AC Perugia Calcio facts for kids
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| Full name | Associazione Calcistica Perugia Calcio S.r.l. | |||
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| Nickname(s) | I Grifoni (The Griffins) | |||
| Founded | 1905 1935 (re-founded) 1940 (re-founded) 2005 (Perugia Calcio) 2010 (AC Perugia) |
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| Ground | Stadio Renato Curi, Perugia, Italy |
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| Capacity | 23,625 | |||
| Chairman | Javier Faroni | |||
| Head coach | Alessandro Formisano | |||
| League | Serie B | |||
| 2018–19 | Serie B, 8th of 19 | |||
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Associazione Calcistica Perugia Calcio, often called simply Perugia, is a professional football club from Perugia, Umbria, Italy. They currently play in the Serie B, which is the third division of Italian football.
The club was first started in 1905 as Associazione Calcistica Perugia. Over the years, it has faced some challenges and had to restart a few times. It was re-founded in 2005 as Perugia Calcio, and then again in 2010 with its current name, AC Perugia Calcio.
Perugia has played in Italy's top league, Serie A, 13 times. Their most famous achievement was finishing second in the 1978–79 season without losing a single game. This made them the first team in Serie A history to go unbeaten in a season, even though they didn't win the championship. The club has also won the 2003 UEFA Intertoto Cup and played in the UEFA Cup twice.
During the early 2000s, under club president Luciano Gaucci, Perugia had some exciting wins. One memorable game was against Juventus in 2000, which helped Lazio win the league title instead of Juventus.
The players are known as "biancorossi" (red and whites) because of their red shirts and socks with white shorts. They are also called "grifoni" (griffins), named after the mythical creature that is a symbol of their city. Their home games are played at the Stadio Renato Curi, which can hold about 28,000 fans. In the 1979–80 season, Perugia became the first Italian football team to have a sponsor's logo on their kit.
Contents
History of AC Perugia Calcio
How Perugia Football Club Started
A.C. Perugia was formed on 9 June 1905, when two local clubs, U.S. Fortebraccio and Libertas, joined together. In its early years, the club mostly played in regional competitions.
The 1930s were a time of growth for Perugia. They were promoted to Serie B for the first time in 1933. In 1937, Perugia built its first official stadium, called Santa Giuliana. After another promotion to Serie B in 1945–46, Perugia spent most of the 1950s playing in lower divisions.
Perugia's Rise to Serie A (1960s-1975)
The 1960s saw Perugia become strong again, thanks to local businessman Lino Spagnoli, who became president. Getting promoted to Serie B in the 1966-1967 season marked the start of one of the club's best periods. Perugia stayed in Serie B for eight years before finally reaching Serie A for the very first time in 1975.
The club changed a lot with new leaders like Franco D'Attoma as president. They also brought in a new coach, Ilario Castagner, who used to play for the team, and Silvano Ramaccioni as the sports director. Many new players joined, including defender Pierluigi Frosio, midfielders Franco Vannini and Renato Curi, and forward Paolo Sollier. Perugia earned their promotion to Serie A by finishing three points ahead of Como.
The Golden Years: D'Attoma's Era
Perugia, now playing in the new Comunale di Pian di Massiano stadium, began its first Serie A season in 1975. They kept most of the players from their promotion team. Their first Serie A match was against Milan on October 5, 1975.
On May 16, 1976, Renato Curi, a key player for Perugia, scored the winning goal against Juventus. This goal helped Torino win the championship that year. Perugia also played in a European competition for the first time, the Mitropa Cup.
Curi's great performances helped Perugia finish sixth in the next season, which was a very good result for a newly promoted team. Sadly, Renato Curi died on October 30, 1977, from a heart attack during a home game against Juventus. The stadium was later renamed in his honor to Stadio Renato Curi.
Despite this sad loss, Perugia continued to do well. In the following season, 1978–79, they made history by becoming the first team to finish a Serie A season undefeated. They ended up as runners-up with 11 wins and 19 draws. This amazing team was known as the "Perugia of miracles." Their unbeaten streak in Serie A lasted for 37 matches, from April 1978 to October 1979. Key players included captain Pierluigi Frosio, Franco Vannini, Antonio Ceccarini, and Salvatore Bagni.
Before the 1979–80 season, Perugia signed Italy national team striker Paolo Rossi. President D'Attoma also made a groundbreaking deal with a pasta factory, Ponte, which was the first time an Italian football team had a sponsor on their kit.
Even with Rossi, the team couldn't repeat their earlier success. They struggled in the league and were knocked out of their first UEFA Cup appearance early. A key midfielder, Vannini, also had to retire due to injury, which hurt the team.
In March 1980, a scandal called Totonero happened, which involved some players, including Rossi. This affected Perugia, and they were penalized points for the next season, leading to their relegation in 1981.
Perugia in the 1980s
In the first half of the 1980s, the club tried hard to get back to Serie A. They almost made it in the 1984-1985 season under coach Aldo Agroppi, missing promotion by just one point. They even set a record for the fewest defeats (1) and most draws (26 out of 38 matches) in Serie B.
However, the club's situation worsened. In 1986, they were relegated twice, ending up in Serie C2. This was due to their involvement in another scandal, the 1986 Totonero scandal, even though they were already facing relegation on the field. During this time, a future star, Fabrizio Ravanelli, was discovered at Perugia. He later played for famous clubs like Juventus and Middlesbrough before returning to Perugia.
The Gaucci Years (1991-2005)
In 1991, businessman Luciano Gaucci took over the club. He was president until 2005 and had a big impact. His time included a famous win against Juventus in 2000 and winning the Intertoto Cup in 2003.
Gaucci was known for his unique ways. He wanted to get Perugia back to the top league quickly, and he did it within five years. He brought in important players like Giuseppe Dossena and Giovanni Cornacchini in the early 1990s.
Perugia was promoted to Serie B in 1993. The 1993–1994 season saw Perugia, led by Ilario Castagner, dominate their group and earn promotion to Serie B again. Cornacchini was the top scorer for the second year in a row. The team only stayed in Serie B for two seasons. They were promoted to Serie A in the 1995–1996 season under coach Giovanni Galeone. With captain Federico Giunti and striker Marco Negri, Perugia returned to the top league after fifteen years.
Perugia started well in Serie A, but then Gaucci changed coaches. The team's performance dropped, and they were relegated in 1997. However, with Castagner back as coach, Perugia won a play-off and returned to Serie A.
For the next six seasons, Perugia stayed in Serie A. They had international players like Japanese star Hidetoshi Nakata and Ecuadorian top scorer Ivan Kaviedes. The club faced some controversy when Gaucci ended the contract of South Korean player Ahn Jung-Hwan. This happened after Ahn scored the "golden goal" that knocked Italy out of the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
In 2003, Perugia signed English striker Jay Bothroyd and Al-Saadi Gaddafi, the son of the Libyan leader. Soon after, the club won the 2003 UEFA Intertoto Cup by beating VfL Wolfsburg of Germany. This win allowed them to play in the 2003–04 UEFA Cup, where they reached the third round.
Perugia Calcio (2005–2010)
In 2005, the club was re-established as Perugia Calcio with a new chairman, Vincenzo Silvestrini.
In 2009, Leonardo Covarelli, a businessman from Perugia, took over the club. However, on May 21, 2010, the club was declared bankrupt. No one bought the club at the auction, and so, on June 30, 2010, the club could not join the Italian third-level championship for the 2010–2011 season. The Italian Football Federation officially removed the club's status on July 8, 2010.
AC Perugia Calcio (2010–Present)
In July 2010, a new club was formed with a similar name, ASD Perugia Calcio. It continued the history of the old club and started playing in Serie D. Roberto Damaschi, a local businessman, became the chairman.
On April 10, 2011, Perugia became the first team that season to be promoted from Serie D to the Lega Pro Seconda Divisione. They won a home game against Castel Rigone 3–2. The club also won the 2010–11 Coppa Italia Serie D, beating Turris 1–0 in the final.
In summer 2011, the club changed its name to Associazione Calcistica Perugia Calcio. They played in the Lega Pro Seconda Divisione/B and were immediately promoted to Lega Pro Prima Divisione. On May 4, 2014, AC Perugia won the 2013–14 Lega Pro Prima Divisione championship by beating Frosinone 1–0. This meant they were promoted back to Serie B after nine years. Roman businessman Massimiliano Santopadre also became the full owner of the club.
On May 2, 2021, Perugia finished first in their group in the 2020–21 Serie C and were promoted back to Serie B. They achieved this after winning their last five games of the season, even though they were six points behind first place earlier. The club was relegated back to Serie C at the end of the 2022–23 Serie B season.
Club Honours
Perugia has won several titles throughout its history:
League Titles
- Serie B
- Winners: 1974–75
- Serie C1
- Winners: 1932–33, 1966–67, 1993–94, 2013–14, 2020–21
- Serie C2
- Winners: 1987–88, 2011–12
Cup Titles
- Supercoppa di Lega Pro
- Winners: 2014
- Supercoppa di Serie C2
- Winners: 2012
- Coppa Italia Serie D
- Winners: 2010–11
European Titles
- UEFA Intertoto Cup
- Winners: 2003
Divisional History
This table shows which leagues Perugia has played in over the years:
| Series | Years | Last Season | Promotions | Relegations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 13 | 2003–04 | - |  3 (1981, 1997, 2004) |
| B | 29 | 2022–23 |  3 (1975, 1996, 1998) |
6 (1935✟, 1948, 1986⇊, 2005✟, 2020, 2023) |
| C +C2 |
33 +3 |
2023–24 | 6 (1933, 1946, 1967, 1994, 2014, 2021) 2 (1988 C2, 2012 C2) |
3 (1939, 1951, 2010✟) |
| 78 out of 92 years of professional football in Italy since 1929 | ||||
| D | 13 | 2010–11 | 4 (1938, 1940, 1959, 2011) |
never |
| E | 1 | 1929–30 | 1 (1930⇈) |
never |
Club Records
- Serie A:
- Runners-up and unbeaten: 1978–79
Perugia in European Competitions
UEFA Cup Matches
| Season | Round | Club | Home Score | Away Score | Total Score | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979–80 | First Round |  Dinamo Zagreb |
1–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 | |
| Second Round |  Aris |
0–3 | 1–1 | 1–4 | ||
| 2003–04 | First Round |  Dundee |
1–0 | 2–1 | 3–1 | |
| Second Round | Aris |
2–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | ||
| Third Round |  PSV Eindhoven |
0–0 | 1–3 | 1–3 |
UEFA Intertoto Cup Matches
| Season | Round | Club | Home Score | Away Score | Total Score | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Second Round |  Pobeda |
1–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 | |
| Third Round |  Trabzonspor |
0–3 (f) | 2–1 | 2–4 | ||
| 2000 | Second Round |  Standard Liège |
1–2 | 1–1 | 2–3 | |
| 2002 | Third Round |  Stuttgart |
2–1 | 1–3 | 3–4 | |
| 2003 | Third Round |  Allianssi |
2–0 | 2–0 | 4–0 | |
| Semi-final |  Nantes |
0–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | ||
| Final | Wolfsburg |
1–0 | 2–0 | 3–0 |
Images for kids
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1974–75 Perugia first-team squad
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Serie A 1975-76 AC Perugia vs AC Milan
See also
In Spanish: Associazione Calcistica Perugia Calcio para niños
