FC Matera facts for kids
| Full name | Football Club Matera Società Sportiva Dilettantistica |
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| Nickname(s) | Biancazzurri, il Bue | |||
| Founded | 1933 1958 (refounded) 1988 (refounded) 1998 (refounded) 2012 (refounded) 2019 (refounded) 2021 (FC Matera) |
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| Ground | Stadio XXI Settembre - Franco Salerno, Matera, Italy |
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| Capacity | 7,490 | |||
| Chairman | ? | |||
| Manager | ? | |||
| 2024–25 | Serie D 6th | |||
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Football Club Matera, often called Matera, is a football club from the city of Matera, Italy.
The club first started in 1933 as U.S. Matera. Over the years, the team faced many challenges, including financial difficulties, and had to restart several times. In September 2022, the club proudly brought back its original name and logo: FC Matera.
Contents
History
Early Days of Matera Football
Football became popular in Matera around 1926. The first official club, "Unione Sportiva Matera," was founded on September 5, 1933. Their team colors were maroon. On January 28, 1934, they played their first official home match against Bitonto. This game also marked the opening of their new stadium, which later became the "XXI Settembre" Stadium.
Matera played in regional championships, which were the highest level at the time. In 1936–37, the club changed its name to Associazione Sportiva Materana. It remained the city's top football team until World War II. During the war, Matera was the only non-Apulian team to play in the 1944 CONI Cup.
Rising Through the Ranks
In 1950, Matera Calcio joined an interregional championship called Promozione, which is similar to today's Serie D. They were relegated but quickly returned to the interregional category in 1953, which was then called IV Series. They played there for five seasons.
In 1963, two local teams, Libertas and Acli Piccianello, joined together to form FootBall Club Matera. Two years later, this new club won its group and became the Lucanian champion of the First Category.
The Franco Salerno Era
In 1965, Franco Salerno became the president of F.B.C. Matera. He led the club for 22 years and helped them reach their highest levels. After three years in Serie D, Matera won the championship in 1967–68. This victory brought them to Serie C for the first time. They were relegated in 1975 but returned to Serie C a year later. In 1978, Serie C was reorganized, and Matera was placed in the new Serie C1.
Reaching Serie B
The 1978-1979 season was a historic one for Matera. Under President Franco Salerno and coach Franco Dibenedetto, the team won the Serie C1 championship. On the very last day, they beat Lucchese, earning promotion to Serie B for the first and only time in the club's history. The XXI Settembre Stadium was later named after Franco Salerno to honor his contributions.
In the 1979–80 Serie B season, Matera had a good start. However, their performance declined in the second half of the season. This led to them being relegated twice, first from Serie B to C2.
New Beginnings and Challenges
In the late 1980s, F.C. Matera merged with another local team, Pro Matera, to form Pro Matera Sport, which later became Matera Sport. In 1991, Matera won the interregional championship and was promoted to C2 after winning a play-off. They also won the Jacinto Trophy, a tournament for play-off winners, becoming Interregional Italian Champions.
In 1992-1993, Matera finished third in Serie C2 and returned to C1 after 12 years. However, due to financial issues, they were relegated back to C2. The club faced more difficulties, leading to the bankruptcy of Matera Sport and the creation of Polisportiva Matera. Despite this, they continued to play in Serie C2. In 1998, a new club, Materasassi Sports Association, was formed from a merger. This led to a local derby (a match between two teams from the same city) in the 1998–99 Eccellenza Lucana championship.
In 1999–00, Materasassi won the Eccellenza championship, bringing Matera football back to an interregional category. In the 2004–05 season, fans even collected money to help the club, showing their strong support.
Coppa Italia Serie D Success
In the 2009–10 season, Matera achieved a significant victory by winning the Coppa Italia Serie D. They also won the promotion playoffs, which allowed them to join 2010-11 Lega Pro Seconda Divisione.
In 2011, the club faced more financial problems and was excluded from professional championships. In 2012, a new club, A.S.D. Matera Calcio, was founded and started playing in Serie D. In 2014, this club returned to the third level of Italian football, changing its name to S.S. Matera Calcio. They reached the Lega Pro play-offs in 2015 and 2017 and the Coppa Italia Lega Pro final in 2017. However, in 2019, S.S. Matera Calcio was excluded from the Serie C championship due to withdrawals.
Matera Calcio 2019 and Beyond
The club was refounded in 2019 as U.S.D. Matera Calcio 2019 and started from a lower league. In 2021, it merged with another team and became U.S.D. Matera Grumentum, winning the Lucanian Eccellenza championship. In September 2022, the club officially returned to its current name and logo: FC Matera.
In the 2022–23 season, after a challenging start, the team improved greatly under a new coach. They finished in 7th place, achieving their main goal of staying in the league.
Colors and Badge
The main colors of Matera Calcio are white and blue. These colors come from the city's official coat of arms. When the first football team was founded, the club initially chose maroon as its color. However, in the 1967-1968 season, a white jersey with a blue diagonal stripe was introduced. This design soon became the classic Matera jersey.
Stadium
Matera plays its home games at the Stadio XXI Settembre-Franco Salerno. This is the largest stadium in the Basilicata region. It was built in 1933 and was first called Campo Sportivo Luigi Razza. After World War II, its name was changed to Stadio XXI Settembre. This new name honored September 21, 1943, a significant date in Matera's history.
On June 16, 2001, the stadium was also named after Franco Salerno. He was the president of Matera Football Club when they reached Serie B in the 1979-80 season. This was the last time a football team from Basilicata played in that league. In 1979, the stadium was renovated, adding new sections and increasing its capacity. Over the years, the capacity has been adjusted for safety reasons.
Notable Former Players
Luigi De Canio- Francesco Mancini
Dragutin Ristić- Fernando Veneranda
- Giovanni Di Lorenzo
Honours
- Coppa Italia Serie D
- Winners: 2009–10
