Pisa Calcio
Encyclopedia
Associazione Calcio Pisa 1909 (formerly Pisa Calcio) is an Italian association football
club, based in Pisa
, Tuscany. The club was founded in 1909 as Pisa Sporting Club and refounded in 1994 as A.C. Pisa (and registered to the Eccellenza, that is the sixth football division in Italy), after the cancellation of the old one because of economical troubles. It assumed the current denomination in 1995, but was excluded again from Italian football in 2009, after the property failed to collect enough money to pay off the club's debts. The team's colors are blue and black. The team currently plays in Lega Pro Prima Divisione.
Pisa has won two Mitropa Cup
s, in 1985 and 1988. They play their home matches at Arena Garibaldi - Stadio Romeo Anconetani, named after Romeo Anconetani, the chairman who brought and led the club in Serie A during the 1980s and the 1990s.
At the end of the 2008 season, Pisa lost to U.S. Lecce
in a two-legged promotion playoff final to Serie A
. The club marked its last Serie A
appearance in 1991.
After promotion to Serie B
in 1965, Pisa took three years to reach Serie A
for the first time. Despite a brave effort, Pisa were relegated on the final day of the 1968–69 season.
Spending much of the 1970s in Serie C, Pisa returned to Serie B in 1979 (by which time the club had come under the presidency of the much-loved Romeo Anconetani) and were promoted to Serie A in 1982, embarking on a period of six out of nine seasons in Serie A. With Danish international Klaus Berggreen
among their stars, Pisa managed a credible 11th place in the 1982–83 Serie A with 27 points and 27 goals scored and conceded in 30 games. The following season brought relegation (during which they recorded just 3 wins and 16 draws) with 10,000 fans travelling to Milan
for the fateful penultimate game.
Promotion followed in 1985, and the team seemed capable of staying up until losing their last three games. The cycle was repeated in 1987, only for a side containing players like Dunga
and Paul Elliott to stay up. The last promotion to Serie A was achieved in 1990, and with the talents of players like Maurizio Neri
, Michele Padovano
and Lamberto Piovanelli up front and Diego Simeone and Aldo Dolcetti
in midfield, the side started well and was briefly atop the standings, only to suffer another relegation.
Relegation brought considerable financial strains to the club, and by 1994 they had lost a relegation play-off and were condemned to Serie C1
. Bankruptcy saw Pisa reformed in the lower leagues, only to return to Serie C2
in 1996 and C1 in 1999. Pisa have since worked towards attaining Serie B status, which was achieved in 2007. Their crowds have been among the better in Italy's lower divisions owing to the dedication of their fans.
In 2005–06, the team, initially thought to be a protagonist for the promotion, were in continuous struggles, and avoided relegation after playoffs in two dramatic regional derbies against Massese
. The 2006–07
season, with new boss Piero Braglia
, brought Pisa back to fight for a promotion spot: the nerazzurri ended the regular season in third place, and eventually won the promotion playoffs by defeating Venezia in the semi-finals and Monza
in the finals.
For the 2007–08 Serie B
campaign, the first in 13 years, Giampiero Ventura
was named to replace Braglia at the helm of the nerazzurri. Despite initial predictions of a mid-low table place, Pisa's impressive performances brought the team to fight for a direct promotion spot, also thanks to a forward line composed by Alessio Cerci
, José Ignacio Castillo
and Vitali Kutuzov
which proved to be among the finest in the league. The club ended the regular season in sixth place, therefore achieving a spot to the promotion playoffs, where Pisa was later defeated by Lecce
.
In 2008–09, the club was acquired by Rome enterpreneur Luca Pomponi, who initially failed into appointing Alessandro Costacurta
as new head coach, thus confirming Ventura as nerazzurri boss. The club, which was weakened by the departures of Cerci, Castillo, Kutuzov and several other players, did not manage to repeat its performances, with Ventura being ultimately sacked on March 2009, with the club in mid-table place. The appointment of Bruno Giordano
, which was made to improve the team results, however proved to be disappointing in terms of results, as Pisa slowly lost positions in the table, and shockingly got directly relegated in the final game of the season due to an injury-time home defeat to Brescia
which left the Tuscans in 18th place. The unexpected relegation also unveiled a number of massive financial issues which prevented the club from registering in the Lega Pro Prima Divisione, and on July 2009 the club was excluded by the Italian Football Federation for the second time in its history. Pisa has been refounded with the current denomination of A.C. Pisa 1909 S.S.D. to start again from Serie D
under a new property.. At the end of the season Pisa won Group (Girone) D of Serie D and was promoted to Lega Pro Seconda Divisione (formerly Serie C2) for 2010–11 season.
The team was then admitted to Lega Pro Prima Divisione for the 2010–11 season to fill vacancies created by a row of club exclusions in 2nd and 3rd tier of Italian football league system.
(c)
José Antonio Chamot Diego Simeone Francis Severeyns
Dunga
Klaus Berggreen
Henrik Larsen
Paul Elliott
Giovanni Moscardini
Roberto Muzzi
Michele Padovano
Lamberto Piovanelli Gianluca Signorini
Marco Tardelli Christian Vieri
Alessandro Birindelli
Gilbert Agius
Mario Been
Wim Kieft
Ivan Radovanović
Mircea Lucescu
Luigi Simoni
Luis Vinicio
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 Pisa
Pisa
Pisa is a city in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the River Arno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa...
, Tuscany. The club was founded in 1909 as Pisa Sporting Club and refounded in 1994 as A.C. Pisa (and registered to the Eccellenza, that is the sixth football division in Italy), after the cancellation of the old one because of economical troubles. It assumed the current denomination in 1995, but was excluded again from Italian football in 2009, after the property failed to collect enough money to pay off the club's debts. The team's colors are blue and black. The team currently plays in Lega Pro Prima Divisione.
Pisa has won two Mitropa Cup
Mitropa Cup
The Mitropa Cup, officially called the La Coupe de l'Europe Centrale was one of the first really international major European football cups for club sides...
s, in 1985 and 1988. They play their home matches at Arena Garibaldi - Stadio Romeo Anconetani, named after Romeo Anconetani, the chairman who brought and led the club in Serie A during the 1980s and the 1990s.
At the end of the 2008 season, Pisa lost to U.S. Lecce
U.S. Lecce
Unione Sportiva Lecce or simply U.S. Lecce is an Italian football club based in Lecce, Apulia who play in the Italian Serie A. After being crowned Serie B champions in 2009–10, the team successfully managed to avoid relegation in 2010-11....
in a two-legged promotion playoff final to 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 club marked its last 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...
appearance in 1991.
History
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...
in 1965, Pisa took three years to reach 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 first time. Despite a brave effort, Pisa were relegated on the final day of the 1968–69 season.
Spending much of the 1970s in Serie C, Pisa returned to Serie B in 1979 (by which time the club had come under the presidency of the much-loved Romeo Anconetani) and were promoted to Serie A in 1982, embarking on a period of six out of nine seasons in Serie A. With Danish international Klaus Berggreen
Klaus Berggreen
Klaus Berggreen is a Danish former football player, who most prominently played for Italian clubs Pisa and A.S. Roma. He played 46 matches and scored five goals for the Danish national team, and he represented his country at the 1986 World Cup and two European Championship...
among their stars, Pisa managed a credible 11th place in the 1982–83 Serie A with 27 points and 27 goals scored and conceded in 30 games. The following season brought relegation (during which they recorded just 3 wins and 16 draws) with 10,000 fans travelling to 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...
for the fateful penultimate game.
Promotion followed in 1985, and the team seemed capable of staying up until losing their last three games. The cycle was repeated in 1987, only for a side containing players like Dunga
Dunga
Carlos Caetano Bledorn Verri , commonly known as Dunga , is a former Brazilian football defensive midfielder and a World Champion for Brazil in the 1994 World Cup...
and Paul Elliott to stay up. The last promotion to Serie A was achieved in 1990, and with the talents of players like Maurizio Neri
Maurizio Neri
Maurizio Neri is an Italian professional football coach and a former player.Currently, he is the head coach of Real Rimini.-External links:*...
, Michele Padovano
Michele Padovano
Michele Padovano is an Italian retired football player.Padovano began his professional career at Asti T.S.C. in Serie C2, before short spells at Pisa, Napoli and Genoa, he signed for Reggiana where he impressed...
and Lamberto Piovanelli up front and Diego Simeone and Aldo Dolcetti
Aldo Dolcetti
Aldo Dolcetti was an Italian footballer who played as a central midfielder.Dolcetti began as a youngster at Juventus but spent a season at Novara before signing for Pisa in 1987. He was a central player for Pisa in two spells in Serie A, before brief spells with Messina and Lucchese...
in midfield, the side started well and was briefly atop the standings, only to suffer another relegation.
Relegation brought considerable financial strains to the club, and by 1994 they had lost a relegation play-off and were condemned 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....
. Bankruptcy saw Pisa reformed in the lower leagues, only to return to 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...
in 1996 and C1 in 1999. Pisa have since worked towards attaining Serie B status, which was achieved in 2007. Their crowds have been among the better in Italy's lower divisions owing to the dedication of their fans.
In 2005–06, the team, initially thought to be a protagonist for the promotion, were in continuous struggles, and avoided relegation after playoffs in two dramatic regional derbies against Massese
U.S. Massese 1919
Società Sportiva Dilettantistica Massese is an Italian football club, based in Massa, Tuscany. Massese currently plays in Eccellenza Tuscany, having last been in Serie B in 1969.- History :The club was founded in 1919 as Società Sportiva Juventus Massa....
. The 2006–07
Serie C1 2006-07
The 2006–07 Serie C1 was the football league season of Italian Serie C1 for the years 2006 and 2007. It was divided into two phases: the regular season, played from September 3, 2006 to May 13, 2007, and the playoff phase. Once the regular season was over teams placed 2nd to 5th entered a playoff...
season, with new boss Piero Braglia
Piero Braglia
Piero Braglia is an Italian football manager and former player.-Playing:A midfielder, Braglia started his professional career with Serie C team Montevarchi, then making his debut in the Serie A in 1976 with Fiorentina. He then spent six seasons with Catanzaro, five of them being in the Italian top...
, brought Pisa back to fight for a promotion spot: the nerazzurri ended the regular season in third place, and eventually won the promotion playoffs by defeating Venezia in the semi-finals and Monza
A.C. Monza Brianza 1912
Associazione Calcio Monza Brianza 1912 is an Italian football club based in Monza, Lombardy.Founded in 1912, Monza currently plays in Lega Pro Prima Divisione group A, having last been in Serie B in 2000. Monza spent the last few years in Serie C1 and Serie C2.-History:Monza was founded on 1...
in the finals.
For the 2007–08 Serie B
Serie B 2007-08
The 2007-08 Serie B regular season is the seventy-sixth since its establishment. It started on August 25, 2007, and ended with the promotion playoff final on June 15, 2008....
campaign, the first in 13 years, 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...
was named to replace Braglia at the helm of the nerazzurri. Despite initial predictions of a mid-low table place, Pisa's impressive performances brought the team to fight for a direct promotion spot, also thanks to a forward line composed by Alessio Cerci
Alessio Cerci
Alessio Cerci is an Italian footballer who plays for Serie A club Fiorentina as a winger.-Club career:He was a regular for the Roma youth team that won the Campionato Primavera 2004–05...
, José Ignacio Castillo
José Ignacio Castillo
José Ignacio Castillo Álvarez is an Argentine footballer currently playing for AS Bari.-Serie D:A prolific striker, nicknamed Nacho, he moved in Italy in 2001 to join Serie D club Brindisi, offering a massive contribution to their promotion to Serie C2 thanks to 15 goals in 23 matches...
and Vitali Kutuzov
Vitali Kutuzov
Vitali Vladimirovich Kutuzov is a Belarusian football player, who plays the Belarusian national team.- Career :In 2001 he joined Italian side A.C. Milan from BATE Borisov, Belarus. During the half of the season he spent with the team he failed to establish himself in the first team, playing only...
which proved to be among the finest in the league. The club ended the regular season in sixth place, therefore achieving a spot to the promotion playoffs, where Pisa was later defeated by Lecce
U.S. Lecce
Unione Sportiva Lecce or simply U.S. Lecce is an Italian football club based in Lecce, Apulia who play in the Italian Serie A. After being crowned Serie B champions in 2009–10, the team successfully managed to avoid relegation in 2010-11....
.
In 2008–09, the club was acquired by Rome enterpreneur Luca Pomponi, who initially failed into appointing Alessandro Costacurta
Alessandro Costacurta
Alessandro "Billy" Costacurta is an Italian former professional football defender turned manager.Costacurta spent some twenty years at Milan, with a brief period spent in AC Monza on loan. He is best known for his role alongside Franco Baresi, Paolo Maldini and Mauro Tassotti, forming one of the...
as new head coach, thus confirming Ventura as nerazzurri boss. The club, which was weakened by the departures of Cerci, Castillo, Kutuzov and several other players, did not manage to repeat its performances, with Ventura being ultimately sacked on March 2009, with the club in mid-table place. The appointment of 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...
, which was made to improve the team results, however proved to be disappointing in terms of results, as Pisa slowly lost positions in the table, and shockingly got directly relegated in the final game of the season due to an injury-time home defeat to Brescia
Brescia Calcio
Brescia Calcio , known simply as Brescia, is the largest football club in the Lombard city of Brescia, where it was founded in 1911.In the 2009–10 season, in the return leg of the Serie B playoff final, they defeated Torino 2-1 at home , returning to Serie A after a 5-year absence...
which left the Tuscans in 18th place. The unexpected relegation also unveiled a number of massive financial issues which prevented the club from registering in the Lega Pro Prima Divisione, and on July 2009 the club was excluded by the Italian Football Federation for the second time in its history. Pisa has been refounded with the current denomination of A.C. Pisa 1909 S.S.D. to start again from 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...
under a new property.. At the end of the season Pisa won Group (Girone) D of Serie D and was promoted to Lega Pro Seconda Divisione (formerly Serie C2) for 2010–11 season.
The team was then admitted to Lega Pro Prima Divisione for the 2010–11 season to fill vacancies created by a row of club exclusions in 2nd and 3rd tier of Italian football league system.
Players
As of 24 August, 2011.(c)
Notable former players
- See also .
José Antonio Chamot Diego Simeone Francis Severeyns
Francis Severeyns
Francis Severeyns , nicknamed Cisse, was a Belgian football striker. He played a.o. for R. Antwerp F.C., Pisa Calcio, KV Mechelen, FC Tirol Innsbruck and K.F.C. Germinal Beerschot. Severeyns was the Jupiler League top scorer in 1988 with 24 goals. He played 7 matches for the Belgium national...
Dunga
Dunga
Carlos Caetano Bledorn Verri , commonly known as Dunga , is a former Brazilian football defensive midfielder and a World Champion for Brazil in the 1994 World Cup...
Klaus Berggreen
Klaus Berggreen
Klaus Berggreen is a Danish former football player, who most prominently played for Italian clubs Pisa and A.S. Roma. He played 46 matches and scored five goals for the Danish national team, and he represented his country at the 1986 World Cup and two European Championship...
Henrik Larsen
Henrik Larsen
Henrik Larsen , nicknamed Store Larsen , is a Danish former professional football player who was last the manager of Lyngby Boldklub.-Biography:...
Paul Elliott
Giovanni MoscardiniGiovanni Moscardini
Giovanni Moscardini , also known as Johnny Moscardini, was an Italian Scottish footballer who played for Lucchese, Pisa, Genoa and Italy. He was one of the earliest of the Oriundi. While the majority of these foreign-born footballers who played for Italy came from South America, Moscardini was the...
Roberto Muzzi
Roberto Muzzi
Roberto Muzzi is an Italian retired football striker. During his career, he has played for several Italian clubs including A.S. Roma, Pisa Calcio, Cagliari Calcio, Udinese Calcio, and S.S...
Michele Padovano
Michele Padovano
Michele Padovano is an Italian retired football player.Padovano began his professional career at Asti T.S.C. in Serie C2, before short spells at Pisa, Napoli and Genoa, he signed for Reggiana where he impressed...
Lamberto Piovanelli Gianluca Signorini
Gianluca Signorini
Gianluca Signorini was an Italian football player, mostly known for his time spent at Genoa C.F.C..-Career:...
Marco Tardelli Christian Vieri
Christian Vieri
Christian Vieri is a retired Italian footballer who played as a centre forward.Vieri was named in the FIFA 100, a list of the 125 greatest living footballers selected by Pelé as a part of FIFA's centenary celebrations...
Alessandro Birindelli
Alessandro Birindelli
Alessandro Birindelli is a retired Italian footballer. Equally at ease as right or left defender, he is best known for his 11-year spell with Juventus, winning several accolades and appearing in nearly 300 official games.-Early years:...
Gilbert Agius
Gilbert Agius
Gilbert Agius is a professional Maltese footballer. He currently plays as a midfielder or as a striker for the Maltese Premier League side Valletta.-Barcelona :...
Mario Been
Mario Been
Mario Been is a former football professional and football manager from the Netherlands, who is currently the head coach of Genk since 30 August 2011....
Wim Kieft
Wim Kieft
Willem "Wim" Cornelis Nicolaas Kieft is a retired Dutch footballer who played as a centre forward.A prolific goalscorer whose main asset resided in his heading ability, he played in his country for two of the most important clubs, Ajax Amsterdam and PSV Eindhoven, with equal team and individual...
Ivan Radovanović
Ivan Radovanovic
Ivan Radovanović is a Serbian footballer. He plays for Italian club Novara Calcio, on loan from Atalanta....
Notable former managers
- See also .
Mircea Lucescu
Mircea Lucescu
Mircea Lucescu is a Romanian former football player and current coach, and one of the most successful Romanian football managers. He is also the father of Rapid Bucharest coach, Răzvan Lucescu...
Luigi Simoni
Luigi Simoni
Luigi "Gigi" Simoni is an Italian football manager, currently in office with Gubbio of Serie B, and a former player.-Biography:Luigi Simoni was born at Crevalcore ....
Luis Vinicio
Luís Vinício
Luís Vinícius de Menezes, more famously known as Vinício was a professional football player, who played as a center forward. Although he is a Brazilian, Vinício played his entire career in Italy....