US Triestina Calcio 1918 facts for kids
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| Full name | Unione Sportiva Triestina Calcio 1918 S.r.l. | |||
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| Nickname(s) | L'Unione (The Union) Gli Alabardati (The Halberded) I Rossoalabardati (The Halberded Reds) I Giuliani (The Julians) |
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| Founded | 1918 | |||
| Ground | Stadio Nereo Rocco, Trieste, Italy |
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| Capacity | 24,500 | |||
| Chairman | Ben Rosenzweig | |||
| Vice Chairman | Chris Hutter | |||
| Manager | Pep Clotet | |||
| League | Serie C Group B | |||
| 2018–19 | Serie C Group B, 2nd of 20 | |||
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Unione Sportiva Triestina Calcio 1918, often called US Triestina or just Triestina, is an Italian football club. It is based in Trieste, a city in northern Italy. The club was started in 1918.
Triestina was one of the first teams to play in Serie A in 1929. This is Italy's top football league. They stayed in Serie A until the late 1950s. After that, the club played in lower leagues. Over the years, the club faced challenges and was restarted a few times. As of the 2024–25 season, Triestina plays in Serie C, which is the third level of Italian football.
Contents
Club History: From Start to Now
Early Years and Serie A Success
The club began in 1918 when two local teams, "Ponziana" and "Foot-Ball Club Trieste," joined together. By 1924, they reached the Seconda Divisione, which is now known as Serie B.
Triestina then played in the very first Serie A season in 1929. They stayed in Italy's top league until 1956. During these successful years, a famous player from Trieste, Nereo Rocco, played for the team. He was a winger for Triestina from 1930 to 1937. In 1934, he became the first Triestina player to join the Italian national team.
Rocco later returned to Triestina as a coach in 1947. In the 1947–48 season, his team finished second in Serie A. They were only behind Torino. This is still the best result in Triestina's history.
After Rocco left in 1950, Hungarian coach Béla Guttman took over. He helped the club avoid being moved down to a lower league on the very last day of the season. The 1951–52 season was also tough. Triestina avoided relegation by winning special playoff games. In the 1952–53 season, Cesare Maldini made his Serie A debut playing for Triestina.
Rocco came back to coach Triestina in 1953 but was let go after 21 games. The club had three more average seasons before being moved down to a lower league in 1957. Triestina returned to Serie A in 1958. However, they were moved down again in their first season back. This was their last time playing in Italy's top league.
The club was moved down to Serie C in 1961 and 1965. In 1971, they even went down to Serie D. This led to a local derby match with "Ponziana" in 1975. Triestina returned to Serie C in 1976. They moved up to Serie C1 in 1978 and then to Serie B in 1983. They almost reached the top league again but were moved down in 1988. Triestina also played in Serie B between 1962–1965 and 1989–1991.
Club Challenges and Rebirth in 1994
In 1994, the team had serious money problems and had to close down. A person named Giorgio Del Sabato restarted the team as U.S. Triestina Calcio. They began again in Serie D. The next year, the football association allowed them to play in Serie C2.
After six seasons in Serie C2, the club won promotion to Serie C1 in 2001. This was thanks to coach Ezio Rossi. They then won a second promotion in a row, moving up to Serie B.
In the 2005–06 season, Triestina changed its coach five times! The team also faced more money problems. The owner, Flaviano Tonellotto, had to step down. The club was later bought by the Fantinel family in April 2006.
In recent years, Triestina has tried to get back to the top Italian league. They finished 8th in the 2008–2009 season. However, they were moved down from Serie B in 2010 after losing to Padova. But they were allowed back into Serie B because another team, Ancona, had to close down.
On May 21, 2011, after a very difficult season, Triestina was moved down from Serie B to Lega Pro Prima Divisione.
2012: Financial Troubles and a New Start
On January 25, 2012, a court in Trieste declared that the club had gone bankrupt due to severe financial difficulties. In the 2011–12 season, Triestina was moved down from Lega Pro Prima Divisione to Lega Pro Seconda Divisione.
On June 19, 2012, the club officially closed down. A new company, Unione Triestina 2012 S.S.D. a. r.l., was started on July 31, 2012. This new team began playing in Eccellenza, a lower league. The team's name was later changed to U.S. Triestina Calcio 1918 s.s.d. a. r.l. in 2016. After they were promoted to Serie C on August 4, 2017, the club removed the "amateur sport" part from its name.
Team Colors and Badge
The club's badge has a white spontoon or halberd on a red background. This is why the club is nicknamed Gli Alabardati (The Halberded). This design is inspired by the official symbol and flag of the city of Trieste. The badge also features a shining white star and the words U. S. Triestina. Because of this badge, the team's home and away uniforms are red and white.
Club Achievements
Triestina has won several titles in different leagues:
See also
In Spanish: Unione Sportiva Triestina Calcio 1918 para niños
