Hellas Verona FC facts for kids
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| Full name | Hellas Verona Football Club S.p.A. | |||
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| Nickname(s) | I Gialloblu (The Yellow and Blues) I Mastini (The Mastiffs) Gli Scaligeri (The Scaligers) I Butei ("The Boys", in Venetian) |
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| Founded | 1903, as Associazione Calcio Hellas 1991, as Verona Football Club |
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| Ground | Marcantonio Bentegodi | |||
| Capacity | 39,211 | |||
| Owner | Maurizio Setti | |||
| President | Maurizio Setti | |||
| Head coach | Paolo Zanetti | |||
| League | Serie A | |||
| 2018–19 | Serie B, 5th of 19 (promoted via play-offs) | |||
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Hellas Verona Football Club, often called Hellas Verona, is a professional football team from Verona, Veneto, Italy. They currently play in Serie A, which is the top football league in Italy. The team famously won the Serie A championship in the 1984–85 season.
Contents
History of Hellas Verona
How it All Started
Hellas Verona was founded in 1903 by a group of Greek students. They named the club Hellas, which is the Greek word for Greece. Back then, football was mostly played in bigger cities in northwest Italy. Most people in Verona weren't very interested in the sport.
But in 1906, two city teams played a game in Verona's ancient Roman amphitheater. This made people excited, and more people started to care about football. In its early years, Hellas was one of the main teams in Verona. They competed against rivals like Bentegodi to be the best team in the city. By 1907–08, Hellas started playing against teams from other regions. This led to a big rivalry with Vicenza that still exists today.
From 1898 to 1926, Italian football was organized into regional groups. Hellas was one of the first teams in the league and often reached the final rounds. In 1911, the city helped Hellas get a proper football field. This allowed them to join their first regional tournament. This tournament was the way to qualify for the national title until 1926.
After World War I, in 1919, the team joined with another Verona team called Verona. They changed their name to Hellas Verona. Between 1926 and 1929, the best teams from regional groups formed the "Campionato Nazionale". Hellas Verona joined these top teams but found it hard to compete.
Serie A, as we know it today, began in 1929. It became a professional league. Hellas was still an amateur team. So, they joined with two other city rivals, Bentegodi and Scaligera, to form AC Verona. They hoped to build a strong team for the future. The new team started in Serie B in 1929. It took them 28 years to finally reach their goal of playing in Serie A. They were promoted to Serie A for one season in 1957–58. In 1959, the team merged with another rival (also called Hellas). They changed their name to Hellas Verona AC to remember their beginnings.
Big Wins and Challenges
With coach Nils Liedholm, the team returned to Serie A in 1968. They stayed in the top league almost all the time until 1990. During this period, they had a famous 5–3 win in the 1972–73 season. This win stopped Milan from winning the scudetto (the Serie A title). It was especially memorable because it happened on the very last day of the season.
In 1973–74, Hellas finished near the bottom of the league. They just barely avoided being sent down to a lower league. However, they were still moved down to Serie B that summer because of a scandal involving their team president. After one year in Serie B, Hellas came back to Serie A.
In the 1975–76 season, the team had a great run in the Coppa Italia (Italy's main cup competition). They beat strong teams like Torino, Cagliari, and Internazionale. But in their first ever final, Hellas lost badly, 4–0, to Napoli.
Under coach Osvaldo Bagnoli, in 1982–83, the team finished fourth in Serie A. This was their highest finish at the time. They even led the Serie A standings for a few weeks. That same season, Hellas reached the Coppa Italia final again. They won the first game 2–0 at home. But they lost 3–0 after extra time to Juventus in Turin.
More disappointment followed in the 1983–84 season. The team reached the Coppa Italia final once more. But they lost the Cup in the last minutes of the final game against Roma, who were the Serie A champions.
The team played in Europe for the first time in the 1983–84 UEFA Cup. They were knocked out in the second round by Sturm Graz. Hellas was also eliminated from the 1985–86 European Cup in the second round by Juventus. This was after a controversial game with a French referee. They had beaten PAOK of Greece in the first round.
In 1988, the team had its best international result. They reached the UEFA Cup quarterfinals. They won four games and drew three. The team was finally defeated by German side Werder Bremen.
The Amazing 1984–1985 Scudetto Win
In the 1984–85 season, Hellas Verona's team had a mix of young, rising players and experienced stars. At the start of the season, no one thought they could win the league. But adding Hans-Peter Briegel in midfield and Danish striker Preben Elkjær was key. Their attack also had Pietro Fanna, Antonio Di Gennaro, and Giuseppe Galderisi.
Some memorable moments on their way to winning the scudetto (the league title) include:
- A big 2–0 win against Juventus. Elkjær scored a goal even after losing a boot! This set the tone early.
- An away 5–3 win over Udinese. This showed the team was still strong halfway through the season.
- Three straight wins, including a tough 1–0 victory against a strong Roma team. This proved they were focused.
- A 1–1 draw in Bergamo against Atalanta. This secured the title with one game left to play.
Hellas finished the year with 15 wins, 13 draws, and 2 losses. They had 43 points, four points ahead of Torino. Internazionale and Sampdoria were also in the top four. This was a very unusual final table for Serie A. The biggest Italian teams like Juventus and Roma finished much lower than expected.
Many people wondered why this happened. The 1984–85 season was the only time referees were chosen randomly for matches. Before then, a special group always picked the referees. After a betting scandal in the early 1980s, they decided to try random selection. This was to make Italian football seem fairer. It resulted in a calmer championship and a very surprising final table.
In the next season, which Juventus won, the referees were again chosen by the special group. In 2006, a big scandal called Calciopoli showed that some clubs had been unfairly influencing referee choices.
Moving Between Leagues
Winning the scudetto was a huge achievement for a smaller city team. But soon, the team faced money problems. In 1991, the team closed down and was restarted as Verona. For several seasons, they kept moving between Serie A and Serie B. In 1995, the name was officially changed back to Hellas Verona.
Their last time in Serie A ended sadly in 2002. Talented players like Adrian Mutu, Mauro Camoranesi, and Alberto Gilardino couldn't keep up their good start. They ended up in fourth-to-last place on the very last day of the season. This meant they were sent down to Serie B.
Tough Times and Comeback
After being sent down to Serie B in 2002, the team's luck continued to be bad for several years. In the 2003–04 season, Hellas Verona struggled in Serie B. They spent most of the season trying to avoid being sent down to Serie C1, which would have been terrible. But their fans never gave up. Over 5,000 fans followed Hellas to Como on the last day of the season to celebrate. A series of late-season wins finally saved them.
In 2004–05, things looked much better. After a slow start, Hellas played well and climbed to third place. They stayed there until January 2005. Even though some players left, they fought for a spot in Serie A until the very last day.
The 2006–07 Serie B season seemed to start well. A new owner took over, ending nine years of leadership that many fans didn't like. However, Verona quickly found themselves fighting to avoid being sent down again. They finished 18th, which meant they had to play a two-game playoff against Spezia. They lost the first game 2–1 away and drew 0–0 at home. So, Verona was sent down to Serie C1 after 64 years in the top two divisions.
Verona hired experienced coach Franco Colomba to help them return to Serie B quickly. But the team stayed near the bottom of the league for most of the season. The club changed coaches several times. Despite the team's struggles, fans continued to show amazing support. On average, 15,000 people still came to games.
The 2008–09 season also didn't go well. The chairman was in a car crash and later passed away. A new chairman bought the club. The next season, 2009–10, looked promising. New players joined, and fans were very excited. Over 10,000 season tickets were sold, which was more than many Serie A teams. The team led the standings for much of the season. But they lost their lead and ended up in third place. They lost in the playoffs and had to stay in the third division for a fourth year.
Back to the Top League
In 2010–11, former World Cup star Giuseppe Giannini became manager. The team changed almost completely. They struggled at first, and Giannini was replaced by Andrea Mandorlini. He helped the team play better and become more disciplined. In the second half of the season, Verona climbed from the bottom to fifth place. They won their playoff final against Salernitana 2–1. On June 19, 2011, after four years, Verona was promoted back to Serie B!
On May 18, 2013, Verona finished second in Serie B. They were promoted to Serie A after being away for eleven years! Their return to the top league started with games against strong teams like Milan and Roma. They beat Milan 2–1 but lost to Roma 3–0. The team played steadily and finished the first half of the season in sixth place. They ended the year in tenth place.
During the 2015–16 season, Verona didn't win a single game until February 3, 2016, when they beat Atalanta 2–1 at home. This was after 23 games! Because of their poor performance, Verona was sent down from Serie A.
In the 2016–17 Serie B season, Hellas Verona finished second. This meant they were automatically promoted back to Serie A. But they only stayed for one season. They finished second-last in the 2017–18 Serie A season and were sent back to Serie B. At the end of the 2018–19 season, Hellas finished fifth. They won their promotion playoff against Cittadella 3–0 in the second game, winning 3–2 overall. This sent them back to Serie A again.
The club's return to the top league in the 2019–20 Serie A season was a big success. Many thought they would be sent down, but they finished ninth. They had a strong defense with young players like Marash Kumbulla, Amir Rrahmani, and goalkeeper Marco Silvestri. Midfielder Sofyan Amrabat also played very well. Verona was a surprise contender for a spot in the UEFA Europa League. A 2–1 home win against eventual champions Juventus in February was a highlight. The club kept 10 clean sheets (games without letting in a goal).
For Verona's second year in Serie A, some key players were sold to other teams. This left the club with a weaker squad. Again, many expected them to struggle. But Verona still finished in the top half of the league, in 10th place. Players like Mattia Zaccagni, Federico Dimarco, and Davide Faraoni had great seasons. After two impressive seasons, coach Ivan Jurić left for Torino FC. Eusebio Di Francesco became the new coach.
After another summer where star players were sold, the start of the 2021-22 season was very hard. Di Francesco was fired after just three losses. Igor Tudor took over. Under Tudor, the team became competitive again. They won three games, including against Lazio and Juventus, and drew four in their next eight matches.
Team Colors and Symbols
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The team's colors are yellow and blue. That's why their most common nickname is gialloblu, which means "yellow-blue" in Italian. These colors represent the city of Verona itself. Verona's emblem (a yellow cross on a blue shield) is on most of the team's clothes. Home kits are usually blue with yellow details.
Two other nicknames for the team are Mastini (the mastiffs) and Scaligeri. Both names refer to the Della Scala princes who ruled Verona in the 13th and 14th centuries.
The Scala family's coat of arms is on the team's jersey and logo. It shows two strong mastiffs facing away from each other. This design was introduced in 1995. The word "scaligeri" basically means "from Verona." So, it can describe anything or anyone from Verona. For example, Chievo Verona, another team, also connects itself to the Scala family.
Home Stadium
Since 1963, Hellas Verona has played at the Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi. It can hold 39,211 people. It's the eighth-largest stadium in Italy. The stadium is named after Marcantonio Bentegodi, who supported sports in Verona a long time ago.
Hellas used to share the stadium with their rivals, Chievo Verona, until 2021. The stadium was used for some games in the 1990 FIFA World Cup. Before that tournament, it was improved with an extra level, a roof, better views, and easier ways to get there.
Verona Derby: Hellas vs. Chievo
The games between Hellas Verona and Chievo Verona are called the "Derby della Scala". This name comes from the Scaligeri family, who ruled Verona in the Middle Ages.
Hellas, founded in 1903, was always the main football club in Verona. Chievo, founded in 1929, came from a small suburb of Verona. They used a small church field as their home ground and only became a professional team in 1986. At that time, Chievo started playing at the Bentegodi stadium, just like Hellas. They began to climb up the league ranks. By the mid-1990s, Chievo joined Hellas in Serie B, creating the derby.
During their early Serie B games, Hellas fans used to tease Chievo with a chant: Quando i mussi volara, il Ceo in Serie A – which means "Donkeys will fly before Chievo are in Serie A." But when Chievo got promoted to Serie A at the end of the 2000–01 season, their fans started calling their team i Mussi Volanti (The Flying Donkeys)!
In the 2001–02 season, both Hellas Verona and Chievo Verona were playing in Serie A. The first ever Verona derby in Serie A happened on November 18, 2001. Both teams were among the top four in the league! Hellas won that match 3–2. Chievo got their revenge in the return game in spring 2002, winning 2–1. Verona became the fifth city in Italy to have a cross-town derby in Serie A. Other cities with big derbies include Milan, Rome, Turin, and Genoa.
Team Achievements
Hellas Verona has won some important titles:
- Serie A (Top League)
- Winners (1): 1984–85
- Serie B (Second League)
- Winners (3): 1956–57, 1981–82, 1998–99
- Runners-up (5): 1967–68, 1991, 1996, 2013, 2017
- Coppa Italia (Italian Cup)
- Runners-up (3): 1974–75, 1982–83, 1983–84
Club Statistics
European Competitions
Hellas Verona has played in European tournaments like the European Cup and UEFA Cup.
| Competition | S | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| European Cup | 1 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 | +1 |
| UEFA Cup | 2 | 12 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 18 | 11 | +7 |
| Total | 3 | 16 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 23 | 15 | +8 |
Player Records
Most Games Played
These are players who have played the most professional games for Hellas Verona.
| # | Name | Years | Matches |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Luigi Bernardi |
1927–1939 | 337 |
| 2 |  Emiliano Mascetti |
1967–1973, 1975–1980 | 328 |
| 3 | Roberto Tricella |
1979–1984 | 324 |
| 4 |  Rafael |
2007–2016 | 314 |
| 5 | Pio Gorretta |
1929–1933, 1934–1940 | 262 |
Top Goal Scorers
These players have scored the most professional goals for Hellas Verona.
| # | Name | Years | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Arnaldo Porta |
1914–1930 | 74 |
| 2 | Sergio Sega |
1946–1952, 1954–1955 | 73 |
| 3 | Guido Tavellin |
1939–1946, 1949–1950 | 58 |
| 4 | Adaílton |
1999–2006 | 52 |
| 5 | Egidio Chiecchi |
1921–1927 | 51 |
| Luca Toni |
2013–2016 |
Team Kit and Main Sponsors
Football clubs often have different companies that make their uniforms (kit sponsors) and companies that pay to have their names on the shirts (official sponsors).
Kit Sponsors
- 1980–87: Adidas
- 1987–89: Hummel
- 1989–91: Adidas
- 1991–95: Uhlsport
- 1995–00: Errea
- 2000–03: Lotto
- 2003–06: Legea
- 2006–13: Asics
- 2013–18: Nike
- 2018–23: Macron
- 2023–: Joma
Official Sponsors
- 1982–86: Canon
- 1989–96: Rana
- 1996–97: Ferroli
- 1997–98: ZG Camini Inox
- 1998–99: Atreyu Immobiliare
- 1999–00: Salumi Marsilli
- 2000–01: Net Business
- 2001–02: Amica Chips
- 2002–06: Clerman
- 2006–07: Unika
- 2007–08: No sponsor
- 2008–10: Giallo
- 2010–11: Banca Di Verona/Sicurint Group, Protec/Consorzio Asimov
- 2011–12: AGSM/Sicurint Group, Protec/Leaderform
- 2012–13: AGSM, Leaderform
- 2013–14: Franklin & Marshall/Manila Grace, AGSM/Leaderform
- 2014–15: Franklin & Marshall, AGSM/Leaderform
- 2015–2018: Metano Nord, Leaderform
- 2018–2020: AirDolomiti, Gruppo Sinergy
- 2020–2021: Kiratech S.P.A.
- 2021–2022: Gruppo Sinergy, Omega, Vetrocar (back), LeasePlan (sleeve)
- 2022–2023: Gruppo Sinergy, Dr Automobiles, Vetrocar (back), Drivalia (sleeve)
- 2023–2024: Gruppo Sinergy, Conforama, Vetrocar (back), Drivalia (sleeve)
- 2024–2025: 958 Santero, Conforama, Vetrocar (back), Drivalia (sleeve)
Current Team Players
First-team squad
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Players on Loan to Other Teams
These players are still part of Hellas Verona but are currently playing for other clubs.
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Club Leaders and Coaches
Board of Directors
These are the people who manage the club's business side.
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Owner | Maurizio Setti |
| President | Maurizio Setti |
| Honorary President | Osvaldo Bagnoli |
| General Director | Simona Gioè |
| Sporting Director | Sean Sogliano |
| General Secretary | Mirco Zardini |
| Administrative Secretary's Office | Valentina Comparini |
| Commercial Area | Federico Fornaris |
| Communications Department | Dino Guerrini |
| Digital Department | Federico Montresor |
| SLO and Stadium Administrator | Stefano Cacciatori |
| Scouting Director | Paolo Cristallini |
| Marketing Director | Carlotta Robotti |
| Acting Auditor | Massimo Santini Stefano Olanda Fiocchi Nicola Catenacci |
| Substitute Auditor | Lorenza Catenacci Grazia Cocchi |
| Supervisory board Chairman & Member | Gabriele Tarantini Margherita Catenacci |
| Youth Center Manager |  Massimo Margiotta |
| Team Manager | Alessandro Mazzola |
Current Coaching Staff
These are the people who train and support the players.
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Paolo Zanetti |
| Assistant coach | Alberto Bertolini |
| Technical coach | Nicola Beati |
| Fitness coaches | Fabio Trentin Alessandro Scaia |
| Goalkeeping coaches | Matthias Castiglioni Massimo Cataldi |
| Match analysts | Alberto Nabiuzzi Nicolò Guberti |
| Rehab coach | Giorgio Panzarasa |
| Head of Medical | Pietro Gatto |
| Nutritionist | Filippo Gori |
| Physiotherapists | Alfonso Casano Philipp Gerold Sandro Martini |
| Osteopath/Physiotherapist | Marco Pittoli |
| Storemen | Tomas Bodini Davide Cacciatori Antonio Salomoni |
Past Managers
Here is a list of the coaches who have managed Hellas Verona over the years.
Ferenc Molnár (1924–1925)- Imre Schöffer (1925–1926)
- Aldo Fagiuoli (1926–1927)
- Imre János Bekey (1927–1928)
- Alessandro Bascheni (1928–1929)
- András Kuttik (1929–1932)
Rudolf Stanzel (1932–1933)- Imre János Bekey (1933–1934)
- Sándor Peics (1939)
- Karl Stürmer (1941–1942)
- Bruno Biagini (1948–1949)
László Székely (1949–1950)- Angelo Piccioli (1950–1953)
- Gyula Lelovics (1953)
- Luigi Rossetto (1953–1954)
- Luigi Ferrero (1954)
- Angelo Piccioli (1954–1955)
- Federico Allasio (1955)
- Angelo Piccioli (1955–1958)
- Luigi Bonizzoni (1958)
- Vinicio Viani (1958–1959)
- Guido Tavellin (1959)
- Aldo Olivieri (1959–1960)
- Romolo Bizzotto (1960–1961)
- Bruno Biagini (1961–1962)
- Guido Tavellin (1962)
- Carlo Facchini (1962–1964)
- Bruno Biagini (1964)
- Giancarlo Cadé (1964–1965)
- Omero Tognon (1965–1966)
- Ugo Pozzan (1966–1967)
Nils Liedholm (1967–1968)- Ugo Pozzan (1967–1968)
- Giancarlo Cadé (1968–1969)
- Renato Lucchi (1969–1970)
- Ugo Pozzan (1971–1972)
- Giancarlo Cadé (1972–1975)
- Luigi Mascalaito (1975)
- Ferruccio Valcareggi (1975–1978)
- Luigi Mascalaito (1978)
- Giuseppe Chiappella (1978–1979)
- Fernando Veneranda (1979–1980)
- Giancarlo Cadé (1980–1981)
- Osvaldo Bagnoli (1981–1990)
- Eugenio Fascetti (1990–1992)
- Nils Liedholm (1992)
- Edoardo Reja (1992–1993)
- Franco Fontana (1993–1994)
- Bortolo Mutti (1994–1995)
- Attilio Perotti (1995–1996)
- Luigi Cagni (1996–1998)
- Sergio Maddè (1998)
- Cesare Prandelli (1998–2000)
- Attilio Perotti (2000–2001)
- Alberto Malesani (2001–2003)
- Sandro Salvioni (2003)
- Sergio Maddè (2003–2004)
- Massimo Ficcadenti (2004–2006)
- Giampiero Ventura (2006–2007)
- Franco Colomba (2007)
- Davide Pellegrini (2007)
- Maurizio Sarri (2007–2008)
- Davide Pellegrini (2008)
- Gian Marco Remondina (2008–2010)
- Giovanni Vavassori (2010)
- Giuseppe Giannini (2010)
- Andrea Mandorlini (2010–2015)
- Luigi Delneri (2015–2016)
- Fabio Pecchia (2016–2018)
- Fabio Grosso (2018–2019)
- Alfredo Aglietti (2019)
Ivan Jurić (2019–2021)- Eusebio Di Francesco (2021)
- Igor Tudor (2021–2022)
- Gabriele Cioffi (2022)
- Salvatore Bocchetti (2022)
- Marco Zaffaroni (2022–2023)
- Marco Baroni (2023–2024)
- Paolo Zanetti (2024 - present)
World Cup Players
These players were chosen to play for their country in the FIFA World Cup while they were playing for Hellas Verona.
- Roberto Tricella (1986)
- Antonio Di Gennaro (1986)
- Giuseppe Galderisi (1986)
Preben Elkjær (1986)
Hans-Peter Briegel (1986)
Nelson Gutiérrez (1990)
Ruslan Nigmatullin (2002)- Anthony Šerić (2002)
Rafael Márquez (2014)
Lee Seung-woo (2018)
Ajdin Hrustic (2022)
Ivan Ilić (2022)- Darko Lazović (2022)
Martin Hongla (2022)
Images for kids
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The progress of Hellas Verona in the Italian football league structure since the first season of a unified Serie A (1929/30).
See also
In Spanish: Hellas Verona Football Club para niños
