AC Reggiana 1919 facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Reggiana

Full name	Associazione Calcio Reggiana S.r.l.
Nickname(s)	I Granata (The Maroons) Regia (local dialect for Reggiana) Teste Quadre (Square Heads) from an ancient Poems
Founded	25 September 1919; 105 years ago (1919-09-25)
Ground	Mapei Stadium – Città del Tricolore
Ground Capacity	21,584
Owner	Romano Amadei; Carmelo Salerno; Giuseppe Fico
Chairman	Carmelo Salerno
Manager	William Viali
League	Serie B
2023–24	Serie B, 11th of 20
Home colours Away colours Third colours

Associazione Calcio Reggiana, often called Reggiana, is a professional football club from Reggio Emilia, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. The club started in 1919. It has been reformed twice, in 2005 and 2018, after facing financial problems.

Reggiana currently plays in Serie B, which is the second-highest football league in Italy. The team is known as i Granata ("the Maroons") because of their main team color, which is maroon. The club has played in Serie A, Italy's top league, seven times. Their most recent time in Serie A was during the 1996–97 season.

The Story of Reggiana Football Club

How the Club Started

The very first football game in Reggio Emilia happened in 1909. It was part of an event by a local sports group. Later, the first football clubs appeared. Reggio Football Club, formed in 1912, became the main local team. They played in Promozione, which was Italy's second league back then.

In 1914, some members left Reggio F.C. and started a new club called Juventus F.C. These two teams played against each other in 1914–15. When Italy joined World War 1 in 1915, local football stopped. Many young players went to war and sadly lost their lives.

On September 25, 1919, a group of former players met in the main town square. Led by Severino Taddei, a former Reggio F.C. player, they decided to create a new local club. They used Juventus’s home ground, Campo Mirabello. They also used Reggio F.C.'s colors: maroon and blue. This new club was named Associazione Calcio Reggiana.

A.C. Reggiana: The Early Years (1919–2005)

The club, first known as A.C. Reggiana, played in Italy's First Division in the 1920s. More recently, they played in Serie A in 1993–94, 1994–95, and 1996–97. Their best finish was 13th place in the 1993–94 Serie A season. A famous player from that time was Brazilian goalkeeper Cláudio Taffarel. He later won the 1994 FIFA World Cup after that season.

A.C. Reggiana 1919: A New Start (2005–2018)

In July 2005, the club changed its name to A.C. Reggiana 1919. This happened after a new investor took over.

In the 2007–08 Serie C2 season, the team finished first in their group. This meant they moved up to Lega Pro Prima Divisione (which used to be Serie C1). Reggiana also won the 2008 Supercoppa di Serie C2. This was a competition for the winners of Serie C2 groups.

In 2016, former American baseball player Mike Piazza bought the club. After the 2017–18 season, his family decided not to register the team for the next Serie C season. This meant the club lost its professional status.

Reggio Audace F.C.: A Brief Chapter (2018–2020)

On July 31, 2018, a new club was formed in Reggio Emilia. It was called Reggio Audace F.C.. This name honored an older club from the 1910s. Reggiana's founder, Severino Taddei, used to play for that club. Local business owners from Reggio Emilia owned the new club. They announced Mauro Antonioli as the new coach. The club joined the 2018–19 Serie D league.

The club quickly moved up to Serie B. They were allowed into Serie C because other clubs had financial problems. Then, they won the 2019–20 Serie C playoffs. This meant they returned to Serie B after 21 years. They achieved two promotions in a row!

A.C. Reggiana 1919: Back to the Original Name (2020–Present)

On July 28, 2020, the club changed its name back to A.C. Reggiana 1919.

Team Colors and Badges

The team's home jersey is granata (maroon). This is why they are nicknamed "Granata" or "Regia". However, their shorts are usually dark blue. The club's badge has always been an orange football. It is surrounded by the words "Associazione Calcio Reggiana" with a maroon border.

Home Stadium

Reggiana played all its matches at Stadio Mirabello until 1994. Then, they moved to a new, modern stadium. This stadium is called Stadio Città del Tricolore. It was once known as Stadio Giglio. Later, another football club, U.S. Sassuolo Calcio, bought the stadium.

Reggiana Fans

Like in other Italian cities, special fan groups called "ultras" started in the 1980s. Reggiana also had these groups. When Reggiana was playing in Serie B, young people in the city formed fan groups. They would gather every Sunday to support their team.

The main fan group in Reggiana's "Curva Sud" (South Stand) was "Ultras Ghetto". They were known for their amazing displays. Since the late 1990s, the main groups have been "Teste Quadre" and "Gruppo Vandelli". These groups sit in the East Stand of the stadium. Reggiana fans have always traveled well to away games. A record 10,000 fans went to Milan in 1994.

Friends and Rivals

Reggiana fans have good and friendly relationships with fans from:

• Genoa (they are like twin clubs)
• Cremonese (they are like twin clubs)
• Vicenza (they are like twin clubs)
• Pisa
• Carrarese
• Greenock Morton

The main rival teams are:

• Parma, known as the Derby dell'Enza
• Modena, known as the Secchia Derby
• Sassuolo
• SPAL
• Spezia
• Bologna
• Piacenza

Famous Players

Many great players have played for Reggiana. Some of them include:

Youth Academy

Reggiana has a strong history of training young football players. They have a large training ground with 16 football pitches. These are located close to the club's main building. The youth teams play their games at Stadio Mirabello or other local grounds.

The academy has helped many players become professionals. Some notable players from the academy include:

Players on the Team

Current Squad

No. Position Player 1 GK Edoardo Motta 3 DF Filip Brekalo 4 DF Paolo Rozzio (captain) 5 MF Alessandro Sersanti (on loan from Juventus) 6 MF Leo Štulac (on loan from Palermo) 7 FW Manuel Marras 8 MF Luca Cigarini 10 FW Luca Vido 11 FW Cedric Gondo 13 DF Andrea Meroni 14 MF Nuhu Shaibu 15 DF Riccardo Fiamozzi 16 MF Tobías Reinhart 17 DF Lorenzo Libutti 18 FW Orji Okwonkwo (on loan from Bologna)

No. Position Player 22 GK Francesco Bardi 23 FW Stefano Pettinari 24 DF Alessandro Fontanarosa (on loan from Inter Milan) 25 MF Lorenzo Ignacchiti (on loan from Empoli) 27 FW Matteo Maggio 29 MF Oliver Urso 30 MF Antonio Vergara (on loan from Napoli) 31 DF Mario Sampirisi 39 DF Giacomo Cavallini 44 DF Lorenzo Lucchesi (on loan from Venezia) 77 MF Elvis Kabashi 80 FW Natan Girma 87 DF Yannis Nahounou 90 MF Manolo Portanova (on loan from Genoa) 99 GK Alex Sposito

Reggiana 1919 Youth Team

No. Position Player 12 GK Matteo Donelli 47 MF Filippo Tessitori

No. Position Player 97 MF Osmane Camara

Players on Loan to Other Teams

No. Position Player DF Diego Stramaccioni (at Gubbio until 30 June 2025) FW Muhamed Varela Djamanca (at Torres until 30 June 2025)

Coaching Team

Manager	William Viali
Assistant manager	Massimiliano Guidetti
Technical coach	Simone Baroncelli
Match analyst	Vincenzo Perri
Fitness coach	Giacomo Ceci
Assistant fitness coach	Mattia Fantuzzi
Fitness trainer technical assistant	Alessandro Spaggiari
Goalkeeping coach	Marco Bizzarri
Team manager	Michele Malpeli
Head of medical staff	Dott. Stefano Bondi
Club doctor	Dott. Massimiliano Manzotti
Physiotherapist	Remigio Del Sole Filippo Torricelli Gabriele Di Paola
Kit manager	Matteo Ferri

Updated to match played 1 July 2024
Source: AC Reggiana Website

Club Leaders and Directors

Honorary President and majority shareholder	Romano Amadei
Chairman and CEO	Carmelo Salerno
Vice-President	Giuseppe Fico
Vice-President and Director of Operations	Vittorio Cattani
Director of Football	Marcello Pizzimenti
Head of the Academy	Pietro Lodi
Head of Commercial Area	Luca Tedeschi
General Secretary	Nicola Simonelli
Head of Media and Marketing	Alessandro Marconi
Press Officer	Andrea Montanari
Social Media Manager	Marcello Tosi

Updated to match played 1 July 2019
Source: Reggio Audace Website

Famous Managers

One of the most famous coaches of Reggiana was Carlo Ancelotti. He later coached many top clubs like AC Milan, Juventus, Chelsea, and Real Madrid.

Club Presidents

• 1919–1923: Giuseppe Cassoli
• 1923–1925: Vittorino Palazzi Trivelli
• 1925–1928: Giovanni Bonini
• 1928–1930: Renato Bertolini
• 1930–1931: Mario Muzzarini and Franco Fontanili
• 1931–1932: Enrico Bottazzi
• 1932–1936: Marcello Bofondi
• 1936–1937: Giuseppe Pietranera
• 1937–1938: Eugenio Bolondi
• 1938–1939: Giovanni Marzi
• 1939–1941: Giovanni Robba
• 1941–1942: Alberto Ferrari
• 1942–1943: Antonio Alessio
• 1943–1945: Regolo Ferretti
• 1945–1946: Carlo Visconti and Mario Curti
• 1946–1947: Carlo Visconti
• 1947–1948: Mario Dallaglio
• 1948–1951: Renato Simonini
• 1951–1955: Enzo Dal Conte
• 1955–1956: Gianni Landini
• 1956–1965: Carlo Visconti, Gino Lari and Giorgio Degola
• 1965–1979: Carlo Visconti
• 1979–1982: Franco Vacondio
• 1982–1988: Giovanni Vandelli
• 1988–1993: Ermete Fiaccadori
• 1993–1994: Gianfranco Morini
• 1994–1995: Luciano Fantinel
• 1995–1996: Loris Fantinel
• 1996–2001: Luciano Ferrarini
• 2001–2002: Federico Spallanzani
• 2002–2004: Chiarino Cimurri
• 2004–2005: Federico Spallanzani
• 2005–2009: Vando Veroni
• 2009–2010: Clarfiorello Fontanesi
• 2010–2015: Alessandro Barilli
• 2015–2016: Stefano Compagni
• 2016–2018: Mike Piazza
• 2018–2020: Luca Quintavalli
• 2020–present: Carmelo Salerno

Club Achievements

Reggiana has won several titles throughout its history:

• Serie B
  • Winners (1): 1992–93
• Serie C
  • Winners (7): 1939–40, 1957–58, 1963–64, 1970–71, 1980–81, 1988–89, 2022–23
• Serie C2
  • Winners (1): 2007–08
• Supercoppa di Serie C2
  • Winners (1): 2008

Where Reggiana Has Played in the Leagues

Reggiana has spent many years in different Italian football leagues:

• Serie A: 3 seasons, last in 1996–97. They were moved down 4 times.
• Serie B: 34 seasons, currently playing in 2023–24. They were promoted 4 times and moved down 9 times.
• Serie C and +Serie C2: 47 seasons in Serie C and 3 seasons in Serie C2. They were promoted 9 times from Serie C and 1 time from Serie C2. They were moved down 3 times from Serie C.

Overall, Reggiana has played 86 out of 90 years in professional Italian football since 1929.

• Serie D: 4 seasons, last in 2018–19. They were promoted 2 times.

See Also

In Spanish: Associazione Calcio Reggiana 1919 para niños