Venezia FC facts for kids
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| Full name | Venezia Football Club S.r.l. | ||
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| Nickname(s) | I Leoni alati (The Winged Lions) I Lagunari (The Lagoonal Ones) Gli Arancioneroverdi (The Orange-Black-Greens) |
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| Founded | 14 December 1907, (as Venezia Foot Ball Club) | ||
| Ground | Pier Luigi Penzo | ||
| Capacity | 11,150 | ||
| Owner | VFC Newco 2020 LLC | ||
| Chairman | Duncan L. Niederauer | ||
| Head coach | Eusebio Di Francesco | ||
| League | Serie B | ||
| 2018–19 | Serie B, 15th of 19 | ||
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Venezia Football Club is a professional football team from Venice, Italy. They play in Serie B, one of Italy's top football leagues.
The club started as Venezia Foot Ball Club in 1907. For most of its history, the team has played in Italy's top two football leagues.
Venezia's biggest win was the Coppa Italia in the 1940–41 season. The next season, they had their best-ever finish in Serie A, coming in third place.
Contents
- History of Venezia FC
- Team Colors, Badge, and Nicknames
- Home Stadium
- Club Achievements
- Where Venezia Has Played in the Leagues
- Player Records
- Players
- Club Staff
- See also
History of Venezia FC
How the Club Started
Venezia Foot Ball Club was created on December 14, 1907. About 20 football fans in Venice joined together. They combined the football parts of two local sports clubs. These were the Martial Gymnastics Society and Costantino Reyer.
The first matches were played in the pine forest of Sant'Elena. Venezia played against teams from nearby cities like Padova and Verona. They also played against crews from ships visiting Venice. Venezia's first game was on December 22, 1907, against Vicenza. It ended in a 1–1 tie.
Venezia first played in Italy's top league in 1909. They were the only team from their region. They went straight to the semifinals but lost both games.
The team played in the top league, Prima Categoria, from 1910–11 to 1914–15. This was the last season before Italy entered World War I.
In the 1911–12 season, Venezia won their regional group. They reached the national final against Pro Vercelli. However, they lost both games.
On September 7, 1913, a new stadium opened on Sant'Elena island. It was called Campo Sportivo Comunale di Sant’Elena. Later, it would be named Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo. Venezia lost the first game there to Genoa, 0–7.
Changes and Promotions (1919-1939)
Becoming AC Venezia
In April 1919, Venezia F.B.C. joined with another local club, Aurora F.B.C. They changed the club's name to Associazione Calcio Venezia. The government even helped the club with money. This was to make up for using their sports field as a military base.
In the 1921–22 season, Venezia was moved down to a lower league, the Seconda Divisione. They returned to the Prima Divisione in 1926–27. However, this league was now the second level of Italian football.
In the 1927–28 season, Venezia finished second in their group. They were then moved up to the Divisione Nazionale. This was because the league was made bigger.
In the 1928–29 season, Venezia finished 11th in their group. They were moved down to Serie B. This league started in the 1929–30 season. Venezia finished 7th that year.
Briefly SS Serenissima
In the summer of 1930, Venezia changed its name again to Società Sportiva Serenissima. The team colors also changed to red. The Lion of Saint Mark, a symbol of Venice, was put on the team's shirts.
In May 1931, the stadium on Sant'Elena was named after Pier Luigi Penzo. He was a pilot from World War I.
After five years in Serie B, S.S. Serenissima finished last in 1933–34. They were supposed to be moved down. But the league expanded, so they stayed in Serie B.
Back to AC Venezia and Serie A
On August 1, 1934, the club went back to its old name, Associazione Calcio Venezia. They also returned to their traditional black and green colors.
In the 1934–35 Serie B season, Venezia was moved down to Serie C. But they quickly came back up. They won Serie C in the 1935–36 season and moved back to Serie B. Venezia also did well in the 1935–36 Coppa Italia. They reached the Round of 32.
The next season, Venezia reached the Round of 16 in the 1936–37 Coppa Italia. They lost to A.C. Milan. They also managed to stay in Serie B after winning a special playoff.
In 1937, Arnaldo Bennati became the club president. Venezia started to get better. In the 1937–38 Serie B season, they finished 8th. Bennati brought in important players like Víctor Tortora.
In the 1938–39 Serie B season, Venezia finished second. This meant they were promoted to Serie A! They won a dramatic game against Atalanta on the last day. The winning goal was scored by Francesco Pernigo. He is still Venezia's top scorer in Serie A with 45 goals.
After Venezia reached Serie A, their stadium, Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo, was made bigger. Its capacity went from 10,000 to 22,000 seats.
The Golden Era (1939-1968)
Winning the Coppa Italia
When Venezia returned to Serie A, the team got stronger. New players arrived, including Valentino Mazzola. Mazzola was in Venice for military service. Venezia saw him play and bought him. In the 1939–40 Serie A season, Venezia finished 10th. They even beat the champions, Ambrosiana Inter. This set the stage for their two most successful seasons.
In 1940, Giovanni Battista Rebuffo became the manager. The team got even better when Ezio Loik joined from A.C. Milan. Loik and Mazzola became a famous duo. In the 1940–41 Serie A season, Venezia finished 12th. But they went on to win the 1940–41 Coppa Italia! This was the club's first major trophy. Venezia beat A.S. Roma in the final. After a 3–3 tie in Rome, Venezia won 1–0 at Stadio Penzo with a goal from Loik.
The next year, Venezia almost won the league title. In the 1941–42 Serie A season, Loik and Mazzola were amazing. Francesco Pernigo scored 12 goals. Venezia finished third, which is still their best-ever result in Serie A. In the 1941–42 Coppa Italia, Venezia reached the semifinals but lost to A.C. Milan.
In the summer of 1942, Venezia sold Loik and Mazzola to Torino. They were sold for a lot of money at the time. Venezia struggled in the 1942–43 Serie A season. They finished 14th and had to win a playoff to stay in Serie A. But in the 1942–43 Coppa Italia, Venezia reached their second final in three years. They lost to Torino, 4–0, with Mazzola scoring against his old team.
After the 1942–43 season, football in Italy stopped because of World War II.
After the War
After World War II, Venezia went back to being called Associazione Calcio Venezia.
Football started again in Italy in 1945–46. Venezia struggled and finished 13th. Serie A returned in 1946–47. Even with 13 goals from Valeriano Ottino, Venezia was moved down to Serie B. The club president, Arnaldo Bennati, also left. This started a difficult time for the club.
Venezia finished fourth in Serie B in 1947–48. Then, in 1948–49, they were promoted back to Serie A. They finished second, just one point ahead of Vicenza.
But Venezia had money problems. In the 1949–50 Serie A season, the club was run by a local council. They had to sell their top scorer, Adriano Zecca. Venezia finished last and was moved down to Serie B. In 1950, Mario Renosto was sold to A.C. Milan. He won the league title with Milan the next season.
Back in Serie B, Venezia finished sixth in 1950–51. This was despite 20 goals from Pietro Broccini. He then left for Inter Milan.
In the 1951–52 season, Venezia was moved down to Serie C. They stayed there for four seasons. They were promoted back to Serie B in 1956–57.
Even in Serie B, Venezia did well in the 1958–59 Coppa Italia. They beat Roma and Torino. They reached the semifinals but lost to Inter. Venezia barely avoided being moved down to Serie C again in 1959–60.
In the 1960–61 Serie B season, a businessman named Anacleto Ligabue took over the club. He brought back manager Carlo Alberto Quario. This was a great decision! Venezia finished first and returned to Serie A after 11 years. The team had young players like Gianni Rossi and new stars like Luigi Raffin. Raffin scored 17 goals that year. The team celebrated by having a parade of gondolas on the canals.
When Venezia returned to Serie A in 1961–62, Count Giovanni Volpi di Misurata became president. The team started slowly but had a good season. They beat Juventus and A.C. Milan. They finished 12th. The team had midfielder Juan Santisteban from Real Madrid. Raffin scored 11 goals.
But in the 1962–63 Serie A season, Venezia finished 17th. They were moved down to Serie B again. Many players left, including Carlo Alberto Quario and Gino Raffin.
After three seasons in Serie B, Venezia was promoted to Serie A again. They finished first in the 1965–66 Serie B season. But in the 1966–67 Serie A season, Venezia was moved straight back down to Serie B. They would not play in the top league again for over 30 years. In the 1967–68 Serie B season, Venezia was moved down to Serie C.
Tough Times (1968-1986)
After being moved down from Serie B in 1968, Venezia struggled. They played in lower leagues like Serie C, Serie C1, Serie C2, and Serie D throughout the 1970s and 1980s.
New Ownership and Comeback (1987-2005)
Maurizio Zamparini and Mergers
Before the 1986–87 season, a businessman named Maurizio Zamparini bought Venezia. He would lead the club for the next 16 seasons.
After his first season, Zamparini combined Venezia with a club from the mainland, A.C. Mestre. Mestre was also in Serie C2. This merger happened on June 26, 1987. Zamparini temporarily changed the club's name to Calcio VeneziaMestre. In November 1989, it became Associazione Calcio Venezia again. With the merger, the club's colors changed from black and green to orange, black, and green. Also, the team moved its home games from Stadio Penzo in Venice to Stadio Francesco Baracca in Mestre.
In the 1987–88 season, Venezia was promoted from Serie C2 to Serie C1. This was their first time back in the third league since 1976–77.
Over the next two seasons, the team got better. Players like Andrea Poggi and a young Paolo Poggi helped the team work towards returning to Serie B.
Return to Serie B
In the 1990–91 season, Venezia, led by manager Alberto Zaccheroni, was promoted back to Serie B. This was after 23 years away! In a playoff game, Venezia beat Como 2–1. About 7,000 fans from Venice and Mestre came to watch.
The stadium in Mestre was not big enough for Serie B games. So, Venezia moved back to Stadio Penzo in Venice. They made the stadium better and bigger.
Venezia stayed in Serie B for the next seven seasons. Then, they finally earned another promotion.
Back to Serie A
In the 1997–98 Serie B season, Venezia finished second. They were promoted back to Serie A after 31 years!
Before the 1998–99 Serie A season, the team got stronger. They signed striker Filippo Maniero and goalkeeper Massimo Taibi. In the first half of the season, Venezia was at the bottom of the league. Maniero hadn't scored. But things changed in January. A young player named Álvaro Recoba joined on loan from Inter Milan. Maniero and Recoba became a great team. They scored 23 goals together in the second half of the season. This helped Venezia move out of the relegation zone. In one of the last games, Venezia needed to beat Recoba's old club, Inter, to stay in Serie A. Recoba scored a goal and helped with another in a 3–1 win. Venezia finished 11th, staying in Serie A.
For the 1999–2000 Serie A season, Venezia changed managers. But without Recoba, they struggled. They went through three coaches that season. Venezia did well in the 1999–2000 Coppa Italia. They reached the semifinals but lost to Lazio. However, this good form didn't help them in the league. Venezia finished 16th and was moved down to Serie B.
For the 2000–01 Serie B season, Venezia hired manager Cesare Prandelli. He led Venezia right back to Serie A. But it didn't last long. Prandelli left early in the 2001–02 Serie A season. Venezia finished last and was moved down again.
Zamparini Leaves and Club Problems
On July 21, 2002, Maurizio Zamparini left Venezia to take over another club, Palermo. The next day, 12 players and the manager were moved from Venezia to Palermo. This was called the "theft of Pergine." Many key players, including Filippo Maniero, left Venezia.
Venezia finished 15th in the 2002–03 Serie B season. Then 20th in 2003–04. They survived a relegation playoff. But the club's money problems were too big to fix.
At the end of the 2004–05 Serie B season, Venezia was moved down and declared bankrupt.
Rebuilding the Club (2005-2015)
Società Sportiva Calcio Venezia
In the summer of 2005, the club was started again as Società Sportiva Calcio Venezia. They were allowed to play in Serie C2. In the 2005–06 Serie C2 season, Venezia was promoted to Serie C1. They spent three seasons there. But the club went bankrupt again at the end of the 2008–09 season.
Foot Ball Club Unione Venezia
In the summer of 2009, Venice was in danger of not having a football club. The mayor, Massimo Cacciari, helped start a new club. On July 27, 2009, the club was re-founded as Foot Ball Club Unione Venezia. It was seen as the true successor to the old club. They were allowed to play in Serie D. Venezia won Serie D in 2011–12. They were promoted again in 2012–13. But they only lasted two seasons in the third league before going bankrupt for the third time in 10 years.
Recent Years (2015-Present)
Venezia FC and New Owners
In September 2015, a group of American investors bought the club. They were led by lawyer Joe Tacopina. They started the club again as Venezia FC. In the 2015–16 season, Venezia was promoted from Serie D to Serie C.
Filippo Inzaghi as Manager
In June 2016, Venezia hired Filippo Inzaghi as manager. He was a famous former Italian national team player. His only other managing job was with A.C. Milan.
In Inzaghi's first season, 2016–17, Venezia was promoted to Serie B. They also won the Coppa Italia Serie C. They won the Serie C title on April 19, 2017.
In the 2017–18 Serie B season, Venezia was a surprise team. They almost got promoted to Serie A. They finished fifth, their best Serie B finish in years. They won their first playoff game. But they lost to Palermo in the semifinals.
In June 2018, Inzaghi left Venezia. He later joined Bologna.
Changes in Ownership
After Inzaghi left, Venezia had three different coaches in the 2018–19 Serie B season. They finished 15th. They were supposed to be moved down to Serie C after losing a playoff. But Palermo was punished for money problems, so Venezia stayed in Serie B.
Before the 2019–20 Serie B season, Venezia hired Alessio Dionisi as manager. In February 2020, the club's ownership changed. Duncan Niederauer, a former CEO of the New York Stock Exchange, became the club president.
The 2019–20 Serie B season was stopped because of the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy. When it started again, Venezia played very well. They lost only two of their last 10 games. They beat Perugia on the last day to stay in Serie B.
In July 2024, new investors joined the club. These included APEX Capital and Chiron Sports Group.
Return to Serie A
In August 2020, Venezia built a new team staff. They hired former players Mattia Collauto and Paolo Poggi. They also hired a young American, Alex Menta, and manager Paolo Zanetti.
In the 2020–21 Serie B season, Venezia finished fifth. They qualified for the promotion playoffs to Serie A. They won their first playoff game in extra time. Then, they beat Lecce in the semifinals. Star striker Francesco Forte scored many important goals. In the final, Venezia played A.S. Cittadella. They won the first game 1–0 away. The second game was a 1–1 tie at home. A late goal from Riccardo Bocalon secured Venezia's return to Serie A! This was their first time in Serie A in 19 years. It also meant the club had gone from Serie D to Serie A in just five years.
Venezia celebrated their return to Serie A with a parade of historical boats and gondolas on the Grand Canal.
On August 9, 2021, the club bought American midfielder Gianluca Busio. This was their most expensive player ever. Venezia's first game back in Serie A was a 2–0 loss to Napoli on August 22, 2021. However, their time in Serie A was short. They were moved down to Serie B at the end of the season.
Serie B: 2022–24
For the 2022–23 Serie B season, Ivan Javorčić became the new head coach. The club signed striker Joel Pohjanpalo and goalkeeper Jesse Joronen. They hoped to return to the top league quickly. The season started slowly. Javorčić was fired in October 2022. Venezia had won only two of their first 12 games.
Paolo Vanoli was hired as the new coach. The team got much better. They finished 8th and qualified for the promotion playoffs. Pohjanpalo scored 19 goals. But Venezia lost to Cagliari in the playoffs. At the end of the 2023–24 season, Vanoli led Venezia to finish 3rd. Captain Pohjanpalo won the Golden Boot with 22 goals. In the promotion playoffs, Venezia beat Palermo and Cremonese. They were promoted back to Serie A after two seasons in Serie B!
Team Colors, Badge, and Nicknames
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| Venezia's original kit |
Venezia's first colors were blue and red. Their shirts had halves in these colors, like Genoa's kit. But just one year after the club started, they changed to black and green.
Later, in 1987, the club joined with Associazione Calcio Mestre. Mestre wore orange and black. So, orange also became one of Venezia's official colors. This gave them the nickname arancioneroverdi (orange-black-greens). Venezia's kit is very unique. The shirt, shorts, and socks are usually black with green and orange trim.
The symbol of the Venetian club is a winged-lion. This is often mistaken for a griffin. The golden winged-lion is the official symbol of the city of province of Venice. This symbol led to one of the club's most popular nicknames: leoni alati (winged-lions).
The club's badge has changed many times because the club's name has changed. The most common badge has the golden winged lion. It also features the green and orange club colors with a golden border. Since Venice is on the Venetian Lagoon, the club is also called lagunari (Lagoonal ones).
Home Stadium
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Venezia's stadium, Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo, first opened in 1913. It is named after World War I pilot Pier Luigi Penzo. Stadio Penzo is the second-oldest stadium in Italy. Only Genoa's Stadio Luigi Ferraris is older.
The stadium is on the island of Sant'Elena. It is next to the Venice Biennale grounds. It is special because you can mostly reach it only by boat.
The most people who ever attended a game was 26,000. This was for a Serie A match against A.C. Milan in 1966.
The stadium was first built from wood. In the 1920s, a concrete main stand was added. More improvements were made over the years.
On September 11, 1970, a tornado hit Venice. It caused a lot of damage to the stadium. Only parts of the stadium were fixed. Its capacity was reduced to just over 5,000 seats.
When the club returned to Serie A in 1998, more temporary stands were added. This brought the capacity back up to 13,400. But it has since been reduced again to the current capacity of 7,450.
Club Achievements
League Titles
- Serie B
- Winners: 1960–61, 1965–66
- Serie C/Serie C1
- Winners: 1935–36, 1955–56, 2016–17
- Serie C2
- Winners: 2005–06
- Serie D
- Winners: 1982–83, 2011–12, 2015–16
Cup Wins
- Coppa Italia
- Winners: 1940–41
- Coppa Italia Lega Pro
- Winners: 2016–17
Where Venezia Has Played in the Leagues
| Series | Years | Last | Promotions | Relegations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 13 | 2021–22 | — |  7 (1947, 1950, 1963, 1967, 2000, 2002, 2022) |
| B | 38 | 2023–24 |  8 (1939, 1949, 1961, 1966, 1998, 2001, 2021, 2024) |
4 (1935, 1952, 1968, 2005✟) |
| C C2 |
23 10 |
2016–17 | 4 (1936, 1956, 1991, 2017) 3 (1988 C2, 2006 C2, 2013 C2) |
4 (1977, 1982, 2009✟, 2015✟) |
| 84 out of 91 years of professional football in Italy since 1929 | ||||
| D | 7 | 2015–16 | 4 (1979, 1983, 2012, 2016) |
Never |
Player Records
Most Games Played
- These are for official, professional matches only.
| # | Name | Years | Matches |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Gianni Grossi |
1960–1969 | 269 |
| 2 | Mario Tesconi |
1954–1957, 1958–1964 | 255 |
| 3 | Marco Modolo |
2009–2010, 2015– | 241 |
| 4 | Giancarlo Filippini |
1989–1993, 1994–1998 | 220 |
| 5 | Mattia Collauto |
2004–2012 | 218 |
| 6 | Paolo Poggi |
1989–1992, 2002–2003, 2004, 2006–2009 | 217 |
| 7 | Mario Ardizzon |
1956–1963, 1971–1974 | 215 |
| 8 | Roberto Bellinazzi |
1967–1969, 1970–1972, 1973–1974 | 202 |
| 9 |  Francesco Pernigo |
1938–1947 | 197 |
| 10 | Giovanni Bubacco |
1957–1969 | 191 |
Top Goal Scorers
- These are for official, professional matches only.
| # | Name | Years | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Francesco Pernigo |
1938–1947 | 70 |
| 2 | Filippo Maniero |
1998–2002 | 54 |
| 3 | Roberto Bellinazzi |
1967–1969, 1970–1972, 1973–1974 | 52 |
| 4 |  Giovanni Alberti |
1938–1947 | 49 |
| 5 |  Emil Zubin |
2010–2012 | 48 |
| 6 | Paolo Poggi |
1989–1992, 2002–2003, 2004, 2006–2009 | 44 |
| 7 |  Joel Pohjanpalo |
2022–present | 42 |
| 8 | Gino Raffin |
1960–1963 | 39 |
| 9 | Adriano Zecca |
1947–1949 | 38 |
| 10 | Raffaele Cerbone |
1993–1996 | 35 |
| Luigi Capuzzo |
1982–1987 |
Players
Current Team Squad
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Club Staff
Board of Directors
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Current Coaching Staff
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See also
In Spanish: Venezia Football Club para niños
