Pisa SC facts for kids
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| Full name | Pisa Sporting Club S.r.l. | |||
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| Nickname(s) | I Nerazzurri (The Black and Blues) | |||
| Founded | 1909 | |||
| Ground | Arena Garibaldi – Stadio Romeo Anconetani | |||
| Capacity | 12,500 | |||
| Owner | Alexander Knaster | |||
| Chairman | Giuseppe Corrado | |||
| Head coach | Alberto Gilardino | |||
| League | Serie A | |||
| 2024–25 | Serie B, 2nd (promoted) | |||
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Pisa Sporting Club, often called Pisa, is a professional football team from Pisa, Tuscany, Italy. The club is set to play in Italy's top football league, Serie A, for the 2025–26 season.
The club first started in 1909 as Pisa Sporting Club. Later, in 1994, it was restarted as Pisa Calcio due to money problems. The team faced financial difficulties again in 2009 and was re-founded as A.C. Pisa 1909.
Pisa has won the Mitropa Cup twice, in 1986 and 1988. They play their home games at the Arena Garibaldi – Stadio Romeo Anconetani. This stadium is named after Romeo Anconetani, a former chairman who helped the club reach Serie A in the 1980s. In 2016, Giuseppe Corrado bought the club. In 2021, billionaire Alexander Knaster became a major owner.
Contents
History of Pisa Football
Early Years and Serie A Success
Pisa moved up to Serie B in 1965. Three years later, they reached Serie A for the first time. However, they were relegated from Serie A at the end of the 1968–69 season.
During the 1970s, Pisa mostly played in Serie C. In 1979, they returned to Serie B. Under the leadership of Romeo Anconetani, they were promoted to Serie A in 1982. This began a period where they spent six out of nine seasons in Serie A. With players like Danish star Klaus Berggreen, Pisa finished 11th in the 1982–83 Serie A season. The next season, they were relegated, even though 15,000 fans traveled to Milan for a key game.
Pisa was promoted again in 1985 but could not stay in Serie A. The same happened in 1987, but this time, with players like Dunga and Paul Elliott, they managed to stay up. Their last promotion to Serie A was in 1990. With talented players such as Maurizio Neri, Michele Padovano, Lamberto Piovanelli, Diego Simeone, Henrik Larsen, and Aldo Dolcetti, the team started strong. They were even briefly at the top of the league before being relegated again.
After this relegation, the club faced big money problems. By 1994, they lost a play-off and dropped down to Serie C1.
Pisa Calcio and the Dog President
After financial issues, Pisa was reformed in Eccellenza. They returned to Serie C2 in 1996 and then to C1 in 1999. Pisa worked hard to get back to Serie B, which they achieved in 2007. Their fans are very dedicated, often bringing large crowds to games.
In 2002, a trust owned by Maurizio Mian bought Pisa. They even made a wealthy German Shepherd dog named Gunther IV the honorary president! During the 2002–03 Serie C1 season, Pisa reached the play-off final but lost. President Gunther would attend matches and bark to cheer on the team. In 2005, Mian sold the club.
In the 2006–07 season, with new coach Piero Braglia, Pisa fought for promotion. They finished third and won the promotion play-offs, beating Venezia and Monza.
For the 2007–08 Serie B season, their first in 13 years, Gian Piero Ventura became the coach. Pisa played very well, aiming for direct promotion. Their strong attackers, Alessio Cerci, José Ignacio Castillo, and Vitali Kutuzov, were among the best in the league. The club finished sixth, earning a spot in the promotion play-offs, but lost to Lecce.
In 2008–09, Luca Pomponi bought the club. The team was weaker after key players left. Coach Ventura was fired in March 2009. Pisa was surprisingly relegated in the final game of the season. This also revealed major financial problems. In July 2009, the club was removed from Italian football for the second time.
A New Beginning: A.C. Pisa 1909
Pisa was restarted as A.C. Pisa 1909 S.S.D. and began again in Serie D. At the end of that season, Pisa won their group and was promoted to Lega Pro Seconda Divisione for the 2010–11 season.
The team then moved up to Lega Pro Prima Divisione for the 2010–11 season. This happened because other clubs were removed from the league.
On June 12, 2016, Pisa was promoted to Serie B after seven years. They won play-off matches against Maceratese, Pordenone, and Foggia. However, they were relegated back to Serie C the very next season.
Return to Pisa Sporting Club
After moving back to Serie B in 2019, the club changed its name back to Pisa Sporting Club in the summer of 2021. Under coach Filippo Inzaghi, Pisa finished second in the 2024–25 Serie B season. This earned them promotion to Serie A, marking their return to the top league after 34 years.
Current Squad
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Other Players Under Contract
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Coaching Staff
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach |  Filippo Inzaghi |
| Assistant coach | Maurizio D'Angelo |
| Goalkeeper coach | Maurizio Pugliesi Leonardo Baldini |
| Fitness coach | Luca Alimonta Daniele Cominotti |
| Technical assistant | Simone Baggio Miguel Veloso |
| Rehab coach | Lorenzo Ferrari |
| Match analyst | Mirko Barbero |
| Head of medical staff | Cataldo Graci |
| Club doctor | Andrea Moretti Federica Parra |
| Nutritionist | Guido Guidotti |
| Physiotherapist | Stefano Montanari Gabriele Pignieri Matteo Grazzini |
| Kit manager | Andrea Patti Claudio Del Guerra Alessio Fasano |
Famous Former Players
- Massimiliano Allegri
- Davide Moscardelli
- Eddy Baggio
Klaus Berggreen- Alessandro Birindelli
- Leonardo Bonucci
Jose Ignacio Castillo- Alessio Cerci
- José Chamot
- Stefano Colantuono
Dunga
Paul Elliott
Wim Kieft
Vitali Kutuzov- Henrik Larsen
- Roberto Muzzi
- Michele Padovano
- Gianluca Savoldi
- Gianluca Signorini
- Diego Pablo Simeone
- Gionatha Spinesi
- Marco Tardelli
- Francesco Tavano
Samir Ujkani- Christian Vieri
- Davide Moscardelli
- Matteo Tramoni
Club Achievements
League Titles
- Serie B
- Winners: 1984–85, 1986–87
- Runners-Up: 1989–90, 2024–25
- Third Place (Promoted): 1981–82, 2006–07
- Serie C
- Winners: 1933–34, 1964–65
- Winners - C2 Group A: 1998–99
- Runners-Up - C1 Group A: 1999-00
- Third Place - Group A (Promoted): 2018–19
- Serie D
- Winners - Group D: 2009-10
- Lega Pro
- Runners-Up (Promoted) - Group B: 2015-16
Cup Wins
- Coppa Italia Serie C
- Winners: 1999–00
- Runners-Up: 2011-12
- Mitropa Cup
- Winners: 1985–86, 1987–88
- Runners-Up: 1990-91
See also
In Spanish: Pisa Sporting Club para niños
