Venezia Football Club, commonly referred to as Venezia, is a professional
football club based in
Venice
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 isla ...
, Italy, that currently plays in
Serie B
The Serie B (), currently named Serie 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 season. It had been ...
.
Originally founded as Venezia Foot Ball Club in 1907, the club have spent a large part of their history in Italy's top two divisions.
Venezia's biggest achievement to date was winning the
Coppa Italia
The ("Italy Cup") is an annual knockout cup competition in Italian football organized by the FIGC until the 2009–10 season and the Lega Serie A ever since.
History
The beginning of the tournament was turbulent, due to the complexity of ...
in the
1940–41 season. They followed this cup success up with their highest
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 Cop ...
finish of third place in the
following season.
Stadium
Venezia's
Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo first opened in 1913 and takes its name from
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
pilot Pier Luigi Penzo. Stadio Penzo is the second-oldest stadium in Italy, after
Genoa
Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian census, the Province of ...
's
Stadio Luigi Ferraris.
The stadium, located on the island of
Sant'Elena, adjacent to the grounds of the
Venice Biennale
The Venice Biennale (; it, La Biennale di Venezia) is an international cultural exhibition hosted annually in Venice, Italy by the Biennale Foundation. The biennale has been organised every year since 1895, which makes it the oldest of ...
, is notable for being primarily accessible by boat.
The record attendance of 26,000 was for a
1966 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 Cop ...
match against
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan (), commonly referred to as AC Milan or simply Milan, is a professional Association football, football club in Milan, Italy, founded in 1899. The club has spent its entire history, with the exception of the 1980–81 ...
.
Originally constructed from wood, the stadium was largely upgraded with a concrete main stand in the 1920s and further improvements were made in the decades that followed.
On September 11, 1970 a tornado hit Venice and caused extensive damage to the stadium. The stadium was only partially reinstated, with the capacity reduced to just over 5,000.
When the club rose back up to Serie A in 1998, additional makeshift stands were added, bringing capacity back up to 13,400, but it has since been reduced again to the current capacity of 7,450.
History
Foundation and early years
Venezia Foot Ball Club was founded on 14 December 1907 in Venice by about 20 enthusiasts through the merger of the football sections of two Venetian sports clubs: the ''Martial Gymnastics Society'' and ''Costantino Reyer''. The place chosen by the founders to give life to the new football club was the restaurant "Da Nane in Corte dell'Orso" near Campo San Bortolomio. Among the founders were Davide Fano, the first president; Walter Aemisseger, from Swiss club
FC Winterthur
FC Winterthur is a Swiss football club based in Winterthur, Canton of Zürich. They play in the Swiss Super League, the first tier of Swiss football, and appeared regularly in the Nationalliga A during the 20th century. Their home is the Stadi ...
, the first coach and captain; Guido Battisti; Antonio Borella; Gerardo Bortoletti; ; Aldo Federici, known as "Baciccia"; Pietro Golzio, known as "Pioppa"; Silvio Lorenzetti, Pietro Piccoli; Primo Pitteri; Alessandro Santi; Marcello Santi; Luigi Vianello; Pietro Visintin; and Mario Vivante.
In its early years, the club's matches were played in the pine forest of
Sant'Elena. Venezia's first matches were played against the
Veneto
it, Veneto (man) it, Veneta (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 =
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographics1_title1 =
, demographics1_info1 = ...
teams of
Padova
Padua ( ; it, Padova ; vec, Pàdova) is a city and ''comune'' in Veneto, northern Italy. Padua is on the river Bacchiglione, west of Venice. It is the capital of the province of Padua. It is also the economic and communications hub of the ...
,
Verona
Verona ( , ; vec, Verona or ) is a city on the Adige River in Veneto, Italy, with 258,031 inhabitants. It is one of the seven provincial capitals of the region. It is the largest city municipality in the region and the second largest in nor ...
, and
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 thr ...
, as well as against the crews of the ships arriving at the port of Venice. Venezia's first match was played on December 22, 1907 against Vicenza, ending 1–1.
Venezia participated in Italy's top division for the first time in the
1909 Italian Football Championship. As the only Veneto club, Venezia were directly admitted to the semifinals against the winners of the
Lombardia
(man), (woman) lmo, lumbard, links=no (man), (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 =
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographics1_title1 =
, ...
group,
US Milanese, and lost the first leg 7–1 and the return leg 11–2.
Venezia participated in the Prima Categoria, Italy's top division, from the
1910–11 season through the
1914–15 season, which would be the last season played before Italy entered
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
.
In the
1911–12 season, Venezia won the Veneto-Emilian group and reached the national final against
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 ...
, losing 7–0 in the first leg and 6–0 in the second leg.
[Un Secolo di Calcio Venezia, Il Venezia dalla nascita al girone unico, Michele Gottardi, p. 18.]
On 7 September 1913, ''Campo Sportivo Comunale di Sant’Elena'', the Venetian stadium on the island of Sant'Elena, later to be named
Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo, was opened, complete with a covered grandstand for more than 500 spectators. Venezia lost the inaugural match to
Genoa
Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian census, the Province of ...
, 0–7.
In the
1914–15 season, Venezia qualified for the semifinals, and finished fourth in Group A, before the season was suspended due to the war.
1919 to 1939
AC Venezia
In April 1919, at Palazzo Gritti-Faccanon, in the then headquarters of
Il Gazzettino
''Il Gazzettino'' is an Italian daily local newspaper, based in Mestre, Italy. It is the main newspaper in the Northeast Italy and is one of the oldest newspapers in Italy.
Profile
''Il Gazzettino'' has the following eight local editions:
#Veni ...
, the members of Venezia F.B.C. and the Aurora F.B.C., a minor lagoon club, decided to join forces and rename the club as ''Associazione Calcio Venezia''. On the occasion, the government contributed to the relaunch of the lagoon club with an extraordinary contribution of 40,000 lire, as compensation for having used the sports field as a military base.
In the
1921–22 season, Venezia were relegated to the
Seconda Divisione. Venezia returned to the
Prima Divisione in the
1926–27 season, however, following the creation of the
Divisione Nazionale as the new top flight, the Prima Divisione had become the second level of Italian football.
In the
1927–28 Prima Divisione season, Venezia finished second in Group A behind
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 (region), Arcadia, whose parents were Iasus and Clymene (mythology ...
, and were automatically admitted to the Divisione Nazionale by resolution of the
Italian Football Federation, which expanded the league to 32 clubs, with two groups of 16 clubs each.
In the
1927–28 Divisione Nazionale season, Venezia finished 11th in Group B and were relegated to
Serie B
The Serie B (), currently named Serie 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 season. It had been ...
, which began operating in the
1929–30 season. Venezia finished 7th in Serie B that season.
SS Serenissima
In the summer of 1930, Venezia was renamed ''Società Sportiva Serenissima'', and the club colors were also changed with the adoption of the red of the
Flag of the Republic of Venice, while the
Lion of Saint Mark
The Lion of Saint Mark, representing Mark the Evangelist, pictured in the form of a winged lion, is an aspect of the Tetramorph. On the pinnacle of St Mark's Cathedral he is depicted as holding a Bible, and surmounting a golden lion which is ...
was placed on the chest.
In May 1931, on the occasion of the International Women's Gymnastic Competition, the Venetian stadium of Sant'Elena was named after World War I pilot Pier Luigi Penzo.
[Un Secolo di Calcio Venezia, Il Venezia dalla nascita al girone unico, Michele Gottardi, p. 28.]
After five consecutive seasons in Serie B since 1929–30, S.S. Serenissima finished last in Group B in the
1933–34 Serie B season and were set for relegation, but they would keep their place in the league as a result of an expansion from 26 to 32 teams for the following season.
AC Venezia and promotion to Serie A
On 1 August 1934, the club returned to its former name ''Associazione Calcio Venezia'' (albeit with the addition, inevitable at the time, of the adjective ''Fascista'') and its traditional ''neroverde'' (black and green) colors.
In the
1934–35 Serie B season, Venezia finished tied for 11th and were relegated to the nascent
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 ...
. But Venezia's stay in Serie C would be short, as they finished top of the table in the
1935–36 season and earned direct promotion back to Serie B. Venezia also reached the Round of 32 of the
1935–36 Coppa Italia
The 1935–36 Coppa Italia was the restarting edition of the tournament and the first led to its conclusion since 1922.
98 teams, all the members of the Higher Directory, took part to this competition, which included a first phase, with eliminat ...
, defeating Padova,
Fiumana (now Rijeka), and
Pistoiese
Unione Sportiva Pistoiese 1921 is an Italian association football club, based in Pistoia, Tuscany. Currently, Pistoiese plays in Serie D. Originally founded on 21 April 1921 and later restored after bankruptcy, the team plays their home games ...
, before being eliminated by S.S. Lazio, 2–0. The strong point of that team was the ''mediana di ferro'' (iron median) of Armando Varini, Aldo Biffi, and Attilo Kossovel.
The following season, Venezia reached the Round of 16 of the
1936–37 Coppa Italia, losing to
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan (), commonly referred to as AC Milan or simply Milan, is a professional Association football, football club in Milan, Italy, founded in 1899. The club has spent its entire history, with the exception of the 1980–81 ...
, 2–0, and survived a relegation tie-breaker with Pro Vercelli,
Messina, and
Catania in the
1936-37 Serie B season to keep their place in the league.
In 1937, with the emergence of Arnaldo Bennati as club president, Venezia began a period of ascent. In the
1937–38 Serie B season, Venezia finished 8th in the table, and Bennati would bring in some important players including Víctor Tortora and Giovanni Alberti.
In the
1938–39 Serie B
The Serie B 1938–39 was the tenth tournament of this competition played in Italy since its creation.
Teams
Casale, Fanfulla, SPAL, Siena and Salernitana had been promoted from Serie C, while Novara and Alessandria had been relegated from Ser ...
season, Venezia finished second and earned 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 Cop ...
, which was achieved in dramatic fashion by defeating
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 (region), Arcadia, whose parents were Iasus and Clymene (mythology ...
in Bergamo, 0–1, on the last day of the season and overtaking them for second place despite being tied on points due to a better goal ratio. The winning goal, coming in front of 5,000 Venezia fans, was scored by
Francesco Pernigo, who is still Venezia's all-time leading scorer (45) in Serie A. Venezia's manager was Giuseppe Girani.
Venezia's rise to Serie A prompted a new renovation of
Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo, with capacity increased from 10,000 to 22,000 after expansion of the existing stands.
[Un Secolo di Calcio Venezia, Storia del Penzo, Renato Vidal, p. 29.]
1939 to 1968
Golden era
Upon returning to Serie A after a 12-year absence, the Venezia squad was strengthened, with the arrival of players including
Luigi Busidoni, Silvio Di Gennaro, Sergio Stefanini, and, most importantly,
Valentino Mazzola
Valentino Mazzola (; 26 January 1919 – 4 May 1949) was an Italian footballer who played as an attacking midfielder or forward.
Considered one of the great number 10s in the history of football and, according to some, the best Italian footba ...
. Mazzola was in Venice for military service, and after having showcased himself playing with military representatives in Campo dei Bacini, Venezia took him on trial and then bought him from Serie C club Alfa Romeo Milano. In the
1939–40 Serie A
The 1939–40 Serie A season was won by Ambrosiana-Inter.
Teams
Fiorentina and Venezia had been promoted from Serie B.
Final classification
Results
Top goalscorers
References and sources
*''Almanacco Illustrato del Calcio - La Stor ...
season, Venezia finished 10th in the table — highlighted by a win over eventual champions
Ambrosiana Inter in Venice — and took a step towards the two most successful seasons in the club's history.
In 1940, Venezia hired Giovanni Battista Rebuffo as manager and further strengthened the squad with the arrival of
Ezio Loik from A.C. Milan, who would form a famous partnership with Valentino Mazzola in Venice. Although they would finish a modest 12th in the
1940–41 Serie A season, Venezia would go on to win the
1940–41 Coppa Italia
The 1940–41 Coppa Italia was the 8th Coppa Italia, the major Italian domestic cup. The competition was won by Venezia
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto region. ...
— the club's first major trophy. Venezia defeated
MU Borzacchini in the Round of 32,
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 ...
in the Round of 16,
Bologna
Bologna (, , ; egl, label=Emilian language, 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 1 ...
in the quarterfinals, and S.S. Lazio in the semifinals, meeting
A.S. Roma
' (''Rome Sport Association''), commonly referred to as Roma (), is a professional football club based in Rome, Italy. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma has participated in the top tier of Italian football for all of its existence, except for ...
in the final. After a 3–3 draw in Rome, Venezia won the return leg at Stadio Penzo, 1–0, on a goal from Loik.
The following year, Venezia would make a run for the Scudetto. In the
1941–42 Serie A
The 1941–42 Serie A season was won by Roma.
Teams
Liguria and Modena had been promoted from Serie B.
Final classification
Results
Top goalscorers
References and sources
*''Almanacco Illustrato del Calcio - La Storia 1898-2004'', Pan ...
season, the Loik-Mazzola duo was outstanding, while
Francesco Pernigo would score 12 league goals. A few rounds from the end of the season, Venezia faced Roma in a critical match at Stadio Penzo, but Venezia would lose after missing a penalty, and Roma would go on to win the championship on 42 points, with
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 ...
second on 39 points and Venezia third on 38 points. The third-place finish remains Venezia's best-ever result in Serie A. In the
1941–42 Coppa Italia, Venezia defeated Torino in the Round of 32,
Pisa in the Round of 16, and Bologna in the quarterfinals, but would lose to A.C. Milan in the semifinals, 2–1.
In the summer of 1942, Venezia sold Loik and Mazzola to Torino, for the then exorbitant figure of 1,200,000
lira. Venezia would struggle in the
1942–43 Serie A season, finishing 14th in the table and needing to defeat
Bari in a relegation tie-breaker to remain in Serie A. But in the
1942–43 Coppa Italia
The 1942–43 Coppa Italia was the 10th edition of the tournament and the last before the suspension of football competitions in Italy due to World War II related events. The Coppa Italia would have restored only several years later, in the summe ...
, Venezia would reach their second final in three years. In the final, Venezia would lose to Torino, 4–0, with Mazzola scoring against his former club.
After the 1942–43 season, football competitions in Italy were suspended due to
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 opposing ...
.
Postwar period
After
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 opposing ...
, Venezia reestablished its name as ''Associazione Calcio Venezia''.
In Italy, national football resumed with the
1945–46 Italian Football Championship
The 1945–46 Italian Football Championship, officially known as 1945–46 Divisione Nazionale, was the first tournament held after World War II. Wartime disruptions and US occupation of Northern Italy forced to divide the Serie A championship i ...
, and Venezia struggled, finishing 13th in the table. Serie A was restored in the
1946–47 season, and despite the 13 goals by Valeriano Ottino (the most goals in a Serie A season by a Venezia player) Venezia were relegated to
Serie B
The Serie B (), currently named Serie 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 season. It had been ...
. At the same time, Arnaldo Bennati would leave the presidency. Following the highest point in the club's history, a period of uncertainty began.
After finishing in fourth in Serie B in the
1947–48 season, sporting director Giuseppe Girani and manager Mario Villini led Venezia to promotion back to Serie A in the
1948–49 season, finishing second, just one point ahead of Vicenza.
But Venezia faced serious financial uncertainty, to the point that in the
1949–50 Serie A
The 1949–50 Serie A season was won by Juventus.
Teams
Como and Venezia had been promoted from Serie B.
Final classification
Results
Top goalscorers
References and sources
*''Almanacco Illustrato del Calcio - La Storia 1898-2004'', Pan ...
season the club was chaired by a local council. Venezia were forced to sell goalscorer
Adriano Zecca to Roma, and did not have the quality to compete in the top flight, finishing last with only 16 points. In the summer of 1950,
Mario Renosto was sold to A.C. Milan, and he immediately won the Scudetto with the ''rossoneri'' the following season.
Upon falling back to Serie B, Venezia would finish a modest sixth in the table in the
1950–51 season despite 20 goals from
Pietro Broccini, who would leave for Inter Milan in the summer.
In the
1951–52 season, Venezia would be relegated to Serie C, and they would spend four seasons in the third tier, before earning promotion back to Serie B in the
1956–57 season under manager
Carlo Alberto Quario.
Despite still playing in Serie B, Venezia would make an impressive run in the
1958–59 Coppa Italia
The 1958–59 Coppa Italia was the 12th Coppa Italia, the major Italian domestic cup. The competition was won by Juventus
Juventus Football Club (from la, iuventūs, 'youth'; ), colloquially known as Juve (), is a professional football club bas ...
, eliminating Roma and Torino on their way to the semifinals, where they would lose to Inter, and then lose a third place match with Genoa. At the end of the season, manager Carlo Alberto Quario would leave the bench, and Venezia would narrowly avoid another relegation to Serie C in the
1959-60 season, surviving a relegation tie-breaker with
Monza and
Taranto
Taranto (, also ; ; nap, label= Tarantino, Tarde; Latin: Tarentum; Old Italian: ''Tarento''; Ancient Greek: Τάρᾱς) is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Taranto, serving as an important com ...
.
In the
1960–61 Serie B
The Serie B 1960–61 was the twenty-ninth tournament of this competition played in Italy since its creation.
Teams
Pro Patria, Prato and Foggia had been promoted from Serie C, while Palermo, Alessandria and Genoa had been relegated from Serie ...
season, entrepreneur Anacleto Ligabue took over as extraordinary commissioner of the club, and he immediately recalled Carlo Alberto Quario to the bench. It would be a winning move, as Venezia finished top of the table, and returned to Serie A after an 11-year absence. The promotion-winning team featured the young Venetian
Gianni Rossi plus new arrivals
Virginio De Paoli,
Sergio Frascoli, Gianni Grossi, and striker
Luigi Raffin, who scored 17 goals during the year. The triumph was celebrated with a procession of gondolas escorting the ''bissona Serenissima'', the traditional Venetian ship, carrying the players from Stadio Penzo to
Piazza San Marco
Piazza San Marco (; vec, Piasa San Marco), often known in English as St Mark's Square, is the principal public square of Venice, Italy, where it is generally known just as ''la Piazza'' ("the Square"). All other urban spaces in the city (exc ...
.
On Venezia's return to Serie A in the
1961–62 season,
Count Giovanni Volpi di Misurata became club president, with Ligabue and Enrico Linetti as his deputies. Although the team got off to a slow start, Venezia would ultimately put together a respectable campaign, earning wins over
Juventus and A.C. Milan, and finishing 12th in the table. The team featured midfielder
Juan Santisteban
Juan Santisteban Troyano (born 8 December 1936) is a Spanish retired Association football, football midfielder and Coach (sport), manager.
Honours Player
;Real Madrid
*Intercontinental Cup (football), Intercontinental Cup: 1960 Intercontinental ...
who had arrived from
Real Madrid, while Raffin would score 11 goals during the season.
But in the
1962–63 Serie A season, Venezia finished 17th in the table and were again relegated to Serie B. At the end of the season, there would be several departures, including Carlo Alberto Quario and Gino Raffin, who had scored 39 goals in total in the previous three seasons.
After three seasons in Serie B, Venezia earned promotion to Serie A once again, finishing first in the
1965–66 Serie B season. But in the
1966–67 Serie A
The 1966–67 Serie A season was won by Juventus, it was their second scudetto of the 1960s. The season was closely contested and went down to the final day of the season; Internazionale were left needing just a draw or having Juventus not beat ...
season, Venezia were directly relegated back to Serie B, and they would not see the top flight again for more than 30 years. In the following
1967–68 Serie B season, Venezia would be relegated to Serie C.
1968 to 1986
Following the relegation from Serie B in 1968, Venezia would languish 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 ...
,
Serie C1,
Serie C2, and
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 ...
through the 1980s.
1987 to 2005
Maurizio Zamparini arrival and merger with Mestre
Ahead of the 1986–87 season, Venezia was acquired by businessman
Maurizio Zamparini, who would lead the club for the next 16 seasons.
After his first season in charge, Zamparini would merge Venezia with mainland club
A.C. Mestre
Associazione Calcio Mestre is an Italian association football club located in Mestre, Venice, Veneto. It currently plays in Serie D, the fourth tier of the Italian league system. Its colors are orange and black.
History
The club was founded in ...
, who were also playing in Serie C2. The merger was executed on 26 June 1987. Zamparini temporarily changed the name of the club to ''Calcio VeneziaMestre'', though the club would be renamed ''Associazione Calcio Venezia'' in November 1989. With the merger, the club's colors changed from ''neroverde'' (green-black) to ''arancioneroverde'' (orange-black-green). Further, the team's home matches were moved from Stadio Penzo in Venice to Stadio Francesco Baracca in
Mestre
Mestre () is a borough of the ''comune'' (municipality) of Venice, on the mainland opposite the historical island city in the region of Veneto, Italy.
Administratively, Mestre forms (together with the nearby Carpenedo) the ''Municipalità di ...
.
In the 1987–88 season, Venezia achieved promotion from
Serie C2 to
Serie C1, returning to the third tier for the first time since the 1976–77 season.
Over the next two seasons, the team — featuring players including Andrea Poggi, Giancarlo Filippini, and a young
Paolo Poggi — steadily improved, and built towards a return to Serie B.
Return to Serie B
In the 1990–91 season, Venezia, under manager
Alberto Zaccheroni
Alberto Zaccheroni (; born 1 April 1953) is an Italian football manager, formerly in charge of the United Arab Emirates and Japan national football teams.
He has managed a number of top clubs in Serie A, the high point of his career being his s ...
, earned promotion back to Serie B after a 23-year absence. In a playoff for second place, Venezia defeated Como, 2–1, with 7,000 fans from Venice and Mestre attending the match in Cesena.
Due to the insufficient capacity at Stadio Baracca in Mestre for Serie B, Venezia would move back to Stadio Penzo in Venice, renovating and expanding the stadium, with the elimination of the
athletics
Athletics may refer to:
Sports
* Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking
** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport
* Athletics (physical culture), competi ...
track.
Venezia would spend the next seven seasons in Serie B, before finally achieving promotion.
Return to Serie A
In the
1997–98 Serie B
The Serie B 1997–98 was the sixty-sixth tournament of this competition played in Italy since its creation.
Teams
Treviso, Monza, Fidelis Andria and Ancona had been promoted from Serie C, while Cagliari, Perugia, Hellas Verona and Reggiana ...
season, Venezia, under manager
Walter Novellino, finished second in the table and earned promotion back to Serie A after a 31-year absence.
Ahead of the
1998–99 Serie A
The 1998–99 Serie A saw Milan win their 16th Scudetto, led by coach Alberto Zaccheroni. Lazio finished second, losing the title on the last day. Internazionale, with an often injured or rested Ronaldo, had a disastrous season, finishing in 8th ...
season, sporting director
Beppe Marotta would strengthen the team, including the double signing of striker
Filippo Maniero and goalkeeper
Massimo Taibi
Massimo Taibi (; born 18 February 1970) is an Italian former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper for several clubs, mostly in Italy's Serie A, B, and C1. He had a brief spell at English club Manchester United.
Career
Italy
Ta ...
from A.C. Milan. Through the first half of the season, though, Venezia were bottom of the table, and Maniero hadn't scored a goal. But a turning point came in January with the arrival of young playmaker
Álvaro Recoba
Álvaro Alexánder Recoba Rivero (; born 17 March 1976; nickname "El Chino" on loan from Inter Milan. Maniero and Recoba would form a prolific partnership in attack, scoring 23 goals between them in the second half of the season — Maniero with 12, Recoba with 11 — and gradually pulling Venezia out of the relegation zone. In the penultimate week of the season, Venezia needed a win against Recoba's parent club Inter to preserve their Serie A status, and Recoba contributed a goal and an assist in a 3–1 win, as Venezia completed the comeback and finished in 11th place, four points above the relegation zone.
Going into the
1999–2000 Serie A
The 1999–2000 Serie A (known as the Serie A TIM for sponsorship reasons) was the 98th season of top-tier Italian football, the 68th in a round-robin tournament. It was contested by 18 teams.
By late March, Juventus topped the table by nine ...
season, Venezia replaced Novellino with
Luciano Spalletti. But without Recoba, Venezia would struggle. During the campaign, they would go through three coaches — Spalletti was sacked in the fall, then recalled after
Giuseppe Materazzi lasted just 27 days, until
Francesco Oddo was hired in February. Venezia would make a run in the
1999–2000 Coppa Italia
The 1999–2000 Coppa Italia was the 53rd edition of the tournament, which began on 15 August 1999 and ended on 18 May 2000. In the final, Lazio beat Internazionale
Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale ...
, eliminating Udinese and Fiorentina among others on their way to the semifinals, where they were finally beaten by Lazio, but that form wouldn't carry over to league play. Venezia ultimately finished 16th and were relegated to Serie B.
For the
2000–01 Serie B
The Serie B 2000–01 was the sixty-ninth tournament of this competition played in Italy since its creation.
Teams
Siena, Crotone, Cittadella and Ancona had been promoted from Serie C, while Torino, Venezia FC, Cagliari and Piacenza had been ...
season, Venezia hired manager
Cesare Prandelli, and he would lead Venezia right back to Serie A. But it wouldn't last, as Prandelli was let go early into the
2001–02 Serie A
The 2001–02 Serie A (known as the Serie A TIM for sponsorship reasons) was the 100th season of top-tier Italian football, the 70th in a round-robin tournament. It was composed by 18 teams, for the 14th consecutive time from season 1988–89.
...
season, and Venezia would go on to finish last and suffer its second relegation in three years.
Zamparini exit, relegation, and bankruptcy
On 21 July 2002, Zamparini left Venezia and took over Palermo. The following day, in a move called the ''furto di Pergine'' — the "theft of Pergine" — Zamparini has 12 players plus manager Ezio Glerean withdrawn by bus from Venezia's preseason camp in
Pergine Valsugana
Pergine Valsugana (''Pèrzen'' in local dialect, german: Fersen im Suganertal) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in Trentino in the northern Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about east of Trento.
Pergine Valsugana borders th ...
and taken to Palermo's preseason camp in
Longarone
Longarone is a town and ''comune'' on the banks of the Piave in the province of Belluno, in northeast Italy. It is situated from Belluno.
4,642 people work all together in Longarone, which is 112.62% of the total population, with most actual in ...
. In the mass transfer, Palermo took goalkeeper
Generoso Rossi
Generoso Rossi (born 3 January 1979) is an Italian former professional association football, footballer who played as a goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper.
Club career
Rossi started his career at A.S. Bari. he was on loan to Serie C ...
, defenders
Fabio Bilica,
Kewullay Conteh and
Francesco Modesto, midfielders
Valentino Lai
Valentino Lai (born 3 February 1984) is a former footballer who played as a midfielder. Born in Italy, Lai represented Sweden internationally.
Club career
Born in Cagliari, Italy, Lai started his career playing for Swedish club FBK Balkan at yo ...
,
Antonio Marasco,
Stefano Morrone,
Frank Olivier Ongfiang,
Mario Santana and
Evans Soligo (later returned to Venice), and strikers
Arturo Di Napoli and
Filippo Maniero. A few days later, striker
Igor Budan and the sporting director Rino Foschi also moved from Venezia to Palermo.
Venezia finished 15th in the
2002–03 Serie B
The 2002–03 Serie B was the 71st season since its establishment in 1929. It is the second highest football league in Italy.
Teams
Livorno, Ascoli, Triestina and Catania had been promoted from Serie C, while Hellas Verona, Lecce, and Vene ...
season, then 20th in the
2003–04 Serie B
The 2003–04 Serie B is the 72nd season since its establishment in 1929. It is the second highest football league in Italy.
This 46 matchdays championship was the longest tournament in all the history of the Italian football.
Teams
Treviso, ...
season, surviving a relegation playoff by defeating Bari, 2–1 on aggregate. But the club's financial situation could not be saved.
At the end of the
2004–05 Serie B
The 2004–05 Serie B is the 73rd season since its establishment in 1929. It is the second highest football league in Italy.
Teams
Arezzo, Catanzaro, Cesena and Crotone had been promoted from Serie C, while Perugia, Modena, and Empoli had ...
season, Venezia was relegated and declared bankrupt.
2005 to 2015
Società Sportiva Calcio Venezia
In the summer of 2005, the club was re-founded as ''Società Sportiva Calcio Venezia'' and was admitted to
Serie C2 by
Lodo Petrucci
("Article 52 of the Italian Football Federation regulations for internal organisation") governs the status of phoenix clubs of football in Italy. The article was revised in 2004, 2008, 2010, and 2014. Many Commas, or paragraphs, are present thr ...
. In the
2005–06 Serie C2 season, Venezia earned promotion to Serie C1, and would spend the next three seasons in the third tier, but the club would be declared bankrupt once again by the end of the
2008–09 season.
Foot Ball Club Unione Venezia
In the summer of 2009, with Venice in danger of being a city without a football club, mayor
Massimo Cacciari personally supervised the foundation of a new club. On July 27, 2009, the club was re-founded as ''Foot Ball Club Unione Venezia'', recognized as the legitimate successor of SSC Venezia, and was admitted to Serie D. Venezia won Serie D in the
2011–12 season and earned promotion from Lega Pro Seconda Divisione to Lega Pro Prima Divisione in the
2012–13 season, but would last just two seasons in the third tier before going bankrupt for the third time in 10 years.
2015 to Present
Venezia FC
In September 2015, a group of American investors led by attorney
Joe Tacopina
Joseph Tacopina (born 14 April, 1966) is an American lawyer. He was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York to Italian immigrants.
Early life and education
Raised in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, Tacopina attended Poly Prep and Skidmore College, be ...
moved to acquire the club out of bankruptcy, and re-founded the club as ''Venezia FC''. In the
2015–16 season, Venezia earned promotion from
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 ...
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 ...
.
Filippo Inzaghi tenure
In June 2016, Venezia hired
Filippo Inzaghi as manager. The former
Italian national team star's previous managerial experience was with A.C. Milan in
2014–15.
In Inzaghi's first season, the
2016–17 Lega Pro season, Venezia earned promotion to
Serie B
The Serie B (), currently named Serie 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 season. It had been ...
and won the
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 ...
. The Serie C title was secured on 19 April 2017, after beating Parma to top spot.
In the
2017–18 Serie B season, Venezia's first at that level for 12 years, the club was a surprise 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 Cop ...
, managing to finish fifth in the table. This was their highest Serie B finish since ending the
2000–01 season in fourth place, when they were last promoted to the top-flight. In the first round of the Serie B promotion playoffs, Venezia defeated
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 pa ...
3–0 at the
Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo to advance to the semi-finals. However, the club then lost to
Palermo due to a 1–0 defeat in the away leg, and was knocked out by a 2–1 aggregate scoreline.
In June 2018, Inzaghi decided to leave Venezia, and he would later join
Bologna
Bologna (, , ; egl, label=Emilian language, 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 1 ...
.
Joe Tacopina exit
After Inzaghi's departure, Venezia went through three coaches in the
2018–19 Serie B
The 2018–19 Serie B (known as Serie BKT for sponsorship reasons) was the 87th season of Serie B in Italy since its establishment in 1929.
A total of 19 teams contested in the 2018–19 season, instead of the usual 22 teams, due to the exclusi ...
season —
Stefano Vecchi
Stefano Vecchi (born 20 July 1971) is an Italian retired professional footballer turned coach, who is currently in charge of Feralpisalò.
Playing career
An Inter youth product, Vecchi had an unremarkable career as a central midfielder in the ...
,
Walter Zenga
Walter Zenga (; born 28 April 1960) is an Italian football manager and former player who last managed Serie A club Cagliari. He was a long-time goalkeeper for Inter Milan and the Italian national team.
During his playing career, Zenga was pa ...
, and
Serse Cosmi — and finished 15th in the table. After losing the Serie B relegation play-out to
Salernitana
Unione Sportiva Salernitana 1919, commonly referred to as Salernitana, is
an Italian football club based in Salerno, Campania. The original club was founded in 1919 and has been reconstituted three times in the course of its history, most recentl ...
, Venezia were set for relegation to Serie C, but they were ultimately spared when
Palermo were punished with relegation due to "administrative non-compliance."
Ahead of the
2019–20 Serie B season, Venezia hired
Alessio Dionisi
Alessio Dionisi (born 1 April 1980) is an Italian professional football coach and former player who is the head coach of club Sassuolo.
Playing career
A centre back with free kick abilities, Dionisi spent most of his career at Serie C2 and Ser ...
as manager. In February 2020, with the team in another relegation battle, Venezia was recapitalized and the club's ownership removed Joe Tacopina as club president.
VFC Newco and Duncan Niederauer
Upon the club's reorganization, Venezia owner
Duncan Niederauer
Duncan L. Niederauer is an American businessman. He served as the chief executive officer of the New York Stock Exchange until September 2014.Barbara BrooksDuncan L. Niederauer ’81 is named 2013 commencement speaker ''Colgate News'', January 28 ...
, former CEO of the
New York Stock Exchange
The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE, nicknamed "The Big Board") is an American stock exchange in the Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed ...
, took on the role of club president.
The following month, the 2019–20 Serie B season was suspended due to the
COVID-19 pandemic in Italy
The COVID-19 pandemic in Italy is part of the ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 ().
The virus was first confirmed to have spread to Italy on 31 January 2020, when ...
, but would resume in June. When the season resumed, Venezia would lose just two of their final 10 matches, and defeated
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 pa ...
on the final day of the season to remain in Serie B, finishing 11th in the league table, five points clear of the relegation play-out.
Return to Serie A
In August 2020, Venezia rebuilt its technical staff, hiring former long-time Venezia players and local Venetians Mattia Collauto and
Paolo Poggi as sporting director and technical director, respectively, a young American Alex Menta as analytics director, and Vicenza-born
Paolo Zanetti
Paolo Zanetti (born 16 December 1982) is an Italian football coach and a former player who is the head coach of Serie A club Empoli. As a player he played as a midfielder.
Club career
Zanetti started his career at native club Vicenza.
Empoli
...
as manager.
In the
2020–21 Serie B season, Venezia finished fifth in the table, again qualifying for the promotion playoffs 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 Cop ...
. In the promotion playoff first round, Venezia defeated
Chievo Verona
Associazione Calcio ChievoVerona, commonly referred to as ChievoVerona or simply Chievo , is a former professional Italian football club named after and based in Chievo, a suburb of 4,500 inhabitants in Verona, Veneto, and owned by Paluani, a ...
thanks to an extra-time goal from
Dennis Johnsen
Dennis Tørset Johnsen (born 17 February 1998) is a Norwegian professional footballer who plays as a winger for club Venezia.
Club career
Johnsen started his career at local club Tiller IL and moved to the youth academy of Rosenborg BK in 2 ...
, winning the tie 3–2. The first leg of Venezia's semi-final match against
Lecce was settled by a single goal from star striker
Francesco Forte, who was particularly crucial to the club's promotion push with 15 goals in the regular season, with a 1–1 tie in the away leg enabling the club to advance. In the final, Venezia met
A.S. Cittadella
Associazione Sportiva Cittadella, commonly known as Cittadella, is an Italian professional football club based in the city of Cittadella, Veneto, currently playing in .
The team was founded in 1973 and play their home games at the Stadio Pier ...
for a place in Serie A. A 1–0 away win at their opponents'
Stadio Pier Cesare Tombolato
Stadio Pier Cesare Tombolato is a multi-use stadium in Cittadella, Italy. It is currently used mostly for football (soccer), football matches and is the home ground of A.S. Cittadella. The stadium holds 7,623.
History
The stadium was named after ...
and the following 1–1 result at home, with a late equaliser from veteran forward
Riccardo Bocalon
Riccardo Bocalon (born 3 March 1989) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a striker for club Mantova.
Career
Treviso
Born in Venice, Veneto, Bocalon started his career with Treviso. In January 2008, he was signed by Internazio ...
, secured Venezia's first season in Serie A in
19 years.
This achievement also marked a rapid rise for the club from
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 ...
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 Cop ...
in only five years.
Venezia celebrated their return to Serie A with a parade of historical boats, rowing clubs, and
gondola
The gondola (, ; vec, góndoła ) is a traditional, flat-bottomed Venetian rowing boat, well suited to the conditions of the Venetian lagoon. It is typically propelled by a gondolier, who uses a rowing oar, which is not fastened to the hull, ...
s on the
Grand Canal.
On 9 August 2021, the club broke its transfer record with the signing of American midfielder
Gianluca Busio
Gianluca Cristiano Busio (born May 28, 2002) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for club Venezia and the United States national team.
Club career Sporting Kansas City
Born in Greensboro, North Carolina, Busi ...
for $6.5 million (€5.7 million).
The club's first match back in Serie A was a 2–0 defeat against
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 ...
on 22 August 2021. However, the club's time in Serie A would be short-lived, as they would be again relegated to Serie B at the end of the season.
Players
Current squad
Out on loan
Colours, badge and nicknames
Originally Venezia's colours were blue and red and the shirt featured halves in those colours; the kit was very similar to that of
Genoa
Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian census, the Province of ...
.
However just a year after the club was founded, it changed colours to black and green.
Much later, in 1987 when the club merged with local side ''Associazione Calcio Mestre'' from
Mestre
Mestre () is a borough of the ''comune'' (municipality) of Venice, on the mainland opposite the historical island city in the region of Veneto, Italy.
Administratively, Mestre forms (together with the nearby Carpenedo) the ''Municipalità di ...
who wore orange and black,
orange would also become one of Venezia's official colours, giving them the nickname ''arancioneroverdi'' ("orange-black-greens").
Venezia's colours and kit are very distinctive; the shirt, shorts and socks are usually black with the shirt having a green and orange trim.
The symbol of the Venetian club is a winged-lion (see
Lion of Venice), commonly mistaken for a
griffin. The golden winged-lion is the official symbol carried by the city of
province of Venice
The Province of Venice (''Provincia di Venezia'') was a province in the Veneto region of northern Italy. Its capital was the city of Venice.
It had an area of 2,467 km2, and a total population of 846,962 (2011). The province became the Met ...
; the symbol has led to one of the club's most popular nicknames in the form of ''leoni alati'' ("winged-lions").
As the club has been renamed numerous times during its history, the badge has also changed several times; the most common one features the golden winged lion, along with the green and orange club colours with a golden border. As the city of Venice is situated on the
Venetian Lagoon, the club is also nicknamed ''lagunari'' ("Lagoonal ones").
Honours
League
*
Serie B
The Serie B (), currently named Serie 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 season. It had been ...
**Champions:
1960–61,
1965–66
*
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 ...
/
Serie C1
**Champions:
1935–36,
1955–56,
2016–17
*
Serie C2
**Champions:
2005–06
*
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 ...
**Champions: 1982–83,
2011–12,
2015–16
Cups
*
Coppa Italia
The ("Italy Cup") is an annual knockout cup competition in Italian football organized by the FIGC until the 2009–10 season and the Lega Serie A ever since.
History
The beginning of the tournament was turbulent, due to the complexity of ...
**Winners:
1940–41
*
Coppa Italia Lega Pro
**Winners:
2016–17
Divisional movements
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Venezia
Football clubs in Italy
Football clubs in Veneto
Italian football First Division clubs
Serie A clubs
Serie B clubs
Serie C clubs
Serie D clubs
Coppa Italia winning clubs
Association football clubs established in 1907
1907 establishments in Italy
20th-century establishments in Venice
Phoenix clubs (association football)
2005 establishments in Italy
2009 establishments in Italy
2015 establishments in Italy
Coppa Italia Serie C winning clubs