Ravenna Calcio

Football club infobox
clubname = Ravenna


fullname = Ravenna Calcio SRL
nickname = "Giallorossi"
founded = 1913
ground = Stadio Bruno Benelli, Ravenna, Italy
capacity = 9,500 | chairman = Gianni Fabbri
manager = Dino Pagliari
league = Lega Pro Prima Divisione - A
season = 2007-08
position = Serie B, 20th
pattern_la1=|pattern_b1=_yellow_red_right_shoulder|pattern_ra1=
leftarm1=000000|body1=000000|rightarm1=000000|shorts1=000000|socks1=000000
pattern_la2=|pattern_b2=_yellow_red_right_shoulder|pattern_ra2=
leftarm2=FFFFFF|body2=FFFFFF|rightarm2=FFFFFF|shorts2=FFFFFF|socks2=FFFFFF

Ravenna Calcio is an Italian football club, based in Ravenna, Emilia-Romagna. The club was founded in 1913 and refounded in 2001. Ravenna currently plays in Lega Pro Prima Divisione. The team's colors are red and yellow.

On May 9, 2007 Ravenna won the 2006-07 Serie C1/B in advance of one matchday, following a 0-0 away tie against Teramo, being thus promoted to Serie B. Anyway, Ravenna was relegated to Lega Pro Prima Divisione the following season.

History

The club was founded in 1913 as football section of sports club "Unione Sportiva Ravennate". In 1920, the club merged with "Audace Football Club", which was founded only one year earlier, in 1919. The same year the club joined the Italian Football Federation, being part of the Promozione league. Another merger in 1921 with "S.G. Forti per essere Liberi" brought the club to change its denomination to "Unione Sportiva Ravennate Forti per essere Liberi". The main sports club disbanded in 1928, with all its sports sections become separate entities; notably, the football one assuming the denomination of "Associazione Calcio Ravenna".

In 1936 Ravenna made their first appearance in the Serie C, where they played until 1948. In 1949 the club, now playing in the amateur Interregionale league, became known as "Unione Sportiva Ravenna", then switching this denomination to "Sarom Unione Sportiva Ravenna" for sponsorship reasons in 1954, maintaining it for ten years. Ravenna returned to Serie C in 1950 for a single season, and again in 1955, playing in this division until 1971, when they relegated to Serie D. Another Serie C spell from 1972 to 1976 was followed by two consecutive relegations. Two promotions in a row from 1980 to 1982 then brought the club back to the pro leagues, in the recently created Serie C2. Ravenna relegated to Serie D in 1984, but promptly returned to Serie C2.

In 1992, Ravenna were awarded Serie C2 champions, being promoted to Serie C1. Only one year later, in 1993, Ravenna won the Serie C1 league and gained promotion to Serie B for a historical first time. However, this lasted only one season, and Ravenna returned to Serie C1 in 1994. They returned to Serie B in 1996, playing in the Italian second division until 2001, when they were relegated to Serie C1 and successively cancelled by the Federation because of financial troubles. A new club, "Ravenna Calcio", was admitted to play Eccellenza, and obtained two consecutive promotions that brought them back to Serie C2 in 2003.

In 2005, Ravenna were promoted to Serie C1 after playoffs, and in 2007 they won Serie C1 as well, thus returning to Serie B after six seasons from their last appearance in the second-highest division of Italy.

Current squad

"As of February, 2008" [cite web|url=http://www.gazzetta.it/speciali/serie_b/2008_nw/squadre/rosa_ravenna.shtml|publisher=La Gazzetta dello Sport|language=Italian|title=Ravenna - Stagione 2007/08|accessdate=2007-09-08] [cite web|language=Italian|url=http://www.ravennacalcio.com/cgi-bin/_ra/comunicati3.cgi?id=6973&mese=9&anno=2007 |accessdate=2007-09-08|date=2007-09-08|title=Pagliari convoca ventidue giocatori|publisher=Ravenna Calcio]

Notable former players

*flagicon|Belgium Gilbert Bodart
*flagicon|Italy Andrea Silenzi
*flagicon|Italy Francesco Toldo
*flagicon|Italy Max Tonetto
*flagicon|Italy Christian Vieri
*flagicon|Italy Lamberto Zauli

Notable former managers

*flagicon|Italy Luigi Del Neri
*flagicon|Italy Francesco Guidolin
*flagicon|Italy Walter Novellino
*flagicon|Hungary Gyula Zsengellér

Achievements

*Serie C1
**Winners (3): 1992-93, 1995-96, 2006-07
*Super Coppa di Lega Serie C1
**Runners-up (1): 2006-07
*Serie C2
**Winners (1): 1991-92
**Runners-up (1): 2004-05
*Serie D
**Winners (6): 1950-51, 1956-57, 1971-72, 1981-82, 1984-85, 2002-03
**Runners-up (1): 1955-56
*Scudetto Dilettanti
**Winners (1): 1956-57
*Eccellenza Emilia-Romagna
**Winners (1): 2001-02
*Promozione Emilia-Romagna
**Winners (3): 1954-55, 1996-97, 1980-81
**Runners-up (3): 1920-21, 1978-79, 1979-80
*Serie C
**Winners (1): 1939-40
**Runners-up (2): 1937-38, 1938-39
*"Seconda Divisione"
**Winners (1): 1929-30
*"Terza Divisione" Emilia-Romagna
**Winners (1): 1927-28

References

External links

* [http://www.ravennacalcio.com/ Official site]