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 1994 as US Triestina Calcio |
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| Ground | Stadio Nereo Rocco, Trieste, Italy |
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| Capacity | 24,500 | |||
| Chairman | Ben Rosenzweig | |||
| Manager | Attilio Tesser | |||
| 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 the northern Friuli-Venezia Giulia region of Italy.
The club 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, Triestina played in lower leagues. The club faced financial problems and had to restart several times. As of the 2024–25 season, Triestina plays in Serie C, which is the third level of Italian football.
Contents
Club History
How Triestina Started and Reached Serie A
The club began in 1918. It was formed by joining two local teams: "Ponziana" and "Foot-Ball Club Trieste". By 1924, the club reached the Seconda Divisione, which is now known as Serie B.
Triestina 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. Rocco was also the first player from Triestina to join the Italian national team in 1934.
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.
Rocco left in 1950. He was replaced by Hungarian coach Béla Guttman. Guttman 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 matches. In the 1952–53 season, Cesare Maldini made his first Serie A appearance for Triestina.
Rocco came back to Triestina in 1953. However, he was let go after 21 matches because of poor results. Triestina had three more average seasons before they were moved down from Serie A in 1957. They returned to Serie A in 1958. But 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 again in 1965. They even went down to Serie D in 1971. This meant they played a local derby match against "Ponziana" in 1975. Triestina returned to Serie C in 1976. They moved up to Serie C1 in 1978 and finally returned to Serie B in 1983. They almost got promoted to the top league but were moved down again in 1988. Triestina also played in the second division between 1962–1965 and 1989–1991.
The Club's Restart in 1994
In 1994, the team had to close down because of money problems. It was then restarted by Giorgio Del Sabato. The team, now called U.S. Triestina Calcio, began again in Serie D. One year later, the football federation allowed them to play in Serie C2.
After six seasons in Serie C2, the club moved up to Serie C1 in 2001 after winning playoff games. They then got a second promotion in a row, this time to Serie B. Both promotions happened under coach Ezio Rossi.
In the 2005–06 season, Triestina changed its manager five times. The club also faced more financial issues. In April 2006, the Fantinel family, who own a wine company, bought the team.
In recent years, Triestina has tried to get back to the Italian top league. They finished 8th in the 2008–2009 season. However, they could not stay in Serie B in the 2009–10 season. They lost a playoff match to Padova and were moved down to Lega Pro Prima Divisione. But they were allowed back into Serie B because another team, Ancona, had to close down due to money problems.
On May 21, 2011, after a very difficult season, Triestina was moved down from Serie B to Lega Pro Prima Divisione. They had returned to Serie B in 2002 after 11 seasons in Serie C and Serie D.
Financial Difficulties and Club Closure in 2012
On January 25, 2012, the club was declared to have severe financial problems by the court in Trieste.
In the 2011–12 season, Triestina was moved down from Lega Pro Prima Divisione group B to Lega Pro Seconda Divisione.
On June 19, 2012, the club officially closed down due to its financial situation. The team was then disbanded.
Stefano Mario Fantinel, a former chairman of the club, was not allowed to be involved in football activities for 5 years. This was because problems were found with the club's money records.
The New Triestina Club: 2012 Onwards
On July 31, 2012, a new company called Unione Triestina 2012 S.S.D. a. r.l. was started. This new club began playing in Eccellenza, a lower league. The club's official 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 shows 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 has 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:
Where Triestina Has Played Over the Years
| Series | Years | Last Season There | Promotions | Relegations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 26 | 1958–59 | - |  2 (1957, 1959) |
| B | 22 | 2010–11 |  1 (1958) |
5 (1961, 1965, 1988, 1991, 2011) |
| C +C2 |
29 +6 |
2023–24 | 4 (1962, 1983, 1989, 2002) 1 (2001 C2) |
4 (1971, 1974, 1994✟, 2012✟) |
| 81 out of 90 years of professional football in Italy since 1929 | ||||
| D | 8 | 2016–17 | 4 (1972, 1976, 1995, 2017) |
never |
| E | 1 | 2012–13 | 1 (2013) |
never |
Current Players
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Players on Loan
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Famous Former Managers
Nereo Rocco (1947–50, 1953)
Béla Guttmann (1950–52)- Ottavio Bianchi (1980–81)
- Adriano Buffoni (1981–84, 1993–94, 2005)
- Massimo Giacomini (1984–85, 1990–91)
- Ezio Rossi (2000–03)
Attilio Tesser (2003–05, 2023–2024)- Rolando Maran (2007–09)
- Giuseppe Sannino (2017–18)
Pep Clotet (2024)
See also
In Spanish: Unione Sportiva Triestina Calcio 1918 para niños
