Bologna FC 1909 facts for kids
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| Full name | Bologna Football Club 1909 S.p.A. | |
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| Nickname(s) | I Rossoblù (The Red and Blues) I Veltri (The Greyhounds) I Felsinei (The Felsinians) I Petroniani (The Petronians) |
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| Founded | 3 October 1909 | |
| Ground | Stadio Renato Dall'Ara | |
| Capacity | 36,532 | |
| Owner | BFC 1909 Lux SPV S.A. (99.93%) | |
| Chairman | Joey Saputo | |
| Head coach | Vincenzo Italiano | |
| League | Serie A | |
| 2018–19 | Serie A, 10th of 20 | |
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Bologna Football Club 1909, often called Bologna, is a professional football team from Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, Italy. They play in Serie A, which is the top football league in Italy.
Bologna has won seven top Italian league titles, three Coppa Italia cups, and one UEFA Intertoto Cup.
The club was started in 1909. Bologna was one of the first teams in Serie A. They won many of their league championships in the late 1930s. Their last league title was in 1964. They also won two Coppa Italia titles in the 1970s.
Bologna has played in Serie A for 75 seasons. This is the ninth-most in Italian football history. The team has played at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara since 1927. This stadium is the tenth-largest in Serie A.
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The Story of Bologna FC
The idea for Bologna Football Club came from Emilio Arnstein. He was an Austrian who loved football from his time at university.
The club officially started on October 3, 1909, in the city of Bologna. Carlo Sandoni was the club's first manager. Louis Rauch from Switzerland became the first president.
On March 20, 1910, Bologna played its first game ever. They played against Virtus and won with a score of 9–1. The first team included players like Koch, Chiara, and Guido Della Valle.
Bologna won their regional league in their first season. This helped them move up to a league called Group Veneto-Emiliano. They played there for four seasons. Football leagues were paused for World War I.
Winning Titles: The 1920s and 1930s
After World War I, Bologna started to become very successful. They reached the semi-finals of the Northern Italian competition in 1919–20. The next year, they made it to the Northern League finals.
Bologna became champions of Northern Italy and the whole country for the first time in 1924–25. They beat Genoa after five tough final matches. A few seasons later, Bologna won their second Italian championship in 1928–29. This was the last time the league used the old system. Serie A started the next year.
Bologna won the Scudetto (Italian championship) three more times before World War II. These wins were in 1935–36, 1936–37, and 1938–39. They also won one during the war in 1940–41.
After World War II
After World War II, the club had less success. In the 1950s and 1960s, the team usually finished in the middle of the league table. Then, in 1963–64, they won the league title again. This is still their last Serie A championship. It brought the club's total to seven titles. This win allowed Bologna to play in the 1964–65 European Cup (now the UEFA Champions League).
Bologna did well in the 1970s. They won the Italian Cup twice. In one final, they played against Palermo. The game ended 1–1 and went to a penalty shootout. Bologna won 4–3.
Moving Up and Down the Leagues
Starting in the 1981–82 season, the club began to struggle. They were moved down from Serie A. They were moved down twice in a row and ended up in Serie C1. They quickly won their way out of C1 the next year. Bologna returned to Serie A for the 1988–89 season.
They did not stay long in Serie A. They were moved down again in 1991 and returned to Serie C1 in 1993. The club came back to Serie A in 1996. Two years later, Bologna had success in Europe. They won the UEFA Intertoto Cup and played in the UEFA Cup. The club stayed in Serie A until the 2004–05 season.
Time in Serie B
Bologna hoped to get promoted from Serie B in the 2005–06 season. But they started poorly, and their coach was fired. The team changed owners during this time. Bologna finished eighth in the 2005–06 Serie B season. In the 2006–07 season, they finished seventh.
For the 2007–08 season, Daniele Arrigoni became coach. He helped the team get promoted back to Serie A. They finished second in Serie B.
Back in Serie A
In 2008, the club was sold to a local group led by Francesca Menarini. She became the second female chairman in Serie A history. Bologna started the 2008–09 season well with a surprising 2–1 win against Milan. However, they then struggled, losing eight of their next nine matches. The coach was replaced by Siniša Mihajlović.
On April 14, 2009, Giuseppe Papadopulo became the new manager. He helped the team avoid being moved down to Serie B on the last day of the season. In the 2009–10 season, Bologna played in Serie A for the 65th time. They avoided being moved down again, even with money problems.
In June 2010, the club was sold to Sergio Porcedda. The coach, Franco Colomba, was fired just before the 2010–11 season started.
New Owners: The "Bologna 2010" Group
On December 23, 2010, a group called Bologna 2010 bought the club. This group was led by Giovanni Consorte and Massimo Zanetti. The previous owner had not paid wages, and the club was in danger of going bankrupt. Zanetti became the new chairman.
After only 28 days, Massimo Zanetti and the CEO resigned. Albano Guaraldi became the new chairman on April 7, 2011.
In the 2013–14 season, Bologna was moved down to Serie B again. The club also had many financial problems. The chairman, Albano Guaraldi, was criticized by fans. He sold a star player, Alessandro Diamanti, to a Chinese club.
A group from North America, led by Joe Tacopina and Joey Saputo, showed interest in buying the club. On October 15, 2014, the club was sold to BFC 1909 Lux SPV. Tacopina became the new chairman.
The Saputo Era
Under the new ownership, Bologna was promoted back to Serie A in 2015. Joey Saputo became the new chairman on November 17, 2014.
In their first season back in Serie A, Bologna finished 14th and avoided being moved down. In the next two seasons, they finished 15th. In the 2018–19 Serie A season, Bologna finished in a good 10th place. For the next three seasons, Bologna continued to finish in the middle of the Serie A table.
On September 12, 2022, Thiago Motta became the head coach of Bologna. The club finished 9th in the 2022–23 season. They earned 54 points, which was a new record for the team. Under Motta's leadership in the 2023–24 season, the club achieved something amazing. They qualified for the 2024–25 UEFA Champions League for the first time since 1964–65. They finished in the top five in Serie A and set a new record of 68 points.
Vincenzo Italiano became the new head coach for the 2024–25 season. Bologna played in the Champions League. They had one win, three draws, and four losses. On May 14, 2025, Bologna won their third Coppa Italia title. This was their first Coppa Italia win since 1974. They beat Milan 1–0 in the final.
Home Stadium
Bologna's official stadium is the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara. It is the biggest sports building in Bologna. The stadium is named after Renato Dall'Ara, a former chairman of the club. He passed away just three days before a Serie A championship final. The stadium can hold 38,500 people.
One part of the stands, called the curva Bulgarelli, is for Bologna's most passionate fans. It is named after player Giacomo Bulgarelli. Another stand is for visiting fans and is named after Árpád Weisz. He was a coach for Bologna's winning team before World War II.
Team Players
Current Squad
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Other Players Under Contract
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Players Out on Loan
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Club Leaders: Chairmen and Managers
Bologna has had many leaders throughout its history. Some were owners, and others were honorary chairmen.
Chairmen History
| Name | Years |
|---|---|
| Louis Rauch | 1909–10 |
| Pio Borghesani | 1910 |
| Emilio Arnstein | 1910 |
| Domenico Gori | 1910–12 |
| Rodolfo Minelli | 1912–15 |
| Arturo Gazzoni (Honorary chairman) | 1916–18 |
| Rodolfo Minelli | 1918–19 |
| Cesare Medica | 1919–21 |
| Angelo Sbarberi | 1921–22 |
| Antonio Turri | 1922 |
| Ruggero Murè (Honorary chairman) | 1923 |
| Enrico Masetti | 1923–25 |
| Paolo Graziani | 1925–28 |
| Gianni Bonaveri | 1928–34 |
| Renato Dall'Ara | 1934–64 |
| Luigi Goldoni | 1964–68 |
| Raimondo Venturi | 1968–70 |
| Name | Years |
|---|---|
| Filippo Montanari | 1970–72 |
| Luciano Conti | 1972–79 |
| Tommaso Fabbretti | 1979–83 |
| Giuseppe Brizzi | 1983–85 |
| Luigi "Gino" Corioni | 1985–91 |
| Piero Gnudi | 1991–93 |
| Giuseppe Gazzoni Frascara | 1993–2002 (Honorary chairman) |
| Renato Cipollini | 2002–05 |
| Alfredo Cazzola | 2005–08 |
| Francesca Menarini | 2008–10 |
| Sergio Porcedda | 2010 |
| Massimo Zanetti | 2010–11 |
| Marco Pavignani | 2011 |
| Albano Guaraldi | 2011–14 |
| Joe Tacopina | 2014–2015 |
| Joey Saputo | 2014–Present |
Club Staff
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Sporting director |  Marco Di Vaio |
| Head coach | Vincenzo Italiano |
| Assistant head coach | Daniel Niccolini |
| Athletic coach | Piero Campo Ivano Tito Mirko Balestracci Paolo Aiello Nicolo' Prandelli |
| Goalkeeping coach | Vincenzo Sicignano Antonio Rosati |
| Match analyst | Stefano Fricano Paolo Riela |
| Data analyst | Luca Benedetti |
| Team manager | Tommaso Fini |
| Head of medical | Gianni Nanni |
| Team doctor | Giovanbattista Sisca Luca Bini |
| Physiotherapist | Luca Ghelli Luca Govoni Gianluca Scolaro Simone Spelorzi Juan Manuel Parafita |
| Kit manager | Matteo Campagna Nicola Capelli Davide Nicolini |
| Secretary | Maurizio Rizzi |
| Scout | Pasquale Ussia |
| Technical director | Giovanni Sartori |
Managerial History
Bologna has had many managers and trainers over the years. Sometimes, two managers worked together. Here is a list of them from 1920 onwards.
| Name | Years |
|---|---|
| Hermann Felsner | 1920–31 |
| Gyula Lelovics | 1931–32 |
| József Nagy | 1932 |
| Achille Gama | 1932–33 |
| Technical Commission Pietro Genovesi Bernardo Perin Angelo Schiavio |
1933–34 |
| Lajos Kovács | 1934 |
| Árpád Weisz | 1934–38 |
| Hermann Felsner | 1938–42 |
| Mario Montesanto | 1942–43 |
| Alexander Popovic | 1945–46 |
| Technical Commission Pietro Genovesi Angelo Schiavio |
1946 |
| József Viola | 1946–47 |
| Gyula Lelovics | 1947–48 |
| Tony Cargnelli | 1948–49 |
| Edmund Crawford | 1950–51 |
| Raffaele Sansone | 1951 |
| Giuseppe Galluzzi | 1951–52 |
| Gyula Lelovics | 1952 |
| Giuseppe Viani | 1952–56 |
| Aldo Campatelli | 1956–57 |
| Ljubo Benčić | 1957 |
| György Sárosi | 1957–58 |
| Alfredo Foni | 1958–59 |
| Federico Allasio | 1959–61 |
| Fulvio Bernardini | 1961–65 |
| Name | Years |
|---|---|
| Manlio Scopigno | 1965 |
| Luis Carniglia | 1965–68 |
| Giuseppe Viani | 1968 |
| Cesarino Cervellati | 1968–69 |
| Oronzo Pugliese | 1969 |
| Edmondo Fabbri | 1969–72 |
| Oronzo Pugliese Cesarino Cervellati |
1972 |
| Bruno Pesaola | 1972–76 |
| Gustavo Giagnoni | 1976–77 |
| Cesarino Cervellati | 1977 |
| Bruno Pesaola | 1977–79 |
| Marino Perani | 1979 |
| Cesarino Cervellati | 1979 |
| Marino Perani | 1979–80 |
| Luigi Radice | 1980–81 |
| Tarcisio Burgnich | 1981–82 |
| Francesco Liguori | 1982 |
| Alfredo Magni | 1982 |
| Paolo Carosi | 1982–83 |
| Cesarino Cervellati | 1983 |
| Giancarlo Cadé | 1983–84 |
| Nello Santin | 1984 |
| Bruno Pace | 1984–85 |
| Carlo Mazzone | 1985–86 |
| Vincenzo Guerini | 1 July 1986 – 4 May 1987 |
| Giovan Battista Fabbri | 1987 |
| Luigi Maifredi | 1 July 1987 – 30 June 1990 |
| Francesco Scoglio | 1990 |
| Name | Years |
|---|---|
| Luigi Radice | 1990–91 |
| Luigi Maifredi | 1991 |
| Nedo Sonetti | 1991–92 |
| Eugenio Bersellini | 1992–93 |
| Aldo Cerantola | 1993 |
| Romano Fogli | 1993 |
| Alberto Zaccheroni | 1993 |
| Edoardo Reja | 8 December 1993 – 30 June 1994 |
| Renzo Ulivieri | 1994–98 |
| Carlo Mazzone | 1 July 1998 – 30 June 1999 |
| Sergio Buso | 1999 |
| Francesco Guidolin | 1 July 1999 – 30 June 2003 |
| Carlo Mazzone | 1 July 2003 – 30 June 2005 |
| Renzo Ulivieri | 2005 |
| Andrea Mandorlini | 9 November 2005 – 5 March 2006 |
| Renzo Ulivieri | 2006–07 |
| Luca Cecconi | 2007 – 30 June 2007 |
| Daniele Arrigoni | 1 July 2007 – 3 November 2008 |
| Siniša Mihajlović | 3 November 2008 – 14 April 2009 |
| Giuseppe Papadopulo | 14 April 2009 – 20 October 2009 |
| Franco Colomba | 21 October 2009 – 29 August 2010 |
| Paolo Magnani (interim) | 29–31 Aug 2010 |
| Alberto Malesani | 1 September 2010 – 26 May 2011 |
| Pierpaolo Bisoli | 26 May 2011 – 4 October 2011 |
| Stefano Pioli | 4 October 2011 – 8 January 2014 |
| Davide Ballardini | 8 January 2014 – 30 June 2014 |
| Diego López | 1 July 2014 – 4 May 2015 |
| Delio Rossi | 4 May 2015 – 28 October 2015 |
| Roberto Donadoni | 28 October 2015 – 24 May 2018 |
| Filippo Inzaghi | 1 July 2018 – 28 January 2019 |
| Siniša Mihajlović | 28 January 2019 – 6 September 2022 |
| Luca Vigiani (interim) | 6–12 September 2022 |
| Thiago Motta | 12 September 2022 – 23 May 2024 |
| Vincenzo Italiano | 1 July 2024 – |
Team Sponsors
Football clubs often have sponsors who help fund the team. Here are some of Bologna's sponsors over the years.
Kit Sponsors
- 1978–1979: Admiral
- 1980–1982: Tepa Sport
- 1982–1988: Ennerre
- 1988–1993: Uhlsport
- 1993–1996: Erreà
- 1996–2000: Diadora
- 2000–2001: Umbro
- 2001–present: Macron
Official Sponsors
- 1981–1982: Febal
- 1982–1983: Pasta Bertagni
- 1983–1984: Pasta Corticella
- 1984–1985: Ebano
- 1985–1986: Idrolitina
- 1986–1989: Segafredo
- 1989–1992: Mercatone Uno
- 1992–1993: Sinudyne
- 1993–1994: Buona Natura
- 1994–1997: Carisbo
- 1997–2001: Granarolo
- 2001–2004: Area Banca
- 2004–2005: Amica Chips
- 2005–2006: Europonteggi
- December 2006: Motor Show
- January–March 2007: Woolrich
- March–June 2007: Volvo
- December 2007 – March 2008: Joe Marmellata
- April–June 2008: Carisbo
- September 2008 – June 2009: Unipol
- August–September 2009: Cogei
- October–November 2009: Cerasarda
- November 2009 – June 2010: BIGPoker.it
- October 2010 – Cerasarda
- October 2009 – Ceramica Serenissima
- August 2014 – June 2015: +energia
- August 2011 – June 2015: NGM
- September 2015 – June 2018: FAAC – Illumia
- June 2018 – June 2020: Liu·Jo
- September 2020 – June 2022: Facile Ristrutturare – Selenella – Illumia
- June 2022 – present: Cazoo – Lavoropiù
Team Records
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Club Trophies
Bologna has won many important titles throughout its history.
| Type | Competition | Titles | Seasons |
|---|---|---|---|
| Domestic | Serie A | 7 | 1924–25, 1928–29, 1935–36, 1936–37, 1938–39, 1940–41, 1963–64 |
| Coppa Italia | 3 | 1969–70, 1973–74, 2024–25 | |
| Serie B | 2 | 1987–88, 1995–96 | |
| Serie C | 1 | 1994–95 |
Other Titles
- Mitropa Cup
- Winners (3): 1932, 1934, 1961
- UEFA Intertoto Cup
- Winners (1): 1998
- Anglo-Italian League Cup
- Winners (1): 1970
- Tournoi de Paris
- Winners (1): 1937
Friendly Tournaments
- Nova Supersports Cup
- Winners (1): 2001
League History
This table shows how Bologna has moved between different Italian football leagues.
| Series | Years | Last | Promotions | Relegations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 78 | 2024–25 | — |  4 (1982, 1991, 2005, 2014) |
| B | 12 | 2014–15 |  4 (1988, 1996, 2008, 2015) |
2 (1983, 1993) |
| C | 3 | 1994–95 | 2 (1984, 1995) |
never |
| 93 years of professional football in Italy since 1929 | ||||
| Founding member of the Football League’s First Division in 1921 | ||||
See also
In Spanish: Bologna Football Club 1909 para niños
- Scudetto of the Pistols
