F.C. Messina Peloro
Encyclopedia
Associazione Calcio Rinascita Messina is an Italian football
club based in Messina
, Sicily
. It currently plays in Serie D
.
in 2007–08, this following three consecutive seasons in Serie A
. On July 2008 Messina were excluded from professional football due to financial issues, being later registered into amateur Serie D
, where they are currently playing.
The farthest Messina has reached in the Coppa Italia
is the last 16, this was achieved in the 2000s decade. In the past, they have also reached the semi-finals in the Coppa Italia Serie C
.
Messina have appeared in the Italy's top league Serie A, for a total of five seasons during their history. The club's first spell in the league was in the 1960s, the second began in the 2000s decade. The highest ever position they have finished is 7th, which happened during the 2004–05
season.
The history of Messina Football Club began when Alfredo Marangolo returned to Sicily in August 1900 from studying in London, England. In Great Britain the game of football was fast gathering popularity with The Football League
in its early stages.
Messina Football Club were officially founded in 1 December 1900 by Marangolo with the help of Anglican reverend "Caulifield
".
At the college where Marangolo visited he had also made the acquaintance of Ignazio Majo Pagano who formed Anglo Palermitan
(Palermo) on his return, only a month before Messina. Indeed the first Sicilian derby was held between Messina and Palermo on 18 April 1901, 1000 fans turned out to Via Notarbartolo in support their respective club for the match. The game ended 3–2 to the Palermitan side.
A strong bond, and healthy rivalry had built up between the two Sicilian clubs and a competition named the Whitaker Challenge Cup was arranged to be played between them. The first was held in 1905; Messina won the game (once again the result was 3–2) and in doing so captured their first trophy. Messina proved the result was no fluke the following year at San Ranieri; capturing the trophy in a 2–1 victory.
The earthquake of 1908, which killed 60,000 people in Messina, later affected the club in a large manner; deaths included Charles Bousfield Huleatt, players Frank John Carter, Walter Oates and financial backer George H. Peirce. Football resumed in Messina during the following year, thanks largely to Arthur Barret Lascelles who used money from his own pocket to ensure football activity in the city would continue. By 1910 the funds of Barret had dried up and the club was folded, Società Ginnastica Garibaldi Messina (Gymnastic Society Garibaldi Messina) briefly took its place until it too was dissolved due to the First World War.
After World War I, a club under the name U.S. Messinese was founded and entered to play in the Coppa Federale Siciliana
the following year; an all Sicilian championship disputed in Messina, Catania
and Palermo
. Messina finished as runners-up.
The club participated in the Italian Football Championship of 1921–22
organized by the C.C.I. finishing 3rd in the Sicilian group section; this was the first Championship in which clubs from the Island were entered. The following season the FIGC and CCI were unified. This coincided with mergers in Messina, as another side, Umberto I Messina, was incorporated into U.S. Messinese, and thus the club changed its name to U.S. Messinese Umberto I in October 1922. The following month this new side was fused once again, this time with Messina Sporting Club; creating the Messina Football Club. Only two years later in December 1924 FC Messina was melted, and the players became part of the reformed U.S. Messinese.
Finally, Messinese qualified for the semi-finals of the International league, after beating Palermo 3–0 in the Sicilian championship of 1924–25. Here Messinese played against Alba Roma
, Cavese
and Liberty Bari
, but failed to win a single match, scoring only two goals in six games. Messina would be promoted to Serie B
for the 1932–33
campaign under the presidency of Francesco Lombardo and Koenig's coaching, and remained in the league for six seasons. The spell in Serie B
was also notable for the local rivalry between them and Calcio Catania
.
Down in Serie C
, AC Messina were withdrawn and folded during 1940–41. The following season in 1941–42 a club named US Peloro 1906 changed its name and became US Mario Passamonte (named after a fallen hero of the war in Africa). The idea was to enter the club into Serie C
in place of Messina, however this was unsuccessful, until the following season.
It would not be long before all activity was halted in Italian football for World War II. After several mergers in 1945, including one between US Passamonte and AP Messina, the club AS Messina subsequently emerged as a post-war representative of Messina. This was not a clean cut merger however, some players and officials formed the rival club Giostra Messina; both Giostra and AS Messina reached the finals of the Southern League but eventually finished 4th and 5th respectively.
In 1947, the two teams AS Messina and Giostra Messina were united as one merged club Associazione Calcio Riunite Messina, abbreviated as AC Riunite Messina.
The 1950s for Messina began in glorious fashion, they were crowned champions of Serie C under the management of Yugoslav
manager Mihalj Balačić. Messina did not falter in Serie B
, during their first season in the league they avoided relegation. Giuseppe Melazzo and the Comitato Reggenza owned the club during this new period of relative success. During the following season, Messina finished in third place.
Throughout the rest of the 1950s, Messina remained in the division as a whole finishing in a respectful position. Goffredo Muglia took over as president in 1958 to begin a brand new era for the club. For the first time in their history, Messina were crowned champions of Serie B
during the 1962–63 season. The race for the championship was a very close one which went down to the last day of the season, with Messina finishing above Bari
and Lazio
.
For their first ever season in Serie A
, the football squad for Messina included; Morelli, Brambilla, Stucchi, Pagani, Dotti, Peru
vian Benitez, Ghelfi, Fascetti, Morbello, Canuti and Clerici. Messina's first game in Serie A took place on 15 September 1963, it ended in a 3–1 defeat against Sampdoria
at Stadio Luigi Ferraris
. As a whole the first part of the season was not a success, they won only 2 games, but they managed to turn it around in the second half of the season, with 7 wins; beating Juventus (1–0), Fiorentina (1–0) and Sampdoria (4–3). The surge of wins in the latter part of the season helped them stay up, finishing 14th.
The next season for the club in Serie A would not be so fortunate, they were relegated in 17th place. Some notable high points of the season included a 1–0 victory over Roma
at the Stadio Olimpico
. A team from Rome would also be the opposition for Messina's other most impressive result of the season, they stunned Lazio
by beating them 4–0 on the last day of the season.
The Sicilian side were not able to bounce straight back up into Serie A, and in fact during their third season back down in Serie B were relegated. After several seasons finishing in and around the top 10 positions of Serie C
, Messina were relegated down to Serie D
in the 1972–73 season. The club managed to bounce straight back however, winning the Serie D championship and achieving promotion back into C. After a few decent seasons in the upper parts of the table, relegation struck Messina again. In the 1979 season Serie C2
was formed and Messina were placed into it.
By 1983 Messina were champions of Serie C2
and had a future star amongst their ranks in Salvatore Schillaci
. The club, now back on the right tracks came close to promotion to Serie B in 1985 with a third place finish just behind Palermo
, and won Serie C1
and earned themselves promotion back to Serie B
the following season.
Time in Serie B during the 1980s was a pleasant one for the Sicilian side, they notched up 7th and 8th place finishes. In 1989 Schillaci was sold to Turin giants Juventus
and, just three seasons after Schillaci's departure, Messina lost their position in Serie B and were relegated down to C1 and then spiraled into further trouble. The club finished 12th in Serie C1 in the season 1992-93, but due to financial difficulties the FIGC canceled all professional football activity for Messina.
In 1993 it was included to Sicilian Promozione
and in 1994 it was admitted in Sicilian Eccellenza
. In this league the club has played until 1998 when following the relegation in Sicilian Promozione
was dissolved.
They played in the Campionato Nazionale Dilettanti for four seasons, finishing high up for the first three of them, but in the season 1996-97 it was ranked last and relegated to the Sicilian Eccellenza
league.
In the season 1998-99 it was relegated to Sicilian Promozione
and was dissolved.
In the summer 1994 after the merger of Villafranca and Tremestieri U.S. Peloro was founded. It plays two season in Sicilian Eccellenza
and in 1996 it was promoted to Campionato Nazionale Dilettanti. Then in the 1996 season the club has played in the same league of the town's other team A.S. Messina, where it was ranked 6th.
In July 1997 the club has changed its name to Football Club Messina Peloro. In a few short seasons, the club ramped up the Italian league system, from Campionato Nazionale Dilettanti in the 1997–98 season, Messina were promoted into Serie C2
as champions. Promoted to Serie C1
in 2000, they immediately managed to fight hard for a promotion spot back to Serie B
, winning promotion to Calcio Catania
after play-offs. In less than a decade, under the presidency of Aliotta, Messina had climbed back up from the abyss and were back in the upper part of the Italian league system.
After two seasons in Serie B, local entrepreneur Pietro Franza took over, and in 2003–04 the Sicilians gained promotion back into Serie A
under coach Bortolo Mutti
. The club had not appeared in the top Italian league since 1965, a total of forty years.
After being tipped as underdog
s in Serie A
for the 2004–05 season, Messina surprised doubters by producing several good results including defeating both of the Milanese clubs, beating AC Milan
first at San Siro 2–1, and then later in the season also with Internazionale, this time at home, for the first time in their history; the winning goal was struck by Rafael in the third minute of injury time.
Messina managed to stay clear of relegation throughout the whole season, and eventually finished in 7th place in the table, just a single place away from securing a UEFA Cup
place. Also during this period, for the first time in the club's history Messina players were called up to the Italian national football team: first was Alessandro Parisi in 2004, then Carmine Coppola
in 2005 who was called up twice by the azzurri.
Despite this impressive form, Messina still were in danger of being relegated from Serie A at the end of the season due to a possibility of not having enough finances available to compete in the league. Eventually, though, they successfully managed to stay in the Serie A league. In the 2005–06 season Messina were however unable to repeat their previous impressive season, leading this to the sacking of Mutti, who was replaced by Giampiero Ventura
; despite all, they looked to be mathematically relegated from the top division after Day 36 losing the derby against Reggina 3–0. However, due to the Serie A scandal of 2006, Messina avoided relegation to Serie B despite finishing 18th.
Messina started the 2006–07 season with Bruno Giordano
as head coach; however, he was replaced on 30 January 2007, by Alberto Cavasin
because of poor results. On 2 April, following a 2–0 away defeat to Cagliari
, another team involved in the battle to avoid relegation, Cavasin was sacked too, and Giordano was recalled to fill the coaching position. Giordano made even worse in his second time at Messina, with four defeats in four matches; with Messina second-last placed in the table five matchdays prior to the end of the season, Giordano was sacked once again on 23 April and replaced by Bruno Bolchi
. Messina were relegated at the end of the season.
After a quiet Serie B season in 2007–08, on July 2008 Messina chairman Pietro Franza announced he did not find any investor ready to take over the club, and that he was consequently giving up the club's Serie B
membership, declaring also he would look forward to enter the club into an amateur league. On 1 August, it was confirmed that Messina was admitted to Serie D
. On November 2008, the Court of Messina declared the club to be bankrupt and appointed a trustee to start a search for potential investors.
On March 2009, Rome-based enterpreneur Alfredo Di Lullo acquired Football Club Messina Peloro in a blind auction held by the Court of Messina and in April 2009 it becomes A.C. Rinascita Messina.
On January 4, 2011 the club is transferred to the group Martorano which August 14, 2011 sold it to Raffaele "Lello" Manfredi.
The capacity of this stadium is (about) 40,200 seats. The name take place from Messina fraction where it is placed, but a couple of petitions aim to rename it after the former Messina manager Franco Scoglio or the Messina Saint Hannibal Mary Di Francia
.
The old stadium, the 11,000 seater Stadio Comunale Giovanni Celeste
, is now used as a training field.
Serie C
Serie C2
Serie D
Campionato Nazionale Dilettanti
I Divisione
Sicilian
Championship
Coppa Federale Siciliana
Whitaker Challenge Cup
Football in Italy
Football is the most popular sport in Italy. The Italian national football team has won the FIFA World Cup 4 times , trailing only Brazil . Italy's club sides have won 27 major European trophies, making them the most successful European nation in the subject of football...
club based in Messina
Messina, Italy
Messina is the third largest city on the island of Sicily, Italy and the capital of the province of Messina. It has a population of about 250,000 inhabitants in the city proper and about 650,000 in the province...
, Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
. It currently plays in Serie D
2011–12 Serie D
Serie D, the fifth level of Italian Football, is usually composed of 162 teams divided into nine 18-team divisions. Special relegation of four teams from the professional leagues above Serie D after the team list had been set increased the total number of teams for this season to 166...
.
Brief history
The origins of the team go back to 1900 when Messina F.C was founded in the city. The club has spent most of its history in the lower Italian football leagues. They last competed in Serie BSerie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
in 2007–08, this following three consecutive seasons in Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
. On July 2008 Messina were excluded from professional football due to financial issues, being later registered into amateur Serie D
Serie D
Serie D is the top level of the Italian non-professional football association called Lega Nazionale Dilettanti. The association represents over a million football players and thousands of football teams across Italy. Serie D ranks just below Lega Pro Seconda Divisione , and is thus considered the...
, where they are currently playing.
The farthest Messina has reached in the Coppa Italia
Coppa Italia
The Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...
is the last 16, this was achieved in the 2000s decade. In the past, they have also reached the semi-finals in the Coppa Italia Serie C
Coppa Italia Serie C
Coppa Italia Lega Pro , formerly named Coppa Italia Serie C, is a straight knock-out based competition involving teams from Lega Pro in Italian football. All games, including the final, are on a home/away basis....
.
Messina have appeared in the Italy's top league Serie A, for a total of five seasons during their history. The club's first spell in the league was in the 1960s, the second began in the 2000s decade. The highest ever position they have finished is 7th, which happened during the 2004–05
Serie A 2004-05
In the 2004–05 season, the Serie A, the highest professional football league in Italy, was composed of 20 teams for the first time in several years....
season.
From 1900 to 1947
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
in its early stages.
Messina Football Club were officially founded in 1 December 1900 by Marangolo with the help of Anglican reverend "Caulifield
Charles Bousfield Huleatt
Charles Bousfield Huleatt also known under the pseudonym of Caulifield, was an Anglican priest born in Folkestone, England. He is the man who discovered the Magdalen papyrus and was also an early football player-manager of Messina Football Club.-Discovery of the Magdalen Papyrus:Huleatt travelled...
".
At the college where Marangolo visited he had also made the acquaintance of Ignazio Majo Pagano who formed Anglo Palermitan
U.S. Città di Palermo
Unione Sportiva Città di Palermo is an Italian football club from Palermo, Sicily which currently plays in Serie A, the top level of Italian football. Formed in 1900 as Anglo Panormitan Athletic and Football Club, the club had various names before assuming its final form in 1987 and is currently...
(Palermo) on his return, only a month before Messina. Indeed the first Sicilian derby was held between Messina and Palermo on 18 April 1901, 1000 fans turned out to Via Notarbartolo in support their respective club for the match. The game ended 3–2 to the Palermitan side.
A strong bond, and healthy rivalry had built up between the two Sicilian clubs and a competition named the Whitaker Challenge Cup was arranged to be played between them. The first was held in 1905; Messina won the game (once again the result was 3–2) and in doing so captured their first trophy. Messina proved the result was no fluke the following year at San Ranieri; capturing the trophy in a 2–1 victory.
After World War I, a club under the name U.S. Messinese was founded and entered to play in the Coppa Federale Siciliana
Coppa Federale Siciliana
Coppa Federale Siciliana was a Sicilian football competition which took place in during May 1920. The tournament took place just once, in the aftermath of World War I...
the following year; an all Sicilian championship disputed in Messina, Catania
Catania
Catania is an Italian city on the east coast of Sicily facing the Ionian Sea, between Messina and Syracuse. It is the capital of the homonymous province, and with 298,957 inhabitants it is the second-largest city in Sicily and the tenth in Italy.Catania is known to have a seismic history and...
and Palermo
Palermo
Palermo is a city in Southern Italy, the capital of both the autonomous region of Sicily and the Province of Palermo. The city is noted for its history, culture, architecture and gastronomy, playing an important role throughout much of its existence; it is over 2,700 years old...
. Messina finished as runners-up.
Italian Football Championship 1921-22 (C.C.I.)
Italian Football Championship 1921-22 was formed during the summer of 1921, as a result of a dispute between the Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio and the main teams....
organized by the C.C.I. finishing 3rd in the Sicilian group section; this was the first Championship in which clubs from the Island were entered. The following season the FIGC and CCI were unified. This coincided with mergers in Messina, as another side, Umberto I Messina, was incorporated into U.S. Messinese, and thus the club changed its name to U.S. Messinese Umberto I in October 1922. The following month this new side was fused once again, this time with Messina Sporting Club; creating the Messina Football Club. Only two years later in December 1924 FC Messina was melted, and the players became part of the reformed U.S. Messinese.
Finally, Messinese qualified for the semi-finals of the International league, after beating Palermo 3–0 in the Sicilian championship of 1924–25. Here Messinese played against Alba Roma
A.S. Roma
Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...
, Cavese
S.S. Cavese 1919
Società Sportiva Cavese 1919, commonly known as Cavese, is an Italian football club, based in Cava de' Tirreni, Campania. Currently it plays only in the youth championship of Juniores Regionale Campania....
and Liberty Bari
A.S. Bari
Associazione Sportiva Bari is an Italian football club founded in 1908, they are based in Bari, Apulia and plays in Serie B. The club have spent many seasons bouncing between the top two divisions in Italian football, Serie A and Serie B....
, but failed to win a single match, scoring only two goals in six games. Messina would be promoted to Serie B
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
for the 1932–33
Serie B 1932-33
The Serie B 1932-33 was the fourth tournament of this football competition played in Italy since its creation.-Final classification:-Results:...
campaign under the presidency of Francesco Lombardo and Koenig's coaching, and remained in the league for six seasons. The spell in Serie B
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
was also notable for the local rivalry between them and Calcio Catania
Calcio Catania
Calcio Catania is an Italian football club founded in 1908 and 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...
.
Serie C
The Lega Italiana Calcio Professionistico , commonly known as Lega Pro , is the governing body that runs the third and fourth highest football divisions in Italy, the Prima Divisione and Seconda Divisione respectively. It also includes the sole professional club of San Marino...
, AC Messina were withdrawn and folded during 1940–41. The following season in 1941–42 a club named US Peloro 1906 changed its name and became US Mario Passamonte (named after a fallen hero of the war in Africa). The idea was to enter the club into Serie C
Serie C
The Lega Italiana Calcio Professionistico , commonly known as Lega Pro , is the governing body that runs the third and fourth highest football divisions in Italy, the Prima Divisione and Seconda Divisione respectively. It also includes the sole professional club of San Marino...
in place of Messina, however this was unsuccessful, until the following season.
It would not be long before all activity was halted in Italian football for World War II. After several mergers in 1945, including one between US Passamonte and AP Messina, the club AS Messina subsequently emerged as a post-war representative of Messina. This was not a clean cut merger however, some players and officials formed the rival club Giostra Messina; both Giostra and AS Messina reached the finals of the Southern League but eventually finished 4th and 5th respectively.
A.C. Riunite Messina
In 1947, the two teams AS Messina and Giostra Messina were united as one merged club Associazione Calcio Riunite Messina, abbreviated as AC Riunite Messina.
The 1950s for Messina began in glorious fashion, they were crowned champions of Serie C under the management of Yugoslav
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
manager Mihalj Balačić. Messina did not falter in Serie B
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
, during their first season in the league they avoided relegation. Giuseppe Melazzo and the Comitato Reggenza owned the club during this new period of relative success. During the following season, Messina finished in third place.
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
during the 1962–63 season. The race for the championship was a very close one which went down to the last day of the season, with Messina finishing above Bari
A.S. Bari
Associazione Sportiva Bari is an Italian football club founded in 1908, they are based in Bari, Apulia and plays in Serie B. The club have spent many seasons bouncing between the top two divisions in Italian football, Serie A and Serie B....
and Lazio
S.S. Lazio
Società Sportiva Lazio, commonly referred to as Lazio, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. The team, founded in 1900, play in the Serie A and have spent most of their history in the top tier of Italian football...
.
For their first ever season in Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
, the football squad for Messina included; Morelli, Brambilla, Stucchi, Pagani, Dotti, Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
vian Benitez, Ghelfi, Fascetti, Morbello, Canuti and Clerici. Messina's first game in Serie A took place on 15 September 1963, it ended in a 3–1 defeat against Sampdoria
U.C. Sampdoria
Unione Calcio Sampdoria is an Italian association football club based in Genoa. The club was formed in 1946 from the merger of two existing sports clubs whose roots can be traced back to the 1890s, Sampierdarenese and Andrea Doria...
at Stadio Luigi Ferraris
Stadio Luigi Ferraris
Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris, also known as the Marassi from the name of the ward where is located, is a multi-use stadium in Genoa, Italy. It opened in 1911 and is one of the first and oldest stadiums still in use for football and other sports in Italy.Hosts since its birth the inside of Genoa,...
. As a whole the first part of the season was not a success, they won only 2 games, but they managed to turn it around in the second half of the season, with 7 wins; beating Juventus (1–0), Fiorentina (1–0) and Sampdoria (4–3). The surge of wins in the latter part of the season helped them stay up, finishing 14th.
The next season for the club in Serie A would not be so fortunate, they were relegated in 17th place. Some notable high points of the season included a 1–0 victory over Roma
A.S. Roma
Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...
at the Stadio Olimpico
Stadio Olimpico
The Stadio Olimpico is the main and largest sports facility of Rome, Italy. It is located within the Foro Italico sports complex on the north of the city. An asset of the Italian National Olympic Committee, the structure is intended primarily for football...
. A team from Rome would also be the opposition for Messina's other most impressive result of the season, they stunned Lazio
S.S. Lazio
Società Sportiva Lazio, commonly referred to as Lazio, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. The team, founded in 1900, play in the Serie A and have spent most of their history in the top tier of Italian football...
by beating them 4–0 on the last day of the season.
The Sicilian side were not able to bounce straight back up into Serie A, and in fact during their third season back down in Serie B were relegated. After several seasons finishing in and around the top 10 positions of Serie C
Serie C
The Lega Italiana Calcio Professionistico , commonly known as Lega Pro , is the governing body that runs the third and fourth highest football divisions in Italy, the Prima Divisione and Seconda Divisione respectively. It also includes the sole professional club of San Marino...
, Messina were relegated down to Serie D
Serie D
Serie D is the top level of the Italian non-professional football association called Lega Nazionale Dilettanti. The association represents over a million football players and thousands of football teams across Italy. Serie D ranks just below Lega Pro Seconda Divisione , and is thus considered the...
in the 1972–73 season. The club managed to bounce straight back however, winning the Serie D championship and achieving promotion back into C. After a few decent seasons in the upper parts of the table, relegation struck Messina again. In the 1979 season Serie C2
Serie C2
Lega Pro Seconda Divisione is the name of the fourth highest football league in Italy, the lowest with a professional status. Usually it consists of 54 teams, but in the season 2010–11 the teams are only 49 divided geographically into three divisions of 17, 16 and 16 teams each...
was formed and Messina were placed into it.
By 1983 Messina were champions of Serie C2
Serie C2
Lega Pro Seconda Divisione is the name of the fourth highest football league in Italy, the lowest with a professional status. Usually it consists of 54 teams, but in the season 2010–11 the teams are only 49 divided geographically into three divisions of 17, 16 and 16 teams each...
and had a future star amongst their ranks in Salvatore Schillaci
Salvatore Schillaci
Salvatore Schillaci , commonly referred to by his nickname Totò is a former Italian football player. During his career, he played for Messina , Juventus , Internazionale and Júbilo Iwata...
. The club, now back on the right tracks came close to promotion to Serie B in 1985 with a third place finish just behind Palermo
U.S. Città di Palermo
Unione Sportiva Città di Palermo is an Italian football club from Palermo, Sicily which currently plays in Serie A, the top level of Italian football. Formed in 1900 as Anglo Panormitan Athletic and Football Club, the club had various names before assuming its final form in 1987 and is currently...
, and won Serie C1
Serie C1
Lega Pro Prima Divisione is the name of the third highest football league in Italy. It consists of 36 teams, divided geographically into two divisions of 18 teams each. Until 2008 it was known as Serie C1....
and earned themselves promotion back to Serie B
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
the following season.
Time in Serie B during the 1980s was a pleasant one for the Sicilian side, they notched up 7th and 8th place finishes. In 1989 Schillaci was sold to Turin giants Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
and, just three seasons after Schillaci's departure, Messina lost their position in Serie B and were relegated down to C1 and then spiraled into further trouble. The club finished 12th in Serie C1 in the season 1992-93, but due to financial difficulties the FIGC canceled all professional football activity for Messina.
In 1993 it was included to Sicilian Promozione
Promozione
Promozione is the name of a level of football in Italy. It is considered to be the 7th level in the Italian football league system. Each individual league winner within the Promozione level progresses to their closest regional league in the Eccellenza level...
and in 1994 it was admitted in Sicilian Eccellenza
Eccellenza Sicily
Eccellenza Sicily is the regional Eccellenza football division for clubs on the Isle of Sicily, Italy. It is competed amongst 32 teams, in two different groups . The winners of the Groups are promoted to Serie D...
. In this league the club has played until 1998 when following the relegation in Sicilian Promozione
Promozione
Promozione is the name of a level of football in Italy. It is considered to be the 7th level in the Italian football league system. Each individual league winner within the Promozione level progresses to their closest regional league in the Eccellenza level...
was dissolved.
A.S. Messina
The decision was thought to be unjust by the club and fans, with Messina been thrown into a footballing abyss never known before. In the summer 1993 A.S. Messina was founded with the president Pietro La Malfa, beginning in the amateurs national championship (C.N.D.) with the objective to bring back the giallorossi to professional football.They played in the Campionato Nazionale Dilettanti for four seasons, finishing high up for the first three of them, but in the season 1996-97 it was ranked last and relegated to the Sicilian Eccellenza
Eccellenza Sicily
Eccellenza Sicily is the regional Eccellenza football division for clubs on the Isle of Sicily, Italy. It is competed amongst 32 teams, in two different groups . The winners of the Groups are promoted to Serie D...
league.
In the season 1998-99 it was relegated to Sicilian Promozione
Promozione
Promozione is the name of a level of football in Italy. It is considered to be the 7th level in the Italian football league system. Each individual league winner within the Promozione level progresses to their closest regional league in the Eccellenza level...
and was dissolved.
From 1994 to 2009
In the summer 1994 after the merger of Villafranca and Tremestieri U.S. Peloro was founded. It plays two season in Sicilian Eccellenza
Eccellenza Sicily
Eccellenza Sicily is the regional Eccellenza football division for clubs on the Isle of Sicily, Italy. It is competed amongst 32 teams, in two different groups . The winners of the Groups are promoted to Serie D...
and in 1996 it was promoted to Campionato Nazionale Dilettanti. Then in the 1996 season the club has played in the same league of the town's other team A.S. Messina, where it was ranked 6th.
In July 1997 the club has changed its name to Football Club Messina Peloro. In a few short seasons, the club ramped up the Italian league system, from Campionato Nazionale Dilettanti in the 1997–98 season, Messina were promoted into Serie C2
Serie C2
Lega Pro Seconda Divisione is the name of the fourth highest football league in Italy, the lowest with a professional status. Usually it consists of 54 teams, but in the season 2010–11 the teams are only 49 divided geographically into three divisions of 17, 16 and 16 teams each...
as champions. Promoted to Serie C1
Serie C1
Lega Pro Prima Divisione is the name of the third highest football league in Italy. It consists of 36 teams, divided geographically into two divisions of 18 teams each. Until 2008 it was known as Serie C1....
in 2000, they immediately managed to fight hard for a promotion spot back to Serie B
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
, winning promotion to Calcio Catania
Calcio Catania
Calcio Catania is an Italian football club founded in 1908 and 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...
after play-offs. In less than a decade, under the presidency of Aliotta, Messina had climbed back up from the abyss and were back in the upper part of the Italian league system.
After two seasons in Serie B, local entrepreneur Pietro Franza took over, and in 2003–04 the Sicilians gained promotion back into Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
under coach Bortolo Mutti
Bortolo Mutti
Bortolo Mutti is an Italian football manager and a former player.His older brother Tiziano Mutti also played football professionally...
. The club had not appeared in the top Italian league since 1965, a total of forty years.
After being tipped as underdog
Underdog (competition)
An underdog is a person or group in a competition, frequently in electoral politics, sports and creative works, who is popularly expected to lose. The party, team or individual expected to win is called the favorite or top dog. In the rare case where an underdog wins, the outcome is an upset. These...
s in Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
for the 2004–05 season, Messina surprised doubters by producing several good results including defeating both of the Milanese clubs, beating AC Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
first at San Siro 2–1, and then later in the season also with Internazionale, this time at home, for the first time in their history; the winning goal was struck by Rafael in the third minute of injury time.
Messina managed to stay clear of relegation throughout the whole season, and eventually finished in 7th place in the table, just a single place away from securing a UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
place. Also during this period, for the first time in the club's history Messina players were called up to the Italian national football team: first was Alessandro Parisi in 2004, then Carmine Coppola
Carmine Coppola (footballer)
For the composer see Carmine CoppolaCarmine Coppola is an Italian footballer who plays as midfielder for A.C.R. Messina.-Biography:...
in 2005 who was called up twice by the azzurri.
Despite this impressive form, Messina still were in danger of being relegated from Serie A at the end of the season due to a possibility of not having enough finances available to compete in the league. Eventually, though, they successfully managed to stay in the Serie A league. In the 2005–06 season Messina were however unable to repeat their previous impressive season, leading this to the sacking of Mutti, who was replaced by Giampiero Ventura
Giampiero Ventura
Giampiero Ventura is an Italian football manager and the current manager of Torino.-Career:After a short playing career started with Sampdoria, Ventura was forced to retire from active football at the age of 25 because of a serious back injury...
; despite all, they looked to be mathematically relegated from the top division after Day 36 losing the derby against Reggina 3–0. However, due to the Serie A scandal of 2006, Messina avoided relegation to Serie B despite finishing 18th.
Messina started the 2006–07 season with Bruno Giordano
Bruno Giordano
Bruno Giordano is an Italian football manager and former player.-Playing career:Born in Rome, Giordano played for most of his career with Lazio, debuting in Serie A on 5 October 1975...
as head coach; however, he was replaced on 30 January 2007, by Alberto Cavasin
Alberto Cavasin
Alberto Cavasin is an Italian football manager and former player. He last served as head coach of Serie A team Sampdoria.-Playing career:...
because of poor results. On 2 April, following a 2–0 away defeat to Cagliari
Cagliari Calcio
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....
, another team involved in the battle to avoid relegation, Cavasin was sacked too, and Giordano was recalled to fill the coaching position. Giordano made even worse in his second time at Messina, with four defeats in four matches; with Messina second-last placed in the table five matchdays prior to the end of the season, Giordano was sacked once again on 23 April and replaced by Bruno Bolchi
Bruno Bolchi
Bruno Bolchi is an Italian retired football manager and former player.-Playing:Bolchi, a midfielder, made his debut at the age of 18 with F.C. Internazionale Milano in a Serie A away match lost 1-0 to S.S.C. Napoli on May 18, 1958...
. Messina were relegated at the end of the season.
After a quiet Serie B season in 2007–08, on July 2008 Messina chairman Pietro Franza announced he did not find any investor ready to take over the club, and that he was consequently giving up the club's Serie B
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
membership, declaring also he would look forward to enter the club into an amateur league. On 1 August, it was confirmed that Messina was admitted to Serie D
Serie D
Serie D is the top level of the Italian non-professional football association called Lega Nazionale Dilettanti. The association represents over a million football players and thousands of football teams across Italy. Serie D ranks just below Lega Pro Seconda Divisione , and is thus considered the...
. On November 2008, the Court of Messina declared the club to be bankrupt and appointed a trustee to start a search for potential investors.
A.C. Rinascita Messina
On March 2009, Rome-based enterpreneur Alfredo Di Lullo acquired Football Club Messina Peloro in a blind auction held by the Court of Messina and in April 2009 it becomes A.C. Rinascita Messina.
On January 4, 2011 the club is transferred to the group Martorano which August 14, 2011 sold it to Raffaele "Lello" Manfredi.
Current squad
To see the players of the current team click hereStadium
Football Club Messina Peloro have played their home matches in the new Stadio Comunale San Filippo since the 2004-05 to 2008-09 season. Since the season 2009-10 plays here the current team of A.C.Riunite Messina.The capacity of this stadium is (about) 40,200 seats. The name take place from Messina fraction where it is placed, but a couple of petitions aim to rename it after the former Messina manager Franco Scoglio or the Messina Saint Hannibal Mary Di Francia
Hannibal Mary Di Francia
Annibale Maria di Francia is a saint venerated by the Roman Catholic Church. His father Francis was a Knight of the Marquises of St. Catherine of Jonio, Papal Vice-Consul and Honorary Captain of the Navy. His mother, Anna Toscano, belonged to the noble family of the Marquises of Montanaro...
.
The old stadium, the 11,000 seater Stadio Comunale Giovanni Celeste
Stadio Comunale Giovanni Celeste
Stadio Comunale Giovanni Celeste is a multi-use stadium in Messina, Italy. It is currently the home of S.S.D. Città di Messina. The stadium is able to hold 11,900 people.- History :...
, is now used as a training field.
Honours
Serie BSerie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
- Champions: 1962–63
- Promoted: 2003–04
Serie C
Serie C
The Lega Italiana Calcio Professionistico , commonly known as Lega Pro , is the governing body that runs the third and fourth highest football divisions in Italy, the Prima Divisione and Seconda Divisione respectively. It also includes the sole professional club of San Marino...
- Champions: 1949–50, 1985–86
- Runners-up: 1946–47, 2000–01
Serie C2
Serie C2
Lega Pro Seconda Divisione is the name of the fourth highest football league in Italy, the lowest with a professional status. Usually it consists of 54 teams, but in the season 2010–11 the teams are only 49 divided geographically into three divisions of 17, 16 and 16 teams each...
- Champions: 1982–83, 1999–00
- Runners-up: 1998–99
Serie D
Serie D
Serie D is the top level of the Italian non-professional football association called Lega Nazionale Dilettanti. The association represents over a million football players and thousands of football teams across Italy. Serie D ranks just below Lega Pro Seconda Divisione , and is thus considered the...
- Champions: 1973–74
Campionato Nazionale Dilettanti
- Champions: 1997–98
- Runners-up: 1995–96
I Divisione
- Runners-up: 1929–30, 1931–32
Sicilian
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
Championship
- Winners: 1924–25
Coppa Federale Siciliana
Coppa Federale Siciliana
Coppa Federale Siciliana was a Sicilian football competition which took place in during May 1920. The tournament took place just once, in the aftermath of World War I...
- Runners-up: 1920
Whitaker Challenge Cup
- Winners: 1905, 1906