F.C. Catanzaro

Football club infobox
clubname = Catanzaro


fullname = Football Club Catanzaro
SpA
nickname = "Aquile del sud" (Southern Eagles)
founded = 1929
2006 ("refounded")
ground = Stadio Nicola Ceravolo,
Catanzaro, Italy
capacity = 13,619
chairman = Pasquale Bove
manager = Nicola Provenza
league = Lega Pro Seconda Divisione - C
season = 2007-08
position = Serie C2/C, 10th
pattern_la1=_yellow_stripes|pattern_b1=_redstripes2|pattern_ra1=_yellow_stripes
leftarm1=F00000|body1=FFFF00|rightarm1=FF0000|shorts1=FF0000|socks1=FF0000
pattern_la2=|pattern_b2=|pattern_ra2=
leftarm2=FF0000|body2=FF0000|rightarm2=FF0000|shorts2=FF0000|socks2=FF0000

Football Club Catanzaro is a football club based in Catanzaro, Calabria. The club were founded in 1929 as Catanzarese, then changed their denomination to Unione Sportiva Catanzaro in 1946, shortly after the end of the World War II. The team assumed the current denomination in 2006, following the cancellation of the previous club because of financial troubles, and is now playing in Lega Pro Seconda Divisione.

Their last stint in Serie A ended in 1983. The team's colors are red and yellow.

History

Catanzaro achieved promotion to Serie B in 1959, and reached the Coppa Italia final in 1966. In 1971, they defeated Bari in a play-off to win promotion to Serie A for the first time.

Catanzaro's inaugural Serie A season saw them struggle and succumb to relegation on the final day with only 3 wins and 15 draws for 21 points. However, their first-ever Serie A win came in Round 16 with a 1-0 win over Juventus. After narrowly missing out on a return to Serie A in 1975, they bounced back in 1976 but once again lasted just one year.

A third promotion in 1978 ushered in the club's golden era with a five-year stay in Serie A. With a team including Claudio Ranieri, Gianni Improta and the iconic Massimo Palanca, Catanzaro managed a highly credible 9th place in 1979. Though they finished 14th and would have been relegated the following year, they won a reprieve thanks to forced relegations for AC Milan and Lazio. They managed 8th place in 1981 and 7th the following year before a dismal relegation in 1983. Much of the next four years was spent bouncing between Serie B and C1.

Catanzaro emerged as promotion contenders once more in 1988, with the ageless Palanca having returned to the club after a fruitless spell at Napoli. Finishing 5th, they would succumb to successive relegations in 1990 and 1991, staying in Serie C2 until 2003.

In 2005, after two consecutive promotions, Catanzaro returned to Serie B after a 15-year absence. However, after a poor season they ended their Serie B campaign in last place, meaning relegation to Serie C1. Catanzaro would immediately get another chance, the team becoming reinstated to the Serie B by office, because of vacancies related to other teams' exclusions. In its 2005/2006 Serie B campaign, Catanzaro came out last again and was relegated to Serie C1; the relegation was followed by financial troubles which led the federation to cancel the club. A new club, with the current name, was successively founded and registered to Serie C2 for the 2006-2007 season, where the club is currently playing with the hope to return back to the upper divisions.

Notable former players

*flagicon|Italy Edi Bivi
*flagicon|Italy Gianni Improta
*flagicon|Italy Gianni Bui
*flagicon|Senegal Diomansy Kamara
*flagicon|Italy Massimo Mauro
*flagicon|Italy Massimo Palanca
*flagicon|Italy Claudio Ranieri
*flagicon|Italy Luigi De Agostini
*flagicon|Honduras Julio Leon

Presidential history

Below is a presidential history list of Catanzaro, from when they were founded in 1929, until the present day.cite news|url=http://www.uscatanzaro.net/autohtml.php?op=modload&name=storia.htm&file=index|publisher=USCatanzaro.net|title=La Storia Del Catanzaro|date=23 June 2007]

Managerial history

References

External links

* [http://www.fc-catanzaro.com/ FC Catanzaro's website]