AC Perugia Calcio

Associazione Calcistica Perugia Calcio,[1] or simply Perugia, is a professional football club based in Perugia, Umbria, Italy, that competes in the Serie C Group B.

Perugia
Full nameAssociazione Calcistica Perugia Calcio S.r.l.
Nickname(s)I Grifoni (The Griffins)
Founded1905 (1905)
1935 (1935) (re-founded)
1940 (1940) (re-founded)
2005 (2005) (Perugia Calcio)
2010 (2010) (AC Perugia)
GroundStadio Renato Curi,
Perugia, Italy
Capacity28,000
ChairmanMassimiliano Santopadre
Head coachFabrizio Castori
LeagueSerie C Group B
2022–23Serie B, 18th of 20 (relegated)
WebsiteClub website
The progress of Perugia in the Italian football league structure since the first season of a unified Serie A (1929–30).

Founded in 1905 as Associazione Calcistica Perugia, the club folded in 2005 and were re-founded the same year as Perugia Calcio, before dissolving once again in 2010, taking on its current name.

The club has played 13 times in the Serie A; their best placement was finishing runners-up in 1978–79 year unbeaten, becoming the first team under the round-robin format to finish the Serie A season without defeats. In addition to various minor league titles, the club has won the 2003 UEFA Intertoto Cup, and has made two UEFA Cup appearances. In its Serie A spell under club president Luciano Gaucci around the turn of the century Perugia had some upset wins at home, most notably against Juventus on the final day in 2000, which lead to their opponents dropping the title win to Lazio. Gaucci's era ended with relegation in 2004 after which bankruptcy unfolded.

The club's players are nicknamed "biancorossi" (red and whites) due to their historical kit colours, which include red shirts and socks accompanied by white shorts, and "grifoni" (griffins), inspired by their city's heraldic symbol. They play their home matches at the 28,000-capacity Stadio Renato Curi. In the 1979–80 season, they became the first Italian football team to show a kit sponsorship.

History

A.C. Perugia (1905–2004)

A.C. Perugia were founded on 9 June 1905, after the merger of U.S. Fortebraccio and Libertas.

1933–34 Perugia line-up

Promotion to Serie B in 1966 would mark the beginning of one of the club's most successful periods. Perugia spent the next eight years in Serie B before promotion to Serie A for the first time in 1975.

In the club's first Serie A season, Perugia finished eighth with 31 points – just short of a European place. Star players in the side included defender Pierluigi Frosio and midfielders Renato Curi and Franco Vannini. The side remained in the top half of the table for the rest of the decade, finishing runners-up in 1979 with 11 wins and 19 draws, resulting in the only unbeaten side not to win a title. However, tragedy and scandal marred this period. In 1977, Curi died of a heart attack during a league match with Juventus, while Vannini's career was ended by injury in 1979. The Totonero scandal in 1980 led to a 5-point penalty and relegation in 1981. Ilario Castagner was coach during this period.

The club spent the first half of the 1980s trying to get back to Serie A, nearly succeeding in 1984–85. Another scandal in 1986 forced Perugia down to Serie C2. It was during this time that Fabrizio Ravanelli would be discovered, he would later go on to a career with Reggiana, Juventus, Middlesbrough and several other clubs before returning to Perugia.

The controversial and eccentric Luciano Gaucci took control of the club. The side returned to Serie B in 1994 and under the guidance of Giovanni Galeone reached Serie A in 1996. Perugia started well before Gaucci's decision to replace Galeone with Nevio Scala. The side's form subsequently declined before a late rally gave them a chance of survival- a 2–1 defeat at Piacenza in the final round sealed their fate. With Castagner back in charge, Perugia won a play-off with Torino to secure a return to the top flight.

1974–75 Perugia first-team squad

The next six seasons saw Perugia hold their own in Serie A with foreign imports including the Japanese international Hidetoshi Nakata in 1998.[2] The team came under scrutiny when Gaucci criticised and eventually terminated the contract of his own player, Ahn Jung-Hwan of South Korea, for scoring the golden goal that knocked Italy out of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, and allegedly insulting the Italian nation. Ahn's national manager Guus Hiddink spoke out against the sacking.[3] Following the outcry, it however transpired that Ahn was only ever on a season-long contract and by the time of the World Cup, was no longer under contract to Perugia and the "sacking" was all a publicity stunt by Gaucci.

In the summer of 2003, Perugia signed English striker Jay Bothroyd, and Al-Saadi Gaddafi (the son of Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi).[4] Soon after, the club were one of three winners of the 2003 UEFA Intertoto Cup after beating VfL Wolfsburg of Germany 3–0 on aggregate. This qualified the team to the 2003–04 UEFA Cup, in which they were eliminated in the third round by PSV Eindhoven.[5]

Perugia Calcio (2005–2010)

The new chairman Vincenzo Silvestrini had re-established the club in 2005 as Perugia Calcio.

After a takeover, in 2009 Perugia Calcio property passed to Perugian entrepreneur and former Pisa owner and chairman Leonardo Covarelli. On 21 May 2010 the Court of Perugia declared the bankruptcy of Perugia Calcio srl.[6] Nobody decided to take over the society at the subsequent auction[7] and on 30 June 2010 the club was unable to join the Italian third level championship 2010–2011. The Italian Football Federation decided on 8 July 2010 to revoke the affiliation of the bankrupt Perugia Calcio Srl.[8]

From A.S.D. Perugia Calcio to A.C. Perugia Calcio (2010–present)

During the summer break 2010, this new club with the same denomination and inheriting the old side history, was entered into the Serie D Girone E.

On 10 April 2011, Perugia became the first team of the season to get promoted from Serie D to the Lega Pro Seconda Divisione 2011–12, after a 3–2 home victory against Castel Rigone.[9] They eventually won the Girone E. The club also won the 2010–11 Coppa Italia Serie D, beating Turris 1–0 in the final.[10]

In summer 2011 the club was renamed Associazione Calcistica Perugia Calcio, thus becoming a professional company, to play in the Lega Pro Seconda Divisione/B obtaining immediate promotion to Lega Pro Prima Divisione. On 4 May 2014, beating Frosinone 1–0, A.C. Perugia won the 2013–14 Lega Pro Prima Divisione championship and gained promotion to Serie B after a 9-year absence from Italy's second highest football division.

On 2 May 2021, Perugia finished in first place in group B of the 2020–21 Serie C, and were promoted back to the Serie B.[11] Their promotion came after consecutive wins in the last five games on the season, having been in third place, six points from first place.[11] The club was relegated back to Serie C at the end of the 2022–23 Serie B season.

Players

Current squad
As of 8 September 2023[12]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK Albania ALB Alessio Abibi
3 DF Italy ITA Damiano Cancellieri
4 MF Italy ITA Edoardo Iannoni (on loan from Salernitana)
5 DF Italy ITA Gabriele Angella (Vice-captain)
6 DF Croatia CRO Stipe Vulikić
7 DF Colombia COL Yeferson Paz (on loan from Sassuolo)
8 FW Argentina ARG Federico Vázquez
10 FW Brazil BRA Ryder Matos
11 FW Italy ITA Alessandro Seghetti
12 GK Lithuania LTU Marius Adamonis (on loan from Lazio)
14 FW Italy ITA Daniel Bezziccheri
15 DF Italy ITA Cristian Dell'Orco
16 MF Italy ITA Paolo Bartolomei
17 FW Germany GER Younes Ebnoutalib
18 MF Italy ITA Christian Acella (on loan from Cremonese)
No. Pos. Nation Player
20 MF Italy ITA Federico Ricci
21 MF Italy ITA Nicolò Cudrig (on loan from Juventus)
22 GK Italy ITA Jacopo Furlan
23 MF Italy ITA Francesco Lisi
24 MF Italy ITA Emanuele Torrasi
25 DF Italy ITA Raul Morichelli
26 MF Italy ITA Simone Santoro
28 MF Ivory Coast CIV Christian Kouan
71 DF Italy ITA Andrea Bozzolan (on loan from AC Milan)
77 MF Bulgaria BUL Dzhaner Sadetinov
84 FW Lithuania LTU Adrian Lickūnas
86 MF Italy ITA Giovanni Giunti
94 DF Italy ITA Francesco Mezzoni (on loan from Napoli)
95 DF Italy ITA Giovanni Cicioni
96 DF Italy ITA Matteo Viti

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
— GK Italy ITA Luca Moro (at Piacenza until 30 June 2024)

Coaching staff
Position Name
Head coach Italy Fabrizio Castori
Assistant coach Italy Salvatore Accursi
Goalkeeper coach Italy Gianfranco Gagliardi
Chief doctor Italy Giuliano Cerulli

Honours

League

Serie B:

Serie C1:

Serie C2:

Cups

Supercoppa di Lega Pro:

  • Winner: 2014

Supercoppa di Serie C2:

  • Winner: 2012

Coppa Italia Serie D:

  • Winner: 2010–11

European

UEFA Intertoto Cup:

Divisional movements
SeriesYearsLastPromotionsRelegations
A 132003–04-Decrease 3 (1981, 1997, 2004)
B 292022–23Increase 3 (1975, 1996, 1998)Decrease 6 (1935✟, 1948, 1986⇊, 2005✟, 2020, 2023)
C
+C2		 33
+3		2023–24Increase 6 (1933, 1946, 1967, 1994, 2014, 2021)
Increase 2 (1988 C2, 2012 C2)		Decrease 3 (1939, 1951, 2010✟)
78 out of 92 years of professional football in Italy since 1929
D 132010–11Increase 4 (1938, 1940, 1959, 2011)never
E 11929–30Increase 1 (1930⇈)never

Records

European record

UEFA Cup
Season Round Club Home Away Aggregate Reference
1979–80 First Round Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Dinamo Zagreb 1–0 0–0 1–0 [13]
Second Round Greece Aris 0–3 1–1 1–4
2003–04 First Round Scotland Dundee 1–0 2–1 3–1 [14]
Second Round Greece Aris 2–0 1–1 3–1
Third Round Netherlands PSV Eindhoven 0–0 1–3 1–3

UEFA Intertoto Cup
Season Round Club Home Away Aggregate Reference
1999 Second Round North Macedonia Pobeda 1–0 0–0 1–0 [15]
Third Round Turkey Trabzonspor 0–3 (f) 2–1 2–4
2000 Second Round Belgium Standard Liège 1–2 1–1 2–3 [16]
2002 Third Round Germany Stuttgart 2–1 1–3 3–4 [17]
2003 Third Round Finland Allianssi 2–0 2–0 4–0 [18]
Semi-final France Nantes 0–0 1–0 1–0
Final Germany Wolfsburg 1–0 2–0 3–0

References
  1. "°°° ASSOCIAZIONE CALCISTICA PERUGIA CALCIO SRL - Perugia - LOCALITÀ PIAN DI MASSIMO". Archived from the original on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 4 November 2011.
  2. http://www.iht.com/articles/1998/11/30/nakata.t.php Archived 23 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine IHT, 30 November 1998
  3. "Hiddink condemns 'childish' Perugia". 20 June 2002. Archived from the original on 12 June 2017. Retrieved 25 August 2016 – via bbc.co.uk.
  4. "Bothroyd signs for Perugia". BBC. 11 July 2003. Archived from the original on 9 May 2014. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
  5. "UEFA Intertoto Cup 2003". Archived from the original on 13 July 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
  6. Erika Pontini (21 May 2010). "I giudici: buco da 100 milioni. Falliti Perugia e Mas" (in Italian). La Nazione. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 10 July 2010.
  7. "CALCIO: ASTA DESERTA PER RILEVARE PERUGIA DOPO FALLIMENTO" [Football: Perugia auction deserted after Bankruptcy] (in Italian). SPR / La Repubblica. 9 June 2010. Archived from the original on 30 July 2010. Retrieved 10 July 2010.
  8. "COMUNICATO UFFICIALE N. 7/A" (PDF) (in Italian). FIGC (Italia football federation). 8 July 2010. Retrieved 10 July 2010.
  9. "Perugia promosso in Lega Pro, la Turris matematicamente ai playoff!". Archived from the original on 13 March 2012. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
  10. "Serie D, il Perugia vince la Coppa Italia". Archived from the original on 20 March 2012. Retrieved 25 August 2016.
  11. "Il Perugia torna in Serie B dopo un anno". sport.sky.it (in Italian). 2 May 2021. Archived from the original on 2 May 2021. Retrieved 3 May 2021.
  12. "Prima Squadra" (in Italian). A.C. Perugia Calcio. Archived from the original on 28 July 2021. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  13. "European Competitions 1979-80". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  14. "European Competitions 2003–04". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 14 July 2022. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  15. "UEFA Intertoto Cup 1999". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 13 July 2022. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  16. "UEFA Intertoto Cup 2000". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 13 July 2022. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  17. "UEFA Intertoto Cup 2002". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 13 July 2022. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  18. "UEFA Intertoto Cup 2003". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 13 July 2022. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
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