Calcio Foggia 1920 facts for kids
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| Full name | Calcio Foggia 1920 S.r.l. |
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| Nickname(s) | Rossoneri (The Red and Blacks) Satanelli (The Little Satans) Dauni (The Daunians) |
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| Founded | 1920 as US Foggia | |||
| Ground | Stadio Pino Zaccheria, Foggia, Italy |
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| Capacity | 25,085 | |||
| Owner | Corporate Investments Group S.r.l. (80%) Davide Pelusi (20%) |
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| Chairman | Nicola Canonico | |||
| Manager | Luciano Zauri | |||
| League | Serie D Group H | |||
| 2018–19 | Serie B, 17th of 19 (resigned) | |||
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Calcio Foggia 1920, often called Foggia, is an Italian football team. It is based in Foggia, a city in Apulia, Italy. The club currently plays in Serie C, which is the third level of Italian football. Foggia last played in Serie A, the top league, in 1995.
The team had its best times in the 1960s, 1970s, and especially the early 1990s. During the 1990s, they played four seasons in Serie A. They were known for their fast and attacking style of football. On April 23, 2017, Foggia was promoted back to Serie B after 19 years. However, the club faced problems and had to restart from Serie D in 2019 as Calcio Foggia.
Contents
History of Foggia Football Club
How Foggia Football Started
The club began in 1920 as Foggia Calcio. In its early years, the team played in lower football leagues. They won a championship for amateur teams in 1933.
In 1957–58, two local clubs, Foggia Calcio and Foggia Incedit, joined together. This created the team known as Unione Sportiva Foggia. In 1961–62, a wood businessman named Domenico Rosa Rosa became the president. Coach Oronzo Pugliese also joined, and they quickly helped the team get promoted to Serie B.
Reaching Italy's Top League
A big moment happened in the 1963–64 season. Foggia, led by Rosa Rosa and Oronzo Pugliese, reached Serie A for the very first time. From 1964–65, Foggia played in the top league for three seasons in a row.
On January 31, 1965, Foggia achieved a famous 3–2 win against Inter. Inter was a very strong team at the time. After this, two Foggia players, Micelli and Nocera, were chosen to play for the Italian national team. Italy won 4–1 against Wales, and Nocera even scored a goal.
Coach Pugliese left Foggia after that successful season. The team struggled more the next year and was relegated from Serie A in 1967.
Foggia returned to Serie A in 1970–71 with coach Tommaso Maestrelli. He later won the Serie A title with Lazio. Foggia was relegated again but came back to Serie A in 1973–74. They were relegated once more after losing points due to a problem with a referee. Foggia played two more seasons in Serie A in 1976–77 and 1977–78 before going back to Serie B.
The Zemanlandia Glory Years
After being relegated to Serie B, Foggia then dropped even further to Serie C. The 1980s were tough for the club. Many of their local rivals were playing in higher leagues.
In 1989, a Czech coach named Zdeněk Zeman joined the club. This started the best period in Foggia's history. Zeman's exciting style of football was based on a 4–3–3 formation. His teams played with high pressure and fast movement. This unique style became known as Zemanlandia.
Foggia first returned to Serie B. Then, in the 1990–91 season, they won the Serie B title easily. This meant they were back in Serie A.
When they returned to Serie A in 1991–92, Foggia was called Foggia dei Miracoli (Foggia of Miracles). They played exciting football and were a challenge for any team. The team had star players like Giuseppe Signori, Francesco Baiano, Roberto Rambaudi, and Russian player Igor Shalimov. That season, Foggia scored 58 goals and also let in 58 goals.
Foggia later lost many of its best players, including its main attackers. They had to bring in younger players. The club played three seasons in Serie A, finishing in the middle of the table. In 1993–94, Foggia's style of play continued, but the team was not as strong. They were relegated back to Serie B in 1995.
Zeman left Foggia to join Lazio at the end of that season. This marked the end of the Zemanlandia era. The club also started having money problems. Foggia's glory days were over for a while.
Challenges and Comebacks
After being relegated, Foggia spent two seasons in Serie B. They finished in the middle of the table. Then, they were relegated again at the end of the 1997–98 season. Things got worse when they were relegated again to Serie C2, the fourth tier of Italian football.
Playing in the fourth division was very different from the exciting Zemanlandia days. But the club started its journey back up in 2002–03. With coach Pasquale Marino and players like Roberto De Zerbi, they were promoted back to Serie C1.
After the 2003–04 season, Foggia faced financial difficulties. They lost their coach and best players. A new company took over and kept the team's historic name, Unione Sportiva Foggia. They managed to stay in the league.
The club spent more years in the middle of the C1 table. In 2006–07, they almost got promoted to Serie B but lost in the playoffs. They reached the playoffs again in 2007–08 but lost once more.
In June 2010, Pasquale Casillo, who was chairman during the glory years, bought the club again. He brought back Zdeněk Zeman as manager and Giuseppe Pavone as director. Even with talented young players like Lorenzo Insigne, Foggia did not make it to the playoffs.
New Beginnings for Foggia Calcio
After the 2011–12 season, Foggia was not allowed to join Lega Pro Prima Divisione. This meant they were out of professional football.
In the summer of 2012, a new club called A.C.D. Foggia Calcio was formed. It was created to continue the city's football history. The club started again from Serie D. They were quickly promoted to Lega Pro Seconda Divisione.
Over the next five seasons, the club climbed from Serie D (fifth level) to Serie B (second level). This was thanks to coaches like Pasquale Padalino, Roberto De Zerbi (who also won a Serie C Italian cup), and Giovanni Stroppa.
After the 2018–19 season, Foggia was again not allowed to join Serie C. So, they were excluded from professional football once more.
In the summer of 2019, a new club named Calcio Foggia 1920 was founded. It continued the city's football story. The club started from Serie D and was soon promoted to Serie C.
Foggia Football Fans
Football is very popular in the city of Foggia. This has been especially true since the Zeman years. Foggia fans, known as I Satanelli (The Little Satans), also have supporters from all over the Province of Foggia.
Foggia fans have a special friendship with the supporters of Cagliari. This is mainly with their Sconvolts 1987 fan group. Individual fans also have friendships with supporters from other clubs like Monza, Latina, and Budapest Honvéd.
Nonno Ciccio, a 93-year-old Foggia fan, has been going to matches since 1937. He only missed games during wartime. Nonno Ciccio is known as the oldest active fan in Italy. He still regularly attends Foggia matches, both at home and away.
Club Achievements
* Winners: 1990–91
* Winners: 1932–33, 1959–60, 1961–62, 2016–17
- Serie C2
* Winners: 2002–2003
* Winners: 2019–2020
- Coppa Italia Serie C
* Winners: 2006–07, 2015–16
- Supercoppa di Serie C
* Winners: 2017
Where Foggia Has Played in the Leagues
| Series | Years | Last Season | Promotions | Relegations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 11 | 1994–95 | - |  5 (1967, 1971, 1974, 1978, 1995) |
| B | 25 | 2018–19 |  5 (1964, 1970, 1973, 1976, 1991) |
7 (1936, 1947, 1961, 1979, 1983, 1998, 2019✟) |
| C +C2 |
41 +5 |
2021–22 | 7 (1933, 1946, 1960, 1962, 1980, 1989, 2017) 6 (2003 C2, 2014 C2) |
3 (1952, 1999 C1, 2012✟) |
| 82 out of 90 years of professional football in Italy since 1929 | ||||
| D | 8 | 2019–20 | 2 (1958, 2013, 2020) |
never |
See also
In Spanish: Calcio Foggia 1920 para niños
