US Alessandria Calcio 1912 facts for kids
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| Full name | Unione Sportiva Alessandria Calcio 1912 S.r.l. | ||
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| Nickname(s) | I Grigi (The Greys) L'Orso (The Bear) |
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| Founded | 1912 | ||
| Ground | Stadio Giuseppe Moccagatta, Alessandria, Italy |
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| Capacity | 6,000 | ||
| Chairman | Enea Benedetto | ||
| Manager | Vacant | ||
| League | Serie C Group A | ||
| 2018–19 | Serie C Group A, 10th of 20 | ||
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Unione Sportiva Alessandria Calcio 1912, often called Alessandria, is an Italian football club. It is based in the city of Alessandria, in the Piedmont region of Italy. The team currently plays in Serie D, which is the fourth level of Italian football.
Contents
History of Alessandria Football Club
Early Days and Founding (1912)
Football first came to Alessandria in the late 1800s. Early teams like Forza e Concordia and Forza e Coraggio played matches. On February 18, 1912, the Alessandria Foot Ball Club was officially started. Its founders were Enrico Badò, Amilcare Savojardo, and Alfredo Ratti.
The team's first uniforms were blue with a white stripe. But soon, a businessman named Giovanni Maino gave the team eleven grey shirts. These shirts were like the ones worn by his famous cycling team. From then on, the grey color became a special part of the club's identity.
Alessandria FBC joined the Promozione (second division) for the 1912–13 season. They quickly won a promotion to a higher league.
Growing Stronger and Famous Players
In 1913, the team brought in an English player and coach named George Arthur Smith. He was a great teacher of football. Thanks to him, talented players like Adolfo Baloncieri and Carlo Carcano became very good. Carcano later coached Juventus FC and was the first Alessandria player to join the Italy national football team.
After World War I, Alessandria F.B.C. kept getting better. In 1920, the club merged with another local team, US Alessandria, and changed its name to Alessandria US. They continued to play well in the national championships.
Winning the Coppa CONI and Reaching Serie A
In 1927, Alessandria won its first big trophy, the Coppa CONI. They won it after playing against Casale in a two-game final. The team was coached by Carlo Carcano. Famous players like Giovanni Ferrari, Luigi Bertolini, and Adolfo Baloncieri were part of the team.
Soon after, in 1929, Alessandria joined the very first Serie A tournament. This is the top football league in Italy. They also opened their new stadium around this time. Many talented players left the club in the early 1930s to join bigger teams. This made it harder for Alessandria to win championships, but they still held good positions.
In 1936, Alessandria reached the final of the Coppa Italia, a major cup competition. They played against Torino in Genoa but lost the match. After this, the team faced challenges and went down to Serie B (the second division) in 1937.
Return to Serie A and Later Challenges
After World War II, in the 1945–46 season, Alessandria managed to get back into Serie A. They stayed there for two seasons. In 1948, they had a very tough loss against Torino F.C., losing 0–10. After that season, they returned to Serie B.
In the 1940s, a funny thing happened. Before a game, the referee told Alessandria to change their grey uniforms. He said they looked too much like the opponents' black uniforms. Later, the Italian Football Federation found out the referee was color-blind. Because of this, all referees now have to take an eye exam!
Through the late 1940s and early 1950s, Alessandria moved between Serie B and Serie C (the third division).
Last Time in Serie A and Decline
Alessandria returned to Serie A at the end of the 1956–57 season. This was a happy time for the club. A young player named Gianni Rivera made his debut in Serie A in 1959.
This good period ended when the team was relegated from Serie A in 1960. In the 1960s, they went down to Serie C. In 1973, the club won the first-ever Coppa Italia Serie C. This was a special moment for the team. They were promoted back to Serie B in 1974.
However, in 1975, Alessandria went back down to Serie C. For almost 30 years, they mostly played in Serie C. The club faced financial problems and even went down to regional leagues for a short time in 1986.
Financial Troubles and Comeback
In 2003, the club faced serious financial issues and was declared bankrupt. A new club, Nuova Alessandria, was formed. But in 2004, a group of local business people bought back the original club's name and history.
The club slowly started to climb back up. In the 2009–10 season, they returned to Lega Pro Prima Divisione (a professional league). In 2011, they were moved down a division due to a betting scandal involving a former club president. However, they worked hard and moved back up.
In the 2015–16 Coppa Italia, Alessandria made history. They became the first team from the third division to reach the quarter-finals of the cup since 1984. They even reached the semi-finals, where they played against AC Milan. They lost to Milan but showed great spirit.
Return to Serie B (2021)
In the 2020–21 season, Alessandria played in the play-offs to get promoted to Serie B. They won their matches and faced Calcio Padova in the final. After two tough games that ended in draws, the promotion was decided by penalty kicks. Alessandria won 5–4, and for the first time since 1975, they returned to Serie B!
Unfortunately, they went straight back down from Serie B after one season. They are now competing in Serie C for the 2023–2024 season.
Stadium
Alessandria plays its home matches at the Stadio Giuseppe Moccagatta. This stadium was built in 1929. It can hold 6,000 people today.
The stadium is mainly used for football games. The city of Alessandria owns it. The grass field is 105 meters long and 68.4 meters wide. In the past, the stadium could hold over 25,000 spectators!
Players
Current Squad
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Players on Loan
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Famous Former Players
Many great players have played for Alessandria over the years. Some of them even played for the Italian national team.
- Giovanni Ferrari (won 2 FIFA World Cups)
- Felice Borel (won FIFA World Cup)
- Luigi Bertolini (won FIFA World Cup)
- Pietro Rava (won FIFA World Cup and Olympic gold)
- Adolfo Baloncieri (won Central European International Cup)
- Gianni Rivera (won UEFA European Championship)
- Carlo Carcano
Former Managers
Here are some of the people who have managed the Alessandria football club:
Federico Allasio- Giulio Cappelli
- Carlo Carcano
Bert Flatley- Luciano Foschi
Lajos Kovács- Ferenc Molnár
- Corrado Orrico
- Roberto Pruzzo
- Pietro Rava
- Giuseppe Sabadini
- Gaetano D'Agostino
- Michele Marcolini
- Giuseppe Pillon
- Angelo Gregucci
- Piero Braglia
- Maurizio Sarri
- Moreno Longo
Club Honours and Achievements
Alessandria has won several important titles throughout its history:
- Serie B
- Winners: 1945–46
- Serie C
- Winners: 1973–74 (group A)
- Serie C2
- Winners: 1990–91 (group A)
- Serie D
- Winners: 2007–08 (group A)
- Eccellenza Piedmont-Aosta Valley
- Winners: 2004–05 (group A)
- Coppa Italia Serie C
- Winners: 1972–73, 2017–18
- Coppa CONI
- Winners: 1927
League History: Where Alessandria Has Played
This table shows which leagues Alessandria has played in over the years:
| Series | Years | Last Season | Promotions | Relegations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 13 | 1959–60 | – |  3 times (1937, 1948, 1960) |
| B | 21 | 2021–22 |  2 times (1946, 1957) |
3 times (1950, 1967, 1975) |
| C +C2 |
34 +17 |
2020–21 | 3 times (1953, 1974, 2021) 6 times (1981 C2, 1989 C2, 1991 C2, 2000 C2, 2009 C2, 2014 C2) |
6 times (1980 C1, 1982 C1, 1990 C1, 1998 C1, 2001 C1, 2011 C1) 1 time (2003✟) |
| Alessandria has played 85 out of 90 years in professional Italian football since 1929. | ||||
| D | 3 | 2007–08 | 1 time (2008) |
never |
| E | 2 | 2004–05 | 1 time (2005) |
never |
See also
In Spanish: Unione Sportiva Alessandria Calcio 1912 para niños
