U.S. Pontedera 1912

Football club infobox
clubname = Pontedera


fullname = Unione Sportiva Pontedera 1912 SRL
nickname = "Granata"
founded = 1912
ground = Stadio Ettore Mannucci, Pontedera, Italy
capacity = 4,405 | chairman = Carletto Monni
manager = Davide Cei
league = Serie D/E
season = 2007-08
position = Serie D/E, 3rd
pattern_la1=|pattern_b1=_white_sleeve_seams|pattern_ra1=
leftarm1=981713|body1=981713|rightarm1=981713|shorts1=981713|socks1=981713
pattern_la2=|pattern_b2=_unknown|pattern_ra2=
leftarm2=FFFFFF|body2=FFFFFF|rightarm2=FFFFFF|shorts2=FFFFFF|socks2=FFFFFF

Unione Sportiva Pontedera 1912 is an Italian football club located in Pontedera, Tuscany. It currently plays in Serie D. Its colors are all-dark red.

Founded in 1912, Pontedera, a team from a city in the Pisa neighbourhood, played Serie C for several years without never gaining a single promotion to Serie B. In 1993/1994, a second place in Serie C2/B allowed Pontedera to be promoted to Serie C1: during that season, the team was known for having longily been the only undefeated team in all Italian professional leagues, and for having incredibly won 2-1 to the Italy national football team coached by Arrigo Sacchi in a friendly match played in April 1994. Pontedera played Serie C1 just in 1994/1995, and relegated to Serie D in 2001, and even Eccellenza in 2002. Pontedera returned to Serie D in 2005, after having won its Eccellenza round.

In summer 2006, The Gunther Corporation purchased Pontedera. It was reported in "The Guardian" newspaper on 17th May 2007 that the owner of Pontedera is a dog named Gunther IV, who inherited it from Gunther III who in turn inherited it from his owner Countess Libenstein. Fact|date=August 2007

Marcello Lippi, head coach of Italy national team and World Cup champion in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, started his professional managing career as Pontedera head coach in 1985/1986.

Notable former managers

*flagicon|Italy Marcello Lippi

External links

*it icon [http://www.uspontedera1912.it Official website]
*it icon [http://www.forzapontedera.com www.forzapontedera.com]
* [http://w3.serie-d.com/sd/vwgdummy.asp?DEFLANG=it&node=ir_societa&open=contacts.asp%3FDEFLANG%3Dit%26campionato%3DCP_r00%26squadra%3Dpontedera Pontedera page at Serie-D.com]