima Divisione
The Supercoppa di Serie C, formerly named Supercoppa di Lega Pro, is an Italian football competition played by the three group winners of Serie C, inaugurated in 2000.
Forerunners
The FIGC introduced a third-level national football championship f ...
. A 3–0 victory against
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 ...
on 6 May 2012 secured promotion, Spezia's third in four seasons as part of a rise from the fifth to the second level of the national football system.
After returning to Serie B, the club enjoyed relative success, generally finishing in mid-table or qualifying for the promotion playoffs from 2012 to 2019. In this time, Spezia qualified for the playoffs on five occasions, only to be eliminated in the first round four times and was defeated in the semifinals by
Trapani
Trapani ( , ; scn, Tràpani ; lat, Drepanum; grc, Δρέπανον) is a city and municipality (''comune'') on the west coast of Sicily, in Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Trapani. Founded by Elymians, the city is still an impor ...
in the
2015-16 season. This period established the club as a consistent contender for 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 ...
. A big international investment was made by Australian businessman Lucas Vivarelli during this time, when he bought the team's home kit, enabling the club to grow further with such significant funding.
In the 2019–20 season, Spezia finished in third place, only behind the automatically promoted
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
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 ...
, equaling their highest ever league finish. This was the sixth occasion in which Spezia had reached the Serie B promotion playoffs in the previous eight years. After beating
Chievo
Chievo (4,500 inhabitants) is a frazione of Verona located to the west of the city, around from the historic city centre, on the shores of the river Adige.
It is best known for its football team, A.C. ChievoVerona, which competes in the second ...
in the semi-final of the
promotion play-offs
Promotion may refer to:
Marketing
* Promotion (marketing), one of the four marketing mix elements, comprising any type of marketing communication used to inform or persuade target audiences of the relative merits of a product, service, brand or i ...
, Spezia won promotion to Serie A for the first time on 20 August 2020 by defeating
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 ...
in the final via the tiebreaker rule over two legs (with each team having won 1–0 in each leg respectively, but Spezia ending the regular league season five places higher than eighth placed Frosinone). This was Spezia's fourth promotion since Volpi's refoundation in 2008 (the club rising from the-then fifth-tier Serie D to Serie A in just 12 years).
After clinching promotion just over a month prior, Spezia played its first home game of the
2020–21 Serie A
The 2020–21 Serie A (known as the Serie A TIM for sponsorship reasons) was the 119th season of top-tier Italian football, the 89th in a round-robin tournament, and the 11th since its organization under an own league committee, the Lega Serie ...
season against
Sassuolo
Sassuolo (; egl, label=Modenese dialect, Modenese, Sasól ) is an Italian town, ''comune'', and industrial centre of the Province of Modena in Emilia-Romagna.
Standing on the right bank of the river Secchia some southwest of Modena, the town ...
on 27 September 2020, ending in a 4–1 home defeat, with
Andrey Galabinov
Andrey Asenov Galabinov ( bg, Андрей Асенов Гълъбинов; born 27 November 1988) is a Bulgarian professional Association football, footballer who plays as a Forward (association football)#Striker, striker for Reggina 1914, Reg ...
scoring their first-ever top-flight goal. Spezia won its first Serie A match on 30 September, against
Udinese
Udinese Calcio, commonly referred to as Udinese, is a professional Italian football club based in Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, that currently plays in Serie A. It was founded on 30 November 1896 as a sports club, and on 5 July 1911 as a fo ...
, ending in a 2–0 away win. Volpi, having owned the club for just under 13 years and supporting its rise through the Italian professional divisions, sold the club in February 2021 to an American ownership group headed by the family of Robert Platek, a partner of U.S. private investment firm
MSD Capital
MSD Capital is an American private investment firm that manages the capital of Michael Dell and his family. The firm, which is based in New York and has offices in Santa Monica and West Palm Beach, was formed in 1998.
In 2009, the principals of ...
. Despite having been widely expected to lose its relegation battle at the end of the first season in Serie A, Spezia impressively overcame much larger and wealthier clubs on several occasions throughout the season, including a home win against
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 ...
, a 2–1 away victory over
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 ...
, followed by further success in the Liguria derby against
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, ...
, whilst also earning draws against
Internazionale
Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale () or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan in English-speaking countries, is an Italian professional football club based in Milan, Lombardy. Inter is ...
,
Roma
Roma or ROMA may refer to:
Places Australia
* Roma, Queensland, a town
** Roma Airport
** Roma Courthouse
** Electoral district of Roma, defunct
** Town of Roma, defunct town, now part of the Maranoa Regional Council
*Roma Street, Brisbane, a ...
and
Atalanta
Atalanta (; grc-gre, Ἀταλάντη, Atalantē) meaning "equal in weight", is a heroine in Greek mythology.
There are two versions of the huntress Atalanta: one from Arcadia, whose parents were Iasus and Clymene and who is primarily known ...
. Boosted by the flexible attacking-based tactics of coach
Vincenzo Italiano
Vincenzo Italiano (born 10 December 1977) is an Italian football manager, who is currently in charge of Serie A club Fiorentina, and a former player.
Playing career
Born in Karlsruhe, Germany to Italian parents, Italiano never played professiona ...
, Spezia's on-field success was most notable in their improved second half of the season, which led to a 15th-place finish with 39 points (six more than Benevento in the final relegation position), with survival eventually being secured through a 4–1 win at home to
Torino
Turin ( , Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. T ...
on 15 May 2021. Another notable feat during the season was the call-up of star midfielder
Matteo Ricci
Matteo Ricci, SJ (; la, Mattheus Riccius; 6 October 1552 – 11 May 1610), was an Italians, Italian Society of Jesus, Jesuit Priesthood in the Catholic Church, priest and one of the founding figures of the Jesuit China missions. He create ...
to the
Italian national team
The Italy national football team ( it, Nazionale di calcio dell'Italia) has represented Italy in international football since its first match in 1910. The national team is controlled by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), the governing bo ...
in March 2021, 85 years after club legend
Luigi Scarabello
Luigi Scarabello (; 17 June 1916 – 2 July 2007) was an Italian footballer who played as a midfielder, and who competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics. He was a member of the Italian team, which won the gold medal in the 1936 Olympic football to ...
played for Italy (the last Italian international to have played for Spezia simultaneously). Alongside Ricci, key players who impressed for the Ligurians upon their survival in the top-flight include striker
M'Bala Nzola, scorer of 11 goals in 2020/21, loanee
Tommaso Pobega,
Emmanuel Gyasi
Emanuel Quartsin Gyasi (born 11 January 1994) is a professional footballer who serves as captain and plays as a forward for Serie A club Spezia. Born in Italy, he represents the Ghana national team.
Career
Gyasi made his Serie C debut for Pis ...
, as well as academy products
Giulio Maggiore
Giulio Maggiore (born 12 March 1998) is an Italian professional association football, footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for club U.S. Salernitana 1919, Salernitana.
Club career
Maggiore made his professional debut in the Serie B fo ...
and
Simone Bastoni.
Ahead of Spezia's second season in Serie A, the club lost coach Italiano, who was appointed by
Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as Fiorentina (), is an Italian professional football club based in Florence, Tuscany, Italy. The original team was founded by a merger in August 1926, while the actual club was refounded in August 2002 fo ...
. He would be replaced by
Thiago Motta
Thiago Motta (; ; born 28 August 1982) is a professional football manager and former player. He is currently the head coach of club Bologna.
A midfielder, Motta spent his early career at Barcelona, where he was injury-prone. He played two and ...
. The club was also hit by the news that it had been subjected to a two-year transfer ban by
FIFA
FIFA (; stands for ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' ( French), meaning International Association Football Federation ) is the international governing body of association football, beach football and futsal. It was found ...
, active from January 2022, due to a breach of national immigration law through illegally signing 13 underage players from
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
.
Players
Current squad
Out on loan
Directors and backroom staff
Current Coaching staff
Colours, stadium and supporters
![Stadio Alberto Picco La Spezia](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0e/Stadio_Alberto_Picco_La_Spezia.jpg)
Spezia's official club colours are white and black. The home kit traditionally consists of a plain white shirt with black trim, black shorts and black socks. White shorts and socks are also commonly used in the event of kit clashes with opponents. Away kits typically feature either an all-black design for shirts, shorts and socks, or the reverse of the home kit, but may also feature a variety of different colours, often changing each season. The club's nickname is ''Gli Aquilotti'' (The Eagles).
The club hosts its matches at the 10,336-capacity
Stadio Alberto Picco
Stadio Alberto Picco is the main football stadium in La Spezia, Italy. Since 1919 it is the home ground of Spezia Calcio. The stadium holds 11,466.
Gallery
, center>Entrance
File:Tribuna Picco.jpg,
File:Distinti Picco.jpg,
File:Curva Fer ...
, which has been the club's home stadium since 1919. For the
2020-21 season, Spezia was forced to play many of its home matches at the
Stadio Dino Manuzzi
The Stadio Dino Manuzzi, officially known as Orogel Stadium Dino Manuzzi for sponsorship reason, is a football stadium in Cesena, Italy. It is currently the home of Cesena FC. The stadium holds 23,860.
History
The stadium was initially constr ...
in
Cesena
Cesena (; rgn, Cisêna) is a city and ''comune'' in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, served by Autostrada A14, and located near the Apennine Mountains, about from the Adriatic Sea. The total population is 97,137.
History
Cesena was o ...
, which has a capacity of just under 24,000, because its home stadium did not meet Serie A requirements. However, Spezia was eventually able to return to the Alberto Picco in the latter stage of the season after undergoing renovations.
Spezia's fanbase is almost exclusively based in the city of
La 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 the surrounding areas, due to the domination of Liguria of its two largest clubs,
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 ...
and
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, ...
, who are heavily supported throughout the region. With Liguria having become known as a breeding ground for multiple teams since the early days of football in Italy, many derbies have emerged between the football clubs of the region. Spezia maintains minor rivalries with Liguria's more traditional powerhouses, Genoa and Sampdoria, with fierce historical meetings with the former in their battle for promotion in the
2005–06 Serie C season as well as on numerous occasions in Serie B, along with the more recent matches between Spezia and both of these two clubs in Serie A from Spezia's first season in 2020/21. Similarly, the club has played many notable fixtures against
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 ...
, which has become known as the ''Tuscan-Ligurian Derby'', as well as a rivalry with
Carrarese
Carrarese Calcio 1908, commonly referred to as Carrarese, is an Italian football club based in Carrara, Tuscany. It currently plays in Serie C, having last been in Serie B in 1948.
History
The club was founded in 1908.
In the season 2010–1 ...
in the ''Derby Lunense''. Other rivalries that Spezia has contested throughout its history, particularly in its time in the lower leagues of Italian football, include those with other Ligurian sides such as
Virtus Entella
Virtus Entella, commonly referred to as Entella, is an Italian professional football club based in Chiavari, Liguria. Founded in 1914, the club currently competes in the .
History 1914: Foundation
The club was founded in 1914 as Foot-Ball Club ...
,
Savona
Savona (; lij, Sann-a ) is a seaport and ''comune'' in the west part of the northern Italy, Italian region of Liguria, capital of the Province of Savona, in the Riviera di Ponente on the Mediterranean Sea.
Savona used to be one of the chie ...
,
Sestrese and
Sanremese.
Recent seasons
The recent season-by-season performance of the club:
;Key
World Cup players
The following players have been selected by their country in the
World Cup
A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the concept i ...
Finals, while playing for Spezia.
*
Ethan Ampadu
Ethan Kwame Colm Raymond Ampadu (born 14 September 2000) is a professional footballer who plays as a centre back or defensive midfielder for Serie A club Spezia, on loan from Chelsea, and the Wales national team.
Ampadu previously played for E ...
(
2022
File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...
)
*
Bartłomiej Drągowski
Bartłomiej Drągowski (; born 19 August 1997) is a Polish professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Serie B club Spezia and the Poland national team. He began his career with Polish side Jagiellonia Białystok where he made over 60 ...
(
2022
File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...
)
*
Jakub Kiwior (
2022
File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...
)
Honours
League
*
Divisione Nazionale
Divisione Nazionale ''(National Division)'' was the name of the first level of the Italian Football Championship from 1926 to 1929.
History
The competition was the evolution of former Prima Divisione ''(First Division)'' which had two main proble ...
** Winners (1): 1944
(honorary)
*
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 ...
(Level 3)
** Winners (3): 1935–36
(Group B), 2005–06
(Group A), 2011–12
(Group B)
** ''Runners-up:'' 2001–02
(Group A)
*
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 ...
(Level 4)
** Winners (1): 1999–2000
(Group A)
** ''Runners-up:'' 1979–80
(Group A), 1985–86
(Group A), 2009–10
(Group A)
*
IV Serie
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 ...
(Level 4)
** Winners (1): 1957–58
** ''Runners-up (1):'' 1955–56
(Group E)
*
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 ...
(Level 4)
** Winners (1): 1965–66
(Group A)
** ''Runners-up (1):'' 2008–09
(Group A)
*
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 ...
(Level 2)
** ''Play-off winners (1):''
2019–20
Cup
*
Prima Divisione
Prima Divisione (''First Division'') was the name of the first level of the Italian Football Championship from 1921 to 1926. The competition was initially founded in opposition to the FIGC by the richest clubs of Northern Italy, which disagreed the ...
(forerunner of present-day
Supercoppa di Serie C
The Supercoppa di Serie C, formerly named Supercoppa di Lega Pro, is an Italian football competition played by the three group winners of Serie C, inaugurated in 2000.
Forerunners
The FIGC introduced a third-level national football championship f ...
)
** Winners (1): 1928–29
*
Supercoppa di Serie C
The Supercoppa di Serie C, formerly named Supercoppa di Lega Pro, is an Italian football competition played by the three group winners of Serie C, inaugurated in 2000.
Forerunners
The FIGC introduced a third-level national football championship f ...
** Winners (2): 2006, 2012
*
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 c ...
** Winners (2): 2004–05, 2011–12
*
Scudetto Serie D
** Winners (1): 1957–58
*
Coppa Ottorino Mattei
** Winners (1): 1957–58
Notes
References
External links
*
{{Original Italian Serie B clubs
Football clubs in Liguria
Association football clubs established in 1906
Italian football First Division clubs
Serie A clubs
Serie B clubs
Serie C clubs
Serie D clubs
1906 establishments in Italy
2008 establishments in Italy
Coppa Italia Serie C winning clubs
Phoenix clubs (association football)