S.S.D. Varese Calcio facts for kids
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| Full name | Società Sportiva Dilettantistica Varese Calcio S.r.l. | |||
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| Nickname(s) | I Leopardi (The Leopards) | |||
| Founded | 22 March 1910 | |||
| Dissolved | 14 July 2019 2004 as AS Varese 2015 as Varese Calcio |
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| Ground | Stadio Franco Ossola, Masnago, Varese, Italy |
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| Capacity | 8,213 | |||
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Varese Calcio was a football club from Varese, Italy. It was first started on March 22, 1910. The club changed its name several times over the years. It was known as Varese Football Club, then Associazione Sportiva Varesina, and later Varese Sportiva. From 2004 to 2015, it was called A.S. Varese 1910. Sadly, the club stopped playing in 2019.
Contents
History of Varese Football Club
Early Days and First Matches
The club began on March 22, 1910. It was named Varese Football Club. The main goal was to play football and other outdoor sports. All members, including players and managers, paid a small fee each month.
The club's first colours were white and purple. Their first playing field was a local market place. A simple rope kept the crowd away from the pitch. Players changed in a nearby alley restaurant.
Varese played many friendly games at first. They played against teams like "Aurora" and "Libertas." They also played against bigger clubs like Inter. In 1914, Varese joined an official league. This was the Lega Regionale Lombarda. Their American goalkeeper, Sormani, was a star player.
Impact of World War I and New Colours
In May 1915, World War I stopped the football season. After the war ended in 1919, football became popular again. In 1926–27, the club changed its colours. They became white and red, matching the city's colours.
A new stadium was built in Masnago. It was first called Stadio del Littorio. In 1950, it was renamed Stadio Franco Ossola. This was to honour Franco Ossola, a player who died in a plane crash in 1949.
Golden Era and Famous Players
In 1964, Varese had a great time. With Giovanni Borghi as president, they reached Serie A. This is Italy's top football league. They got there after two promotions in a row.
Many famous players wore the white and red shirt. These included Pietro Anastasi and Roberto Bettega. Some World Cup winners also played for Varese. These were Claudio Gentile, Giampiero Marini, and Riccardo Sogliano.
Varese stayed in the top league for about ten years. This "golden era" ended in 1975. The team was then relegated to a lower league.
Years in Lower Divisions
From 1975 to 1985, the club mostly played in Serie B. This is the second division. They spent one year in the third division (1979–80). But they quickly moved back up to Serie B.
After 1985, Varese struggled to return to Serie B. They spent many seasons in lower leagues. In 1994, they were promoted from a league called Campionato Nazionale Dilettanti. They returned to Serie C1 within four years. This was thanks to manager Stefano Capozucca.
In 2001, the Turri family took over the club. But by 2004, the club faced big money problems.
A New Start: A.S. Varese 1910
In July 2004, the old Varese Football Club went bankrupt. A new club was formed called A.S. Varese 1910. They had to start again in a lower league called Eccellenza. The Sogliano family took charge of the team. Riccardo Sogliano, a former player, led the club.
In their first season, they almost got promoted. They missed it by a small number of points. The club also had some issues with a few supporters. These supporters sometimes treated black players unfairly. This happened in 2002 with players like Mohamed Benhassen and Andrè Joel Eboué.
In the 2005/2006 season, Varese won the Serie D/A league. This meant they were promoted to Serie C2. In 2008/2009, they won the Lega Pro Seconda Divisione. This moved them up to the third level of Italian football.
The next season, Varese finished second in their group. They then won play-off games against Benevento and Cremonese. This meant they were promoted to Serie B again. It had been 25 years since they were last there!
At the end of the 2011/12 season, A.S. Varese finished fifth in Serie B. This allowed them to play for a chance to get into Serie A. They beat Hellas Verona in the semi-final. Then they played Sampdoria in the final. Varese lost 4–2 on total score. So, they did not get promoted to Serie A.
Final Years and Dissolution
After being relegated from Serie B in the 2014–15 season, Varese 1910 had more financial problems. They could not register for the next league. The club then declared bankruptcy.
The club was reformed again for the 2015–16 season. It was called Varese Calcio SSD. They won their group and played in Serie D. In the 2017-18 season, Varese Calcio had no president. Their manager resigned because of money troubles. The team finished very low and was relegated again.
On July 14, 2019, the club officially closed down due to money issues. A new club, A.S.D. Città di Varese, was started 12 days later. This new club is also from Varese. In their first season, they won the lowest level of the Italian football pyramid.
Notable former players
Honours
- Serie B
- Winners: 1963–64, 1969–70, 1973–74
- Serie C1
- Winners: 1942–43, 1979–80
- Serie C2
- Winners: 1989–90, 1997–98, 2008–09
- Coppa Italia Serie C
- Winners: 1994–95
- Coppa Italia Dilettanti
- Winners: 1993–94
See also
In Spanish: Varese Calcio Società Sportiva Dilettantistica para niños
