History of Palermo FC facts for kids

Palermo, the top football club in Sicily, has a long and exciting history! It was officially started in 1900.

The club has been restarted several times, most recently in 2019. Palermo has played in all the different Italian professional leagues, from the top league (Serie A) to lower ones. In the early 2000s, the team became very strong again, returning to Serie A and even playing in the UEFA Cup for the first time. This made the club famous around the world! Currently, Palermo plays in Serie B, which is Italy's second-highest football league. They qualified for the UEFA Cup three years in a row, from 2004 to 2007.

How Palermo Football Club Started (1900-1927)

Old Palermo FBC logo

Historical first Anglo-Palermitan Athletic & Football Club lineup from 1900.

Palermo team that won the Lipton Cup in 1910.

Football arrived in Palermo thanks to the strong connections between local wealthy families and British people. For a long time, people thought the team started in 1898, but it's now known that the official start was on 1 November 1900.

A young man named Ignazio Majo Pagano, who learned about football in England, helped start the "Anglo-Palermitan Athletic and Foot-Ball Club." The club wanted to help sports grow in the city. They chose red and blue as their first team colors, like a shirt Majo Pagano brought from England. Edward de Garston, the British Consul in Palermo, became the first president.

The team played its first game on 30 December 1900, against a team from a British ship called "Nathan." Early games were often against teams from British ships visiting the port of Palermo.

Ignazio Majo Pagano also kept in touch with Alfredo Marangolo, who started the "Messina Football Club" in his hometown. These two friends wanted their clubs to play each other. The first "Sicilian derby" (a match between two rival teams from the same region) was played on 18 April 1901. Palermo won 3-2!

From 1908 to 1914, Palermo also played in the Lipton Challenge Cup, winning it three times, including a big 6-0 victory in 1912. Football activities then stopped until 1918 because of World War I.

In 1907, the club changed its name to Palermo Foot-Ball Club. The team colors also changed to the famous pink and black. Some say this happened because of a washing accident with the old red and blue shirts. Others say the colors were chosen to represent "bitter" and "sweet" feelings, like a poem.

After World War I, on 16 February 1919, the club was restarted by young university students and sportsmen, and its name became U.S. Palermo. In 1920, Palermo won the Coppa Federale Siciliana.

Rising in the Leagues (1927-1943)

In 1926, Palermo was in the "Prima Divisione," which was like the second level of Italian football. However, the club had to stop playing in December 1927 because of money problems.

The city's main team then became Vigor Palermo. This club later merged with the old Palermo company on 15 July 1928, and took back the name Palermo Football Club and the pink and black colors. Thanks to a fundraising effort, the club got a lot of money to help it grow.

Palermo was then allowed to play in the "Campionato Meridionale 1928-1929," which could lead to a spot in the new Serie B championship. Palermo played well and was promoted to Serie B the next year!

The team had a great start in Serie B, almost getting promoted to Serie A in their first season. The next year, they won the Serie B championship and were promoted to Serie A for the first time!

For their first season in Serie A, the club moved to a new stadium called Stadio Littorio, which is now known as Stadio Renzo Barbera. The first game there was on 24 January 1932, and Palermo won 5-1. After a couple of years, Palermo became a strong team in Serie A, finishing 7th in 1934-35. But the next season, they went back down to Serie B.

In Serie B, Palermo played against Messina and Catania for the first time on a national level. This started the famous Sicilian derby rivalry! The first official derby game was in 1935, and Catania won 1-0.

In 1936, the fascist government made Palermo change its colors to yellow and red, which were the official colors of the local city. The club also faced money problems. In 1940, Palermo was kicked out of the Italian Football Federation because of these financial issues.

A new club was formed by merging with another team, becoming Unione Sportiva Palermo-Juventina. They started in Serie C in 1941 and played in light blue colors. In 1942, they returned to Serie B and switched back to the original pink and black. However, in 1943, the club had to stop playing because of World War II.

Palermo After the War (1946-1970)

Palermo goalscorer, Santiago Vernazza.

After World War II, Palermo returned to playing football. In the 1947-1948 season, Palermo won their group in Serie B and were promoted back to Serie A! The team had great players like Čestmír Vycpálek and Carmelo Di Bella. The president, Stefano La Motta, had promised to bring Palermo back to Serie A, and he did!

Palermo stayed in Serie A for six seasons. They finished 11th in 1948-49, even beating strong teams like Grande Torino. The club brought in talented players and coaches. In 1951-52, Palermo almost reached first place but ended up 11th. They were relegated back to Serie B in 1954 after losing a playoff.

After being relegated, the club went through big changes. Many new players joined, including Enzo Benedetti, who became the team captain. Palermo became known as a "Club Yo-yo" because they often went up to Serie A and then down to Serie B.

One of the most loved players during this time was Santiago Vernazza, a striker from Argentina. He scored 54 goals for Palermo and was a fan favorite! In the summer of 1960, Palermo played in international competitions for the first time, like the Cup of the Alps and the Mitropa Cup.

Palermo also helped develop many young players who became famous, like Tarcisio Burgnich and goalkeeper Roberto Anzolin, who later played for Juventus FC. In the 1961-62 season, Palermo had a great year, finishing 8th in Serie A. They even had a historic 4-2 win against Juventus in Turin! In the same year, the first Sicilian derbies in the top league were played against Calcio Catania.

In 1968, the football club changed its name to Società Sportiva Calcio Palermo. That year, the team returned to Serie A again.

Ups and Downs (1970-2001)

On 4 May 1970, Renzo Barbera became the new chairman of the club. He is remembered as one of the best chairmen in Palermo's history. After 1973, Palermo mostly played in Serie B for a long time.

Even though they were in a lower league, Palermo did well in cup competitions. They reached the Italian Cup final in 1974 against Bologna. The game ended in a 1-1 tie, and Palermo lost in a penalty shootout.

The club's name was changed again to Società Sportiva Calcio Palermo in 1977. They reached their second Coppa Italia final in 1979, but lost 2-1 to Juventus after extra time.

In 1984, Palermo was relegated to Serie C1 for the first time, but they quickly returned to Serie B a year later. However, in the summer of 1986, the club was kicked out of the league because of money problems.

After a year without professional football, the club was restarted in the summer of 1987 with its current name. They started in Serie C2 and won it right away!

Palermo returned to Serie B in 1991, but only for a year. They won the Serie C1 championship in 1993. That season, many other Sicilian clubs were in the league, and Palermo was promoted to Serie B along with Acireale. The team stayed in Serie B for four seasons. In 1994, they made history with a 1-0 away win against AC Milan in the Coppa Italia!

The 1995-1996 season was a highlight for Palermo in the 1990s. They finished 7th in Serie B, almost getting promoted. They also reached the Coppa Italia quarter-finals, beating strong teams like Parma and Vicenza. This team had many players from Palermo and was coached by Ignazio Arcoleo, who was also from Palermo.

However, the next season, they were relegated to Serie C1. In 1997, Palermo had one of its worst seasons and almost went down to Serie C2. Luckily, they were saved by the federation.

On 3 March 2000, AS Roma chairman Franco Sensi bought the team. Palermo won their group in Serie C1 in 2000-2001 and were promoted to Serie B the next year, after a tough fight against their island rivals, Messina.

Back in Serie A (2001-2005)

In the summer of 2002, Palermo was sold by Franco Sensi to a businessman named Maurizio Zamparini. He bought many new players for the team.

The 2002-03 season was the first with Zamparini as owner. The club changed managers several times that season. Palermo almost got promoted to Serie A on the last day, but lost and finished fifth.

Zamparini was very ambitious and bought top players like Luca Toni, Lamberto Zauli, and Eugenio Corini, as well as promising young players. In January 2004, the coach was fired, and Francesco Guidolin took over. Palermo ended the season by winning the Serie B title! Luca Toni was the top scorer in the league with 30 goals.

The 2004-05 season was Palermo's first back in Serie A since 1973. Fans were very excited, and all 33,000 season tickets were sold! Palermo had an excellent season, finishing sixth. This meant they qualified for the 2005-06 UEFA Cup for the first time in their history! Luca Toni also broke Palermo's Serie A scoring record with 20 goals.

Years in Europe (2005-2013)

After two successful seasons, Francesco Guidolin left as coach, and Luigi Delneri took over for the 2005-06 season. This was Palermo's first time playing in a European competition. Luca Toni was sold, and new players were signed. The team started well, with a great 3-2 win against Inter Milan and a successful UEFA Cup debut. Palermo won their group stage in the UEFA Cup.

However, Palermo struggled in the league, and Delneri was fired in January 2006. Giuseppe Papadopulo became the new coach. Palermo reached the Coppa Italia semi-finals for the third time but lost to AS Roma. They were also knocked out of the UEFA Cup. Palermo finished eighth in the league.

Because of a big scandal in Serie A in 2006, Palermo's league position was moved up to fifth place, which meant they qualified for the 2006-07 UEFA Cup! Francesco Guidolin returned as coach. Palermo spent a lot of money on new players like Aimo Diana, Mark Bresciano, and Amauri. They had a very exciting start to the season, even beating Catania 5-3 in the Sicilian derby and winning 2-0 against AC Milan at their stadium. They also knocked out West Ham United in the UEFA Cup. However, they finished last in their UEFA Cup group that year.

On 2 February 2007, a Sicilian derby away game was stopped because of violence outside the stadium, where a policeman was sadly killed. This led to a two-week stop for all football leagues in Italy. After these events, Palermo, who were in third place, didn't win a single game for a while and dropped to sixth. The chairman, Maurizio Zamparini, fired Guidolin, then brought him back for the last two games. Guidolin's return brought two wins, and Palermo finished fifth, qualifying for the UEFA Cup 2007-08 for the third year in a row!

For the 2007-08 season, Stefano Colantuono became the new coach. Palermo signed new players like Boško Janković and Fabrizio Miccoli. However, they had a disappointing start, including being knocked out of the UEFA Cup by a Czech team. Zamparini fired Colantuono and brought Guidolin back again. Guidolin's fourth time as coach was not successful, and Palermo struggled. Colantuono was then brought back again in March 2008.

Colantuono stayed as coach for the 2008-09 season. Star players like Amauri were sold, and new players like Marco Amelia were signed. Palermo had a disappointing start, losing in the Coppa Italia. After just one league game, Zamparini fired Colantuono again, and Davide Ballardini took over. With Ballardini, Palermo finished a respectable eighth place. After the season, Ballardini was dismissed, and Walter Zenga became the new coach. Zenga's time lasted only 13 games, and Delio Rossi was appointed.

Under Delio Rossi, Palermo's results improved a lot. They had a record of seven home wins in a row and beat Italian giants Milan and Juventus 2-0. This put Palermo in fourth place, making them contenders for a Champions League spot, which they narrowly missed. This season also saw new stars emerge, like midfielder Javier Pastore and goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu.

Former club captain Fabrizio Miccoli

Delio Rossi continued as coach for the new season. Palermo sold some players and signed promising young players and experienced ones. The 2010-11 season marked Palermo's return to European football in the UEFA Europa League. Palermo reached their third Coppa Italia final in 2011, beating Milan, but lost 3-1 to Internazionale in the final.

For the 2011-12 season, Stefano Pioli replaced Delio Rossi, but he was fired before the Serie A season started after being knocked out of the Europa League. The under-19 team coach, Devis Mangia, took over, even though he had little experience. Mangia helped Palermo climb to fifth place with many home wins. However, a series of bad results led to Mangia being replaced by Bortolo Mutti. Palermo finished 16th that season.

Zamparini's Later Years and Return to Serie B (2013-2018)

For the 2012-13 season, Zamparini made more changes to the staff. Palermo sold important players as part of a big restructuring. The season started poorly, leading to the coach being fired and replaced. Results didn't get better, and Palermo fell into the relegation zone. After many changes in coaches and staff, Palermo finished 18th and was relegated to Serie B after nine seasons in Serie A.

For the new Serie B season, Zamparini appointed former Milan and Italy international star Gennaro Gattuso as the new manager, even though he had little experience. He was fired in September 2013. However, Palermo quickly turned things around under Giuseppe Iachini, who took over after Gattuso. Palermo won promotion back to Serie A on 3 May 2014, with a 1-0 win over Novara. They had a record-breaking Serie B season, finishing with 86 points, more than any previous record holders!

Giuseppe Iachini, a former Palermo midfielder, led the club to a Serie B championship and broke the highest-Serie-B-point record.

Because of his success, Iachini stayed as head coach for the 2014-15 Serie A season. Palermo had a great season, winning many games and fighting for a UEFA Europa League spot, thanks to their Argentine strikers Paulo Dybala and Franco Vázquez.

In the 2015-16 season, Palermo started without Dybala, who moved to Juventus. The team relied on striker Alberto Gilardino and Vázquez. On 10 November 2015, coach Giuseppe Iachini was fired due to disappointing results. He was replaced by Davide Ballardini. Ballardini only lasted 7 matches before being fired by Zamparini after disagreements with the players. Palermo had many coaching changes that season, with several different managers taking charge. On 15 May, Palermo avoided relegation on the last day of the league with a 3-2 win over Hellas Verona, finishing 16th.

For the 2016-17 season, Zamparini made more changes to the staff and sold many senior players. The new coach, Roberto De Zerbi, was fired after poor results. Former club captain Eugenio Corini took over.

On 27 February 2017, Zamparini stepped down as chairman of Palermo after 15 years. He announced he would sell the club to an Anglo-American fund. Paul Baccaglini was named the new club president on 6 March.

Palermo finished the season in 19th place and was relegated to Serie B. The sale of the club did not go through, and Zamparini remained in charge. On 4 July 2017, Baccaglini resigned as chairman, and Zamparini took over again.

Palermo's goal in the 2017-18 Serie B season was to get promoted back to Serie A right away. They finished the first half of the season in first place. However, a series of bad results led to the coach being dismissed and replaced. Palermo finished fourth in the regular season and lost in the playoff finals. The club also had some administrative problems.

New Owners, Money Problems, and Exclusion from Serie B (2018-2019)

For the 2018-19 Serie B season, Palermo had to sell several players because of money problems. The coach was replaced again. On 24 October 2018, an attempt to buy the club from Zamparini failed.

On 22 November 2018, the club confirmed that Zamparini had agreed to sell the club to an unknown investor. On 1 December, Zamparini confirmed the sale to a London company for a very small price. The takeover was made official on 29 December 2018, and Clive Richardson became the new chairman.

In January 2019, the new owners faced tensions within the board, and the chairman and a director left the club. On 14 February 2019, the club was sold again to a group led by Daniela De Angeli. They announced they would find new investors. On 3 May 2019, it was announced that Arkus Network had bought Palermo F.C. Alessandro Albanese became the new chairman.

By the end of the 2018-19 Serie B season, Palermo was originally in third place. However, on 13 May, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) moved them to the bottom of the league table because of money problems. This meant they were relegated to Serie C. On 29 May 2019, Palermo partly won an appeal, and instead of being relegated to Serie C, they were given a 20-point penalty, so they stayed in Serie B.

However, on 24 June 2019, Palermo failed to correctly submit its application to play in the 2019-20 Serie B season. This meant the club was formally excluded from Serie B on 12 July 2019. All its players and staff were released.

A Fresh Start for the Club (2019-Present)

On 23 July 2019, the Mayor of Palermo, Leoluca Orlando, announced that a new club would be formed to play in Serie D for the 2019-20 season. The next day, he chose "Hera Hora srl," owned by Dario Mirri (who is Renzo Barbera's nephew) and Tony DiPiazza, as the new owners.

The new club, renamed Società Sportiva Dilettantistica Palermo, started with Rosario Pergolizzi as their first manager. They managed to keep one player from the previous Serie B team, Andrea Accardi, and signed former Palermo star Mario Santana. Palermo finished first in their Serie D campaign and were promoted to Serie C by the Italian Football Federation. This happened after all amateur leagues were stopped in March 2020 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. On 16 July 2020, the club changed its name to Palermo Football Club.

Images for kids

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  Palermo supporters in the 2006 Sicilian derby