A.S. Varese 1910

Football club infobox
clubname = Varese


fullname = Associazione Sportiva Varese 1910 SRL
nickname = "Leopardi" (Leopards)
founded = March 22,1910
ground = Stadio Franco Ossola, Masnago, Varese, Italy
capacity = 10,000 | chairman = Pietro Maroso
manager = Pietro Carmignani
league = Lega Pro Seconda Divisione - A
season = 2007-08
position = Serie C2/A, 11th
pattern_la1=|pattern_b1=|pattern_ra1=
leftarm1=FF0000|body1=FF0000|rightarm1=FF0000|shorts1=FFFFFF|socks1=FF0000
pattern_la2=_shouldersonwhite|pattern_b2=_shouldersonwhite|pattern_ra2=_shouldersonwhite
leftarm2=FF0000|body2=FF0000|rightarm2=FF0000|shorts2=FFFFFF|socks2=FF0000

A.S. Varese 1910 is a football club from Varese, founded 22 March1910. It currently plays in Lega Pro Seconda Divisione, ranked three grades below Serie A in the Italian Football League.

Its home stadium is the Stadio Franco Ossola, which seats 10,000 people.

History

The club was formed on March 22,1910, as Varese Football Club, with the goal of promoting football and other open air games. All members, both players and management, paid dues of 1 Lira every month. The club's colours were white and purple and the local market place doubled as the club's first ground. A rope fenced off the pitch from the public, and dressing rooms were improvised in an alley restaurant.

The club played numerous friendly matches before joining any sort of league or organised competition. Early opponents included the "Aurora" of Busto Arsizio, the "Libertas" of Gallarate, the Luino, the Unione Sportiva Milanese, the Ausonia, and the great Inter Milan. The club took the first steps on the Italian league ladder by entering the "Lega Regionale Lombarda" in 1914, and the first official championship saw "the Varesini" playing in their original colours of purple and white silk. The club's American goalkeeper, Sormani, distinguished himself in this first official season as one of Varese's star players.

In May 1915 the war interrupted the season, but by 1919, World War I had ended and life returned to its regular rhythm with a resurgence of interest in football and other recreational activities.

In 1926-27, the club's colours became white and red ("bianco-rosso"), to match the colours of the city. In the quarter of Masnago, a stadium named "Stadio del Littorio" was constructed. It was renamed in September 1950 to "Stadio Franco Ossola", in honour of a player who had transferred from Varese to Torino Calcio and died in the in 1949 Superga air disaster.

Varese, a town not far from Milan, is highly regarded by various athletes who dress "bianco-rosso" (white-red) thanks to Military Territorial Compartments (between the most known players Giuseppe Meazza).

In 1964, with the entrepreneur Giovanni Borghi as president, the Varese achieved a place in Serie A after two consecutive promotions from the Serie C. Among the notable players who have worn the white and red shirt are Pietro Anastasi, Roberto Bettega, and the World Cup winners Claudio Gentile, Giampiero Marini and, Riccardo Sogliano. After a decade in the top-flight, the golden era of Varese ended with relegation in 1975.

Since further relegation in 1985, the club has not succeeded in returning to Serie B: 10 of the next 20 seasons were spent in C2, where the club were readmitted after promotion from Campionato Nazionale Dilettanti in 1994.

The club returned to the C1 Series within four years thanks to the work of general manager Stefano Capozucca, brought to Varese by the entrepreneur Claudio Milanese, who was then co-owner of the club with the President, Paolo Binda, and other lesser associates.

In 2001, after financial conflicts between entrepreneur Gianvittorio Gandolfi and sponsors SiViaggi and Cit, the Turri family arrived at the club, bringing a series of innovations but also of problems and unkept promises. In the summer of 2004, under the Turri-Tacconi co-presidency, came economic financial ruin that made the club sink to its lowest ebb.

In July 2004, the bankrupt Varese Football Club was reformed under a new board, and called A.S. Varese 1910. The club was forced to start afresh in the Eccellenza league. The Sogliano family took control of the team, with Riccardo Sogliano assuming overall control. The former player of Varese and A.C. Milan, has experience controlling clubs in Serie A; Parma F.C. and the Genoa C.F.C..

In its first season the new board suffered from delay and inexperience, and promotion to Serie D was missed narrowly due to points dropped early on in the season to the club's eventual title-rivals. Club President Peo Maroso and General Manager Luca Sogliano, son of Riccardo and also a former player, decided to instate a new first-team coach from within. Devis Mangia, at just 32 years of age, is the youngest head coach of the division and, probably, the entire league.

The club has also had problems with its supporters (in particular a supporters group named "Blood and Honour") who treated black players badly. It happened in spring of 2002 with French players, Mohamed Benhassen, Samir Benhassen and the cameroun goalkeeper, Andrè Joel Eboué [http://www2.varesenews.it/articoli/2002/maggio/varese/6-5varesecalcio.htm] . They are at the stadium every weekend and often fight with rival supporters.

In season 2005/2006, Varese won the Serie D/A league, thus gaining promotion to Serie C2, three matches before the end of the season.

Current first team squad

"As of 2008-01-31" [cite web|url=http://www.varese1910.it/squadra.html|publisher=AS Varese 1910|language=Italian|title=LA SQUADRA|accessdate=2008-01-31]

Famous former players

References

External links

* [http://www.varese1910.it/ A.S. Varese 1910 Website]