FC Crotone facts for kids
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| Full name | Football Club Crotone S.r.l. | |||
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| Nickname(s) | I Pitagorici (The Pythagoreans) Gli Squali or Lo Squalo Calabrese (The Sharks or The Shark of Calabria) Rossoblù (Red and Blue) |
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| Founded | 1910 | |||
| Ground | Stadio Ezio Scida | |||
| Capacity | 16,647 | |||
| Chairman | Gianni Vrenna | |||
| Head coach | Emilio Longo | |||
| League | Serie B | |||
| 2018–19 | Serie B, 12th of 19 | |||
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Football Club Crotone S.r.l., usually called Crotone, is an Italian football team. It is based in the city of Crotone, in a region called Calabria. The team currently plays in Serie C, which is the third level of Italian football.
The club was started on September 20, 1910. Their home games are played at Stadio Ezio Scida. This stadium can hold 16,647 fans.
Contents
History of FC Crotone
The city of Crotone has a long history. It was once an ancient Greek settlement called Kroton. The football club is very proud of its Greek roots. You can often see Greek symbols, like Spartan soldiers, on their banners.
Early Years and Challenges
The first football team in Crotone was Società sportiva Crotona. It was formed in 1910. However, it did not join the official Italian Football Federation right away. Later teams, like Milone Crotone, played in smaller leagues.
After World War II, a new club was formed. It was called Unione Sportiva Crotone. This team played in Serie C for seven seasons. In 1963, they moved down to Serie D. But they quickly returned to the third division the next year. They stayed there for 14 years.
In 1978, Italian football leagues changed. Crotone moved down to Serie C2. The next year, the club faced financial problems. A new club, Associazione Sportiva Crotone, started playing in a lower league.
Climbing the Ranks
Crotone worked its way back up. In 1984–85, they were promoted to Serie C2. The team changed its name to Kroton Calcio. They were promoted to C2 again in 1986–87. They played there until 1991.
After more financial troubles, a new club was founded. It was named Football Club Crotone Calcio. Raffaele Vrenna became the chairman. The team started in a very low league, the Promozione. Crotone then earned promotions one after another. They moved up to Serie C2 and then to Serie C1. They won important play-off games to achieve this.
Reaching Serie B and Serie A
Under coach Antonello Cuccureddu, Crotone reached Serie B for the first time in 2000. Serie B is the second-highest league in Italy. They went back to Serie B in 2004. They stayed there until the 2006–07 season.
After a short time back in lower leagues, Crotone returned to Serie B in 2009. They won a play-off game against Benevento.
First Time in Serie A
A huge moment for the club came in 2016. Crotone was promoted to Serie A, which is the top football league in Italy! This was the first time in their history.
In the 2016–17 season, Crotone had a tough start. They only earned two points from their first ten matches. Many thought they would be relegated. However, the team showed amazing spirit. They went on a seven-match unbeaten run. This included five wins. On the very last day of the season, they beat Lazio 3-1. This win helped Crotone move up to 17th place. They avoided relegation, which was seen as a football miracle! Striker Diego Falcinelli scored 13 goals, and coach Davide Nicola led the team.
Return to Serie B and Serie A Again
In the next season, Crotone could not avoid relegation. They lost to Napoli in the final match. They returned to Serie B after two seasons in Serie A.
After the 2019-20 season, Crotone was promoted to Serie A again! They finished second in the Serie B table. However, their time in the top league was difficult. They spent most of the season at the bottom of the table. Crotone was officially relegated back to Serie B after 34 games. This happened after a loss to Inter, who became champions that year.
Despite the team's struggles, some players performed very well. Striker Simy scored 20 goals. This was a record for a player on a relegated team. However, Crotone also set a new Serie A record for goals conceded. They let in 92 goals in one season.
Recent Seasons
After being relegated to Serie B, the club needed to reduce player salaries. They loaned out players like Junior Messias to AC Milan and Simy to Salernitana. This made the team's attack weaker. Crotone finished 19th in Serie B. This meant they were relegated for a second time in a row. They moved down to 2022-23 Serie C.
Team Colours and Nicknames
Crotone's team colours are dark blue, white, and red. Their traditional kits have dark blue and red stripes.
The club's Greek origins are very important to them. Some of their team slogans include "Salutate la Magna Grecia" ("Salute Greater Greece") and "Noi siamo la Magna Grecia" ("We are Greater Greece"). Fans proudly call their city "La Capitale Della Magna Grecia" ("The capital of Greater Greece").
The team's nickname is "the Pythagoreans." This comes from the famous Greek philosopher Pythagoras, who lived in ancient Crotone. They are also known as "The Sharks" (Gli Squali).
Team Rivalries
FC Crotone has a strong rivalry with LFA Reggio Calabria. Their matches are called the "Magna Graecia derby." The club also has rivalries with Cosenza Calcio and US Catanzaro 1929.
Players and Staff
Current Squad
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Players on Loan
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Coaching Staff
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach |  Emilio Longo |
| Assistant coach | Vincenzo Migliaccio |
| Assistant coach | Giuseppe Brescia |
| Goalkeeper coach | Nicola Barasso |
| Fitness coach | Fabio Allevi |
| Fitness coach | Elmiro Trombino |
| Physiotherapist | Armando Cistaro |
| Physiotherapist | Matteo Errico |
| Physiotherapist | Riccardo Pupo |
| Chief doctor | Massimo Iera |
| Club doctor | Massimo Bisceglia |
Past Managers
- Giorgio Tricoli (1954–1955)
- Bruno Giordano (1996–1997)
- Antonello Cuccureddu (1999–2001)
- Giuseppe Papadopulo (2000–2001)
- Antonio Cabrini (2001)
- Stefano Cuoghi (2001–2002)
- Franco Selvaggi (2002)
- Gian Piero Gasperini (2003–2004)
- Andrea Agostinelli (2004–2005)
- Gian Piero Gasperini (2005–2006)
- Elio Gustinetti (2006–2007)
- Guido Carboni (2007)
- Francesco Moriero (2008–2009)
- Franco Lerda (2009–2010)
- Leonardo Menichini (2010)
- Eugenio Corini (2010–2011)
- Leonardo Menichini (2010–2012)
- Massimo Drago (2012–2015)
Ivan Jurić (2015–2016)- Davide Nicola (2016–2017)
- Walter Zenga (2017–2018)
- Giovanni Stroppa (2018–2021)
- Serse Cosmi (2021)
- Francesco Modesto (2021)
- Pasquale Marino (2021)
- Francesco Modesto (2021-)
