ASD Licata Calcio facts for kids
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| Full name | Associazione Sportiva Dilettantistica Licata Calcio | ||
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| Nickname(s) | Gialloblu (Yellow-blues) I Santi (The Saints) Le Aquile (The Eagles) |
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| Founded | 1931 | ||
| Ground | Stadio Dino Liotta, Licata, Italy |
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| Capacity | 11,000 | ||
| Chairman | Piero Santamaria | ||
| Manager | Giovanni Campanella | ||
| League | Serie D/I | ||
| 2020–21 | Serie D/I, 10th | ||
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Licata Calcio is a football club from Licata, a town in Sicily, Italy. Its full name is Associazione Sportiva Dilettantistica Licata Calcio.
It's a historic team, one of only six from Sicily to ever play in Italy's second-highest league, Serie B. Currently, they play in Serie D, which is a lower division.
Contents
Club History: How Licata Calcio Started
The club began in 1931 as Associazione Calcio Licata. It was started by some local students. They learned about football from Swedish sailors working in the area. This is why the team's official colors, yellow and blue, are like the flag of Sweden. In 1967, the club changed its name to Polisportiva Licata.
Rising Through the Leagues
Licata first played in a professional league, Serie C2, in 1982. This was a big step for the club.
During the 1984–85 season, something amazing happened. Licata, coached by a young Zdeněk Zeman, won the Serie C2 league. They were promoted to Serie C1. What made this special was that most of the players were young talents from their own youth team.
In 1988, with Aldo Cerantola as coach, Licata won Serie C1/B. This meant they were promoted to Serie B for the first time ever! Serie B is the second-highest football league in Italy.
Playing in Serie B
In their first season in Serie B, Licata did very well. They finished in ninth place, even above a famous team like Parma. They also got to play a Coppa Italia match against AC Milan at the famous San Siro Stadium.
However, the next season was tougher. Licata finished 18th and was moved back down to Serie C1. A couple of seasons later, in 1991–92, they went down to Serie C2. By 1994, the club faced serious financial problems and had to stop playing.
New Beginnings for the Club
After the club stopped in 1994, a new team called Licata AC was formed. It started playing in a regional league called Eccellenza. But in 1996, this new team also faced problems and stopped.
Then, another new team, Santos Licata, was created. It later changed its name to Nuovo Licata and finally to the current Associazione Sportiva Dilettantistica Licata Calcio. This team started from a lower league called Promozione.
In the 2005–06 season, Licata won their league in Sicilian Eccellenza. This meant they returned to Serie D after ten years! In the 2010–11 season, they were promoted again from Eccellenza Sicily group A to Serie D.
In 2014, the club faced financial difficulties again, and a new club had to be created to continue the team's legacy.
Team Colors and Nicknames
Licata's traditional team colors are yellow and blue. This is why they are often called Gialloblu, which means "Yellow-blues" in Italian.
The club has two other nicknames:
- I Santi (The Saints)
- Le Aquile (The Eagles)
Famous Coaches
Some notable coaches who have managed Licata include:
- Aldo Cerantola (Italy)
- Giuseppe Papadopulo (Italy)
- Zdeněk Zeman (Czech Republic/Italy)
Club Achievements
Licata has won some important titles in Italian football:
- Serie C1
- Champions: 1987–88
- Serie C2
- Champions: 1984–85
