FC Pistoiese SSD facts for kids
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| Full name | Football Club Pistoiese Società Sportiva Dilettantistica a r.l. |
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| Nickname(s) | Arancioni (Orange) Olandesina (Little Dutch Girl) |
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| Founded | 1921 1937 (refounded) 1945 (refounded) 1988 (refounded) 2009 (refounded) |
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| Ground | Stadio Marcello Melani, Pistoia, Italy |
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| Capacity | 13,195 | |||
| Chairman | Sergio Iorio | |||
| Manager | Domenico Giacomarro | |||
| League | Serie C Group A | |||
| 2018–19 | Serie C Group A, 15th of 20 | |||
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Pistoiese is a football club from Pistoia, a city in Tuscany, Italy. Its full name is Football Club Pistoiese SSD. The team is often called Arancioni (Orange) because their main color is orange. They are also nicknamed Olandesina, which means 'Little Dutch Girl', also because of their orange colors. The club was first started on April 21, 1921. Pistoiese has played in Italy's top football league, Serie A, several times. Currently, Pistoiese plays in Serie D.
Contents
Club History
The football club, known as la società arancione (the Orange Society), began on April 21, 1921. From the start, it had a connection to Europe. Pistoia itself was a city where many historical paths crossed.
Some of the first people involved in creating the club were Hungarians Árpád Hajós and János Nehadoma. The team's orange jersey was inspired by the colors of Holland. This is fitting because Pistoia is famous for its flower growing, just like Holland.
In 1927, Pistoiese won its first big trophy, the Arpinati Cup. After winning some smaller local championships, they were chosen to play in the National Division in 1928. Between 1929 and 1936, they played in the campionato cadetto (a lower league). They finished first a couple of times. The original US Pistoiese played its last championship in 1939–40.
Restarting After the War
Competitive football started again in 1945. A group of fans created a new team called Pistoiese Sports Union. This team was allowed to play in Serie C. For many years, the team moved between Serie C, Serie D, and the Promozione Championship. They had a short time in Serie B right after World War II. During that period, they even reached third place in the league.
From 1946 to 1957, the team's performance went up and down. Then, Vannino Vannucci became the club's president in 1956–57. He invested a lot of money to make Pistoiese a strong team.
In the 1958–59 season, Pistoiese had an amazing run. They played 21 games in a row without losing. They earned 36 points out of a possible 42 and scored 45 goals. A memorable game was against Empoli, a local rival. The Arancione won that match 6–0. That season, they scored 77 goals and only let in 24. After eight years, they were back in Serie C. In the 1960s, the team played for ten years straight in Serie C.
Rising to Serie A
Pistoiese became very well known in the late 1970s. They moved up to Serie B and then reached Serie A in 1980. This was under the leadership of President Marcello Melani. He brought in experienced players like Marcello Lippi and Mario Frustalupi. He also signed promising young talents such as Paolo Benedetti.
Pistoiese reached Serie A in just six years. They started the season well, even reaching 6th place after winning against Fiorentina. However, their performance then dropped, and they finished last. This meant they were moved down to a lower league. Since 1980, the club has only played two short periods in Serie B. These were in 1995–96 and from 1999 to 2002. Marcello Melani left his role in 1980, and Marcello Lippi followed in 1981.
Challenges and Rebuilding
In the 2005–06 season, Pistoiese played in Serie C1/B. They struggled to score goals but had one of the best defenses. A strong finish to the season helped them avoid being moved down. They ended up in 9th place in their group.
In the 2007–08 season, Pistoiese finished 14th in their group. They had to play a special match against Sangiovannese to avoid relegation. Pistoiese won 4–0 over two games and stayed in Lega Pro Prima Divisione (which used to be Serie C1).
The 2008–09 season started with Roberto Miggiano as coach. But the team had poor results and was in last place. So, Salvatore Polverino took over in October. Results did not get better, and Polverino resigned in February 2009. Former Juventus star Moreno Torricelli became the new coach. Under Torricelli, Pistoiese improved and avoided immediate relegation. They finished 16th. However, Pistoiese lost a play-off against Foligno and was moved down to Lega Pro Seconda Divisione. In the summer of 2009, Pistoiese was not allowed to play in Lega Pro Seconda Divisione. This was because of financial problems.
A New Beginning
On August 13, 2009, a new club called Unione Sportiva Pistoiese 1921 was formed. This happened with the help of Pistoia's mayor, Berti. The club joined Tuscany's Eccellenza league. They had a great first year and reached the play-off for promotion. However, they lost to Mosciano.
In the 2010–11 season, the team won Eccellenza Tuscany Group A. This meant they were promoted to Serie D. Pistoiese became a professional club again after winning their group in the 2013–14 Serie D. This earned them a spot in the 2014–15 Lega Pro. The next season, they reached the national play-offs for Serie B.
In January 2021, a German businessman named Stefan Lehmann bought the club. He was the first foreign owner in Pistoiese history. Despite the new owner, the team was moved down to Serie D. This happened after they lost a match against Imolese. In the 2022-23 season, Pistoiese finished second in Serie D. They did not return to Serie C.
In April 2024, the club faced more difficulties. After a change in ownership, Pistoiese did not show up for two league games. Because of this, the football league removed the club from Serie D.
FC Pistoiese (2024–Present)
After the old Pistoiese club was removed, a new group led by businessman Sergio Iorio started a new club. They successfully bought the rights to use the original Pistoiese name. The new club then acquired the sports rights of Aglianese. This allowed them to secure a place in the 2024–25 Serie D season. They also announced Massimo Taibi as their new sporting director.
Team Colors
The team's official colors are orange and blue.
See also
In Spanish: Pistoiese Football Club para niños
