Serie A

Founded: 1898
Number of Teams: 20
Relagation to: Serie B
Domestic Cup: Coppa Italia
International Cups: Champions League, UEFA Cup, Intertoto Cup
Current Champion: Inter Milan​

History​

Serie A (officially known as the Lega Calcio Serie A TIM for sponsorship reasons) is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top echelon of the Italian football league system. It is widely regarded as one of the elite leagues of the footballing world. Historically, Serie A has produced the highest number of European Cup finalists. In total Italian clubs have reached the final of the competition on a record of twenty-five different occasions, winning the title eleven times. As of 2008, Serie A is ranked third among European leagues by UEFA, based on the performance of Italian clubs in the Champions League and the UEFA Cup.
In its current format, the Italian Football Championship was revised from having regional and interregional rounds, to just one solid league for the 1929–30 season onwards; the Serie A system carries on today. The championship titles won before 1929 are officially recognised by FIGC as a championship in the same way the ones since then are.

The league hosts some of the world's most famous clubs: Juventus, Milan, Inter, Roma, Lazio and Napoli. Juventus, Milan and Inter were all founding members of the G-14 a group representing the largest and most prestigious European football clubs; Serie A was the only league to produce three founding members. More players have won the coveted Ballon d'Or award while playing at a Serie A club than any other league in the world. AC Milan is the club with the most official international titles in the world. Juventus, the most winning Italian team, is the third in Europe and sixth in the world in the same ranking. They are, also, the only club on the planet to have won all official club competitions.
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For most of Serie A's history there have been 16 or 18 clubs competing at the top level; however since 2004–05 there have been 20 clubs altogether. Below is a complete record of how many teams have played in each season throughout the league's history;
<TABLE><TBODY><TR><TD width=10></TD><TD vAlign=top>

• 1929–1934 = 18
• 1934–1943 = 16
• 1945–1946 = 25

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• 1946–1947 = 20
• 1947–1948 = 21
• 1948–1952 = 20

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• 1952–1967 = 18
• 1967–1988 = 16
• 1988–2004 = 18

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• 2004–present = 20

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
During the course of a season, from August to May, each club plays each of the other teams twice; once at home and once away, totalling 38 games for each team by the end of the season. In Italian football, a true round-robin format is used. In the first half of the season, called andata in Italy, each team plays exactly one time against each league opponent, a total of 19 games. In the second half of the season, called ritorno, the teams play in exactly the same order that they did in the first half of the season, the only difference being that home and away situations are switched. Since 1994 teams are awarded three points for a win, one point for a draw, and no points for a loss.

Since Italy is currently rated as one of the top three European countries in terms of club football ratings, the top four teams in the Serie A qualify for the UEFA Champions League. The top two teams qualify directly to the group phase, while the third and fourth placed teams enter the competition at the third qualifying round and must win a two-legged knockout tie in order to enter the group phase. Teams finishing 5th and 6th qualify for the UEFA Cup Tournament. A third UEFA Cup spot is reserved for the winner of the Coppa Italia. If the Coppa Italia champion has already qualified for one of the two European tournaments by placing in the top six of Serie A, the third UEFA Cup spot goes to the losing finalist. If both Coppa Italia finalists finish among the top six teams in Serie A, the 7th classified team in Serie A is awarded the UEFA Cup spot. The three lowest placed teams are relegated to Serie B.

Before the 2005–06 season if two or more teams were tied in points for first place, for only one spot in a European tournament, or in the relegation zone, teams would play tie-breaking games after the season was over to determine which team would be champion, or be awarded a European tournament spot, or be saved or relegated. Since 2005–06, if two or more teams end the season with the same number of points, the ordering is determined by their head-to-head records. In case two or more teams have same total points and same head-to-head records, goal difference becomes the secondary deciding factor.


In 1958, based on an idea of Umberto Agnelli, the honor of Golden Star for Sports Excellence ("Stella d’Oro al Merito Sportivo" in Italian) was introduced to recognize sides that have won multiple championships or other honours by the display of gold stars on their team crests and jerseys. In Italy, the practice is to award one star for ten titles. The first team to adopt a star was Juventus in Italy and Europe, who added a star above their crest in 1958 to represent their tenth Serie A title. In 1982, they received their second golden star for having won their 20th league title.


The current (as of May 2008) officially-sanctioned Lega Calcio Serie A stars are:

• Juventus FC (28; received in 1958 and 1982).
• AC Milan (17, received in 1979).
• FC Internazionale Milano (16, received in 1966).

Serie A, as it is structured today, began in 1929. From 1898 to 1922 the competition was organised into regional groups. Because of ever growing teams attending regional championships, FIGC split the CCI (Italian Football Confederation) in 1921. When CCI teams rejoined the FIGC created two interregional divisions renaming Categories into Divisions and splitting FIGC sections into two North-South leagues. In 1926 due to internal crises FIGC changed internal settings adding southern teams to the national divisions which lead to 1929-30 final settlement. No title was awarded in 1927 after Torino were stripped of the championship by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC). Torino were declared champions in the 1948-49 season following a plane crash near the end of the season in which the entire team was killed.

The Serie A Championship title is often referred to as the scudetto (small shield) because since the 1924-25 season the winning team will bear a small coat of arms with the Italian tricolour on their strip in the following season. The most successful club is Juventus F.C. with 28 championships, followed by A.C. Milan(17), Internazionale Milano (16) and Genoa C&FC (9). From 2004-05 onwards an actual trophy was awarded to club on the field after the last turn of the championship. The trophy, called Coppa Campioni d'Italia, is official since the 1960-61 season, but between 1961 and 2004 it was consigned to the winning clubs at the offices of Lega calcio in Milan.

Atalanta

Fullname: Atalanta Bergamasca Calcio SpA
Nicknames: La Dea, Orobici
Founded: 1907
Ground: Stadio Atleti Azzurri d'Italia, Bergamo, Italy
Capacity: 26,683
Chairman: Alessandro Ruggeri
Head Coach: Luigi del Neri​

History​

Atalanta Bergamasca Calcio, commonly known as just Atalanta, Atalanta Bergamo or the abbreviation Atalanta BC, is an Italian football club based in Bergamo, Lombardy. They are nicknamed the Nerazzurri and the orobici. Atalanta play in blue-and-black vertically striped shirts, black shorts and black socks.
The club stadium is the 26,638 seater Atleti Azzurri d'Italia. In Italy, Atalanta is sometimes called Regina delle provinciali (queen of the provincial clubs) to mark the fact that the club is historically one of the best among non-metropolitan ones.

The club was founded in 1907. A football club had existed in Bergamo since 1904. Founded by Swiss wealthy immigrants, it was known as FC Bergamo. The rival Atalanta club grew out of a division between different sporting societies in the town. The name is taken from the female athlete of Greek mythology. The FIGC was unimpressed with the new club and did not officially recognize them until 1914. The current club is the result of a merger between Atalanta and a third team called Bergamasca. The first, black and white coloured and the second wearing a blue and white shirt, merged in 1924 as Atalanta Bergamasca di Ginnastica e Scherma 1907. The team moved to the site of the current ground, on the Viale Giulio Cesare, in 1928.

Atalanta joined the Italian league in 1929. The club first reached Serie A in 1937, but was relegated immediately. The club returned in 1940 and remained in A until 1959; after a single season in Serie B the club was promoted and lasted a further decade in A, before relegation in 1973 led to an uncertain period of promotion and relegation between the two levels. The club achieved its highest position in 1948, finishing in 5th place. In 1981 the club fell into Serie C1, a blow which revitalised the club. The team returned to B the next season and made it back to A in 1985. The club's form in Serie A remains uncertain, as it was relegated in 1988, 1995, 1998 and 2005.

In terms of titles the club has won little, their sole silverware is the 1963 Coppa Italia. The club has had very few good runs in Europe, the best spell ending in a Cup Winners' Cup semi-final in 1988; in 1991 Atalanta reached UEFA Cup quarter-finals.

Current Squad
<TABLE border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top width="48%" bgColor=#ffffff><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 border=0><TBODY><TR bgColor=#aad0ff><TH width="1%">No.</TH><TH width="1%"></TH><TH width="1%">Position</TH><TH width="75%">Player</TH></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">1</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">GK</TD><TD>Andrea Consigli</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">2</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">DF</TD><TD>Leonardo Talamonti</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">5</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">DF</TD><TD>Thomas Manfredini</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">6</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">DF</TD><TD>Gianpaolo Bellini</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">7</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">MF</TD><TD>Alessio Manzoni</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">8</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">DF</TD><TD>György Garics</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">9</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">FW</TD><TD>Karamoko Cissé</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">11</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">FW</TD><TD>Alessio Cerci (on loan from Roma)</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">15</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">MF</TD><TD>Diego De Ascentis</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">16</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">DF</TD><TD>Claudio Rivalta</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">17</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">MF</TD><TD>Tiberio Guarente</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">18</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">MF</TD><TD>Antonino D'Agostino</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">20</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">MF</TD><TD>Jaime Valdés</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">21</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">MF</TD><TD>Luca Cigarini</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD><TD width="1%"></TD><TD vAlign=top width="48%" bgColor=#ffffff><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 border=0><TBODY><TR bgColor=#aad0ff><TH width="1%">No.</TH><TH width="1%"></TH><TH width="1%">Position</TH><TH width="75%">Player</TH></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">22</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">MF</TD><TD>Simone Padoin</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">23</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">MF</TD><TD>Costinha</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">26</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">DF</TD><TD>Maximiliano Pellegrino</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">27</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">DF</TD><TD>Daniele Capelli</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">28</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">MF</TD><TD>Giacomo Bonaventura (from youth team)</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">31</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">GK</TD><TD>Ferdinando Coppola</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">32</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">FW</TD><TD>Christian Vieri</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">33</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">FW</TD><TD>Sergio Floccari</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">34</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">FW</TD><TD>Marino Defendi</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">46</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">FW</TD><TD>Simone Cerea </TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">72</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">MF</TD><TD>Cristiano Doni (captain)</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">79</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">MF</TD><TD>Adriano Ferreira Pinto</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">89</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">FW</TD><TD>Michele Marconi </TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">91</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">GK</TD><TD>Simone Colombi </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>​

Bologna

Full Name: Bologna Football Club 1909
Nicknames: Rossoblu, felsinei
Founded: 1909
Ground: Stadio Renato Dall'Ara, Bologna, Italy
Capacity: 39,444
Chairman: Francesca Menarini
Head Coach: Daniele Arrigoni​

History​

Bologna Football Club 1909 is an Italian football club based in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna. They were formed in 1909 and continue on today. The club are nicknamed the rossoblù because of the red and blue striped shirts they wear. During its history the club has won the Italian League Championship seven times. They are the sixth most successful team in the league ever. Bologna F.C. was promoted to Serie A for the 2008-09 season, having last played in the top division in 2004-05.

Bologna Football Club's formation was orchestrated by Emilio Arnstein, an Austrian who became interested in football at university in Vienna and Praga. He and his brother had previously founded another football club Black Star F.C. in Austria. The club was founded on 3 October 1909 as AGC Bologna, in the Northern Italian city of Bologna. Upon its formation, Carlo Sandoni was the clubs sponsor and General manager, Swissman Louis Rauch became president, nobleman Guido Della Valle was the vice-president, Enrico Penaglia secretary, Sergio Lampronti cashier, while Emilio Arnstein and Leone Vincenzi were appointed councilmen. They are thought to have adopted their red and blue stripes from Crystal Palace F.C.

On 20 March 1910 Bologna played their first ever game, it was against Virtus (who wore white shirts), Bologna outclassed their opponents winning 9-1. The first football squad featured; Koch, Chiara, Pessarelli, Bragaglia, Guido Della Valle, Nanni, Donati, Rauch, Bernabeu, Mezzano and Gradi.
Their formative season was spent in the regional league under Arrigo Gradi as captain, Bologna won their league gaining promotion to a league named Group Veneto-Emiliano. They spent four seasons in this league, never finishing lower than fifth. Bologna were entered into the Northern League before all football leagues were postponed for World War I.

Despite losing some key players, Bologna expected to be challenging strongly for promotion from Serie B in the 2005-06 campaign. However, despite its ambition, Bologna had a poor start to the season, causing the sacking of experienced coach Renzo Ulivieri, replaced by Andrea Mandorlini. During this time, the team was sold by Giuseppe Gazzoni Frascara to Alfredo Cazzola, a local entrepreneur. However, Mandorlini was not either able to bring Bologna up the Serie B table, and was fired on March 5, 2006; Ulivieri was then appointed back as team coach, after having been sacked a few months before. Bologna ended the 2005-2006 Serie B campaign in eighth place. In the 2006-2007 season, Bologna ended with the seventh place: the season has been however characterized by several clashes between chairman Cazzola and head coach Ulivieri, who was ultimately fired on April 14, 2007 and replaced by caretaker and former assistant coach Luca Cecconi. For the 2007-2008 season, Bologna was led by Daniele Arrigoni, who helped the Rossoblu achieve automatic promotion back to the top flight after finishing second in Serie B.

Current Squad
<TABLE border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top width="48%" bgColor=#ffffff><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 border=0><TBODY><TR bgColor=#aad0ff><TH width="1%">No.</TH><TH width="1%"></TH><TH width="1%">Position</TH><TH width="75%">Player</TH></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">1</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">GK</TD><TD>Francesco Antonioli</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">2</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">FW</TD><TD>Davide Marchini </TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">4</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">MF</TD><TD>Christian Amoroso</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">5</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">MF</TD><TD>Sergio Volpi</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">6</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">DF</TD><TD>Miguel Britos</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">7</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">MF</TD><TD>Francesco Valiani</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">8</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">MF</TD><TD>Nicola Mingazzini</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">9</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">FW</TD><TD>Marco Di Vaio </TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">10</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">MF</TD><TD>Davide Bombardini</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">11</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">FW</TD><TD>Marco Bernacci</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">12</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">GK</TD><TD>Gianmarco Campironi</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">14</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">DF</TD><TD>Marcello Castellini (Captain)</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">15</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">GK</TD><TD>Roberto Colombo</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">16</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">MF</TD><TD>Davide Carrus</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">17</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">MF</TD><TD>Diego Rodriguez</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">18</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">DF</TD><TD>Vangelis Moras</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

​

</TD><TD width="1%"></TD><TD vAlign=top width="48%" bgColor=#ffffff><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 border=0><TBODY><TR bgColor=#aad0ff><TH width="1%">No.</TH><TH width="1%"></TH><TH width="1%">Position</TH><TH width="75%">Player</TH></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">19</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">DF</TD><TD>Claudio Terzi</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">20</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">FW</TD><TD>Adailton</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">21</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">DF</TD><TD>Cristian Zenoni</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">22</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">FW</TD><TD>Gabriele Paonessa</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">23</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">DF</TD><TD>Salvatore Lanna</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">26</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">MF</TD><TD>Gaby Mudingayi</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">28</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">DF</TD><TD>Alessandro Bassoli </TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">29</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">DF</TD><TD>Giacomo Bassoli </TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">30</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">DF</TD><TD>Giuseppe Nazzani </TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">31</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">MF</TD><TD>Riccardo Pasi </TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">32</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">MF</TD><TD>Federico Casarini </TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">34</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">MF</TD><TD>Simone Confalone</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">41</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">FW</TD><TD>Massimo Marazzina</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">44</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">FW</TD><TD>Leonardo Cisterni</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">74</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">MF</TD><TD>Luigi Lavecchia</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">77</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">DF</TD><TD>Coelho </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>​

Cagliari Calcio

Full Name: Cagliari Calcio SpA
Nicknames: Rossoblu, Isolani
Founded: 1920
Ground: Stadio Sant'Elia Cagliari, Italy
Capacity: 23,486
Chairman: Massimo Cellino
Head Coach: Massimiliano Alegri​

History​

Cagliari Calcio is an Italian football club based in Cagliari, Sardinia. The club was formed in 1920 and currently plays in Italian Serie A, having spent a large part of recent years mainly in Serie A and Serie B. They won their only scudetto in 1970, when they were led by Italian national team all-time leading scorer, Gigi Riva. The team's colors are blue and red. The club's stadium is the 23,486 seater Stadio Sant'Elia.

Cagliari became the first ever out-right champions of Serie C during the 1951-52 season, prior to that in the league the championship was shared amongst more than one team. They spent the 1950s from then on in Serie B, losing a promotion play-off in 1954. After descending to Serie C in the early 1960s, Cagliari's rise would be meteoric- eventually achieving promotion to Serie A in 1964.

Current Squad
<TABLE border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top width="48%" bgColor=#ffffff><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 border=0><TBODY><TR bgColor=#aad0ff><TH width="1%">No.</TH><TH width="1%"></TH><TH width="1%">Position</TH><TH width="75%">Player</TH></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">1</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">GK</TD><TD>Simone Aresti</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">4</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">MF</TD><TD>Salvatore Burrai</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">5</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">MF</TD><TD>Daniele Conti (captain)</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">6</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">DF</TD><TD>Diego López</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">7</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">MF</TD><TD>Andrea Cossu</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">8</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">MF</TD><TD>Davide Biondini</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">9</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">FW</TD><TD>Robert Acquafresca (on loan from Internazionale)</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">10</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">MF</TD><TD>Andrea Lazzari</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">12</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">GK</TD><TD>Mauro Vigorito (from youth team)</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">13</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">DF</TD><TD>Davide Astori (on loan from Milan)</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">14</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">DF</TD><TD>Francesco Pisano</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">15</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">DF</TD><TD>Luca Di Laura (from youth team)</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">18</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">MF</TD><TD>Andrea Parola</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">19</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">FW</TD><TD>Joaquin Larrivey</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">20</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">DF</TD><TD>Paolo Bianco</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD><TD width="1%"></TD><TD vAlign=top width="48%" bgColor=#ffffff><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 border=0><TBODY><TR bgColor=#aad0ff><TH width="1%">No.</TH><TH width="1%"></TH><TH width="1%">Position</TH><TH width="75%">Player</TH></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">21</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">DF</TD><TD>Michele Canini</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">22</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">GK</TD><TD>Federico Marchetti (on loan from AlbinoLeffe)</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">23</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">MF</TD><TD>Michele Fini</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">24</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">GK</TD><TD>Cristiano Lupatelli</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">25</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">DF</TD><TD>Carlos Matheu</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">26</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">MF</TD><TD>Claudio Pani</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">27</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">FW</TD><TD>Jeda</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">28</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">DF</TD><TD>Daniele Magliocchetti</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">29</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">DF</TD><TD>Michele Ferri</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">30</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">FW</TD><TD>Daniele Ragatzu (from youth team)</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">31</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">DF</TD><TD>Alessandro Agostini</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">32</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">FW</TD><TD>Alessandro Matri</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">33</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">MF</TD><TD>Rafael Acosta</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">34</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">MF</TD><TD>Alberto Usai</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">--</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">DF</TD><TD>Ricardo Chara Lerma</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>​

Calcio Catania

Full Name: Calcio Catania SpA
Nicknames: Rossazzurri, Gli Elefanti, Etnei
Founded: 1908
Ground: Stadio Angelo Massimino, Catania, Italy
Capacity: 23,420
Chairman: Antonino Pulvirenti
Manager: Walter Zenga​

History​

Calcio Catania is an Italian football club founded in 1908 and are based in Catania, Sicily. The club has spent much of its history in Serie B, gaining promotion to Italy's top league Serie A five times. They currently compete in Serie A after climbing back up the football pyramid. The club has achieved moderate success in the top league, the highest position ever reached by the club is 8th in Serie A twice, both during the early 1960s. The furthest Catania have progressed in cup competitions is the final of the Coppa delle Alpi.

The origins of football being played by representatives of the Province of Catania can be traced back to English cargo ships, thanks to the workers who brought the game to Sicily. Specifically the earliest Catania team can be traced to match which took place on 2 May 1901 at San Raineri di Messina against Messina, the team was named Royal Yacht Catania; an English ship with a local Catanian crew.

The ship workers team was just a pastime however, Catania's first professional and most stable football club was founded on 19 June 1908, by Italian film director Gaetano Ventimiglia and Francesco Sturzo d'Aldobrando, who founded the club under the name A.S. Educazione Fisica Pro Patria. Early on they would always play against sailors visiting the port of Catania, particularly foreign ships. Though their first ever match was against Regina Margherita an Italian battleship, the game ended in a 1-1 draw and the Catania line-up that day consisted of; Vassallo, Gismondo, Bianchi, Messina, Slaiter, Caccamo, Stellario, Binning, Cocuzza, Ventimiglia and Pappalardo. Just two years later they changed the name to Unione Sportiva Catanese.

In the North of Italy, football was more organised and those clubs competed in the early Italian Football Championships, while Catania and other Southern clubs competed in competitions such as the Lipton, Sant' Agata and Agordad cups. U.S. Catanese survived the First World War and just after it played in the local Coppa Federale Siciliana. Seven seasons later in 1927 they were entered into the Campionato Catanese, which was won in the 1928-29 season. As they gained promotion the club were entered into the Second Division, and changed their name first to Societ�* Sportiva Catania. They first competed in Serie B in the 1934-35 season where they finished 4th; that season Genoa won the Serie B title.

Catania played in the league for three seasons during this period, before being relegated. Down in Serie C, Catania were crowned champions in the 1938-39 season, finishing above Sicilian rivals Siracusa and Messina (who came in 2nd and 3rd respectively). Their return to Serie B was not a pleasant one, the club finished bottom of the league and won only three games that season. The club's name was briefly changed to Associazione Calcio Fascista Catania during the 1942-43 season in Serie C, which ended prematurely because of the 2nd World War.

Current Squad
<TABLE border=0><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top width="48%" bgColor=#ffffff><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 border=0><TBODY><TR bgColor=#aad0ff><TH width="1%">No.</TH><TH width="1%"></TH><TH width="1%">Position</TH><TH width="75%">Player</TH></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">1</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">GK</TD><TD>Albano Bizarri</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">2</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">DF</TD><TD>Gennaro Sardo</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">3</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">DF</TD><TD>Rocco Sabato</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">4</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">DF</TD><TD>Matias Silvestre</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">5</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">MF</TD><TD>Ezequiel Carboni</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">6</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">DF</TD><TD>Lorenzo Stovini</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">7</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">FW</TD><TD>Giuseppe Mascara</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">8</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">MF</TD><TD>Pablo Ledesma</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">9</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">FW</TD><TD>Michele Paolucci (on loan from Udinese/Juventus)</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">10</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">FW</TD><TD>Nicolae Dică</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">11</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">MF</TD><TD>Cristian Llama</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">12</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">GK</TD><TD>Tomáš Košický</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">13</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">MF</TD><TD>Mariano Julio Izco</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">14</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">DF</TD><TD>Pablo Álvarez</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD><TD width="1%"></TD><TD vAlign=top width="48%" bgColor=#ffffff><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=2 border=0><TBODY><TR bgColor=#aad0ff><TH width="1%">No.</TH><TH width="1%"></TH><TH width="1%">Position</TH><TH width="75%">Player</TH></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">15</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">FW</TD><TD>Takayuki Morimoto</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">16</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">FW</TD><TD>Gianvito Plasmati</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">17</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">MF</TD><TD>Davide Baiocco (captain)</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">19</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">MF</TD><TD>Giacomo Tedesco</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">20</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">FW</TD><TD>Mirko Antenucci</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">21</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">DF</TD><TD>Cristian Silvestri</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">22</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">MF</TD><TD>Francesco Millesi</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">23</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">DF</TD><TD>Christian Terlizzi</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">24</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">FW</TD><TD>Gionatha Spinesi</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">25</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">FW</TD><TD>Jorge Andrés Martinez</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">26</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">MF</TD><TD>Mark Edusei</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">27</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">MF</TD><TD>Marco Biagianti</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">28</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">MF</TD><TD>Giuseppe Colucci</TD></TR><TR class="vcard agent"><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: right">29</TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"></TD><TD style="TEXT-ALIGN: center">GK</TD><TD>Ciro Polito</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>​

*Work in progress

 

Great.

 

I've started the Argentinian league as well.. I'll try to do 2 teams for each league daily. So hopefully I'm done in 15-20 days with these things lol.

 

Great job Claud.

 

Thank you kind sir

 

I'm in love with you.

 

Unsticking for now. I will redo all of these.

 

Tough start for Benitez.

 

Benitez working his magic....lol.