A.S. Livorno Calcio
Encyclopedia
Associazione Sportiva Livorno Calcio is an Italian football
club based in Livorno
, Tuscany
. The club was formed in 1915 and currently plays in Italian Serie B
. The team's colors are dark red or maroon (amaranto in Italian, from which the team nickname derives). The best placement in Italian Serie A was second place in 1942–43 season, during which the amaranto gave life to a head-to-head competition with Torino
. The team play their home matches at the 18,200 seater Stadio Armando Picchi.
. One year later, they were defeated in the semi-final by arch-rivals Pisa
. In 1933, the club moved to the current stadium, originally named after Edda Ciano Mussolini
, daughter of fascist dictator Benito Mussolini
. Successively, Livorno ended as Serie A runners-up in the 1942–43 season. Livorno left Serie A in 1949 after seven consecutive seasons. They relegated to Serie C
soon after, making a return to Serie B in 1955 for a single season and again from 1964 to 1972. The club was then cancelled in 1991, being forced to start from Eccellenza
; two consecutive promotions led the team back to Serie C2
. The club was promoted to Serie C1
in 1997 and was acquired by Aldo Spinelli two years later. Under the new property, Livorno returned to Serie B in 2001.
Livorno were promoted to Serie A after finishing third in the Serie B 2003–04, one of six clubs to be promoted that season. It had been 55 years since Livorno's last season in the top flight, and as a result of this, most were predicting an instant return to Serie B for the club. The first match in the major league was attended by Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi
, a Livorno's citizen and team supporter in his childhood. There were spells of struggle during the season, but there were many more good performances shown, and Livorno finished a surprise and creditable ninth place in the league for the Serie A 2004–05, also thanks to goals by striker Cristiano Lucarelli
, who won the Serie A top scorer award that season, outscoring even the likes of Andriy Shevchenko
and Adriano
.
The Serie A 2005–06 saw Livorno in sixth place after the first half of the season the team, being involved for qualification to the next UEFA Cup
. However, shortly after Roberto Donadoni
announced his resignations after having been criticised by club's chairman Aldo Spinelli. Donadoni was replaced by veteran coach Carlo Mazzone
, who was only able to save a UEFA Cup place due to the expulsion of three teams from Europe in the 2006 Serie A match fixing scandal. Mazzone then saw his team suffer a run of seven straight defeats. In May 2006, Daniele Arrigoni
was appointed new coach for the next season.
In the Serie A 2006–07 season, Livorno took part to the UEFA Cup for their first time ever. The Tuscan side were drawn to face Austria
n team SV Pasching
in the first round, beating them comfortably 3–0 on aggregate. They thus qualified for the group stages being drawn in Group A, along with Rangers
, Auxerre
, FK Partizan
, and Maccabi Haifa
. After a home loss to Rangers (2–3) and two 1–1 draws against Partizan in Belgrade
(where goalkeeper Marco Amelia
scored in the 87th minute) and Maccabi (in Livorno), the Tuscan side gained a 1–0 victory over Auxerre in the last game played in France, thus earning a spot in the Round of 32 of the competition. However, Spanish team RCD Espanyol
knocked out Livorno from the UEFA Cup by winning 4–1 on aggregate.
After day 19 of the Italian Serie A, Arrigoni was sacked by chairman Spinelli, but his position was kept due to the strong opposition by the team. His dismissal was, however, only delayed, as Arrigoni was eventually fired on 21 March 2007, and replaced by Fernando Orsi
, who managed to keep the team away from the relegation battle. For the 2007–08 campaign
, Orsi was confirmed as head coach and a number of notable signings such as Francesco Tavano
, Diego Tristan
and Vikash Dhorasoo were finalized, but also the transfer of Lucarelli to Ukrainian
club Shakhtar Donetsk
. The club, however, did not start well, making a mere two points in the first seven matches, and Orsi was sacked on 9 October and replaced by Giancarlo Camolese
. Despite showing some positive signals at the beginning, Livorno found himself again at the bottom of league table. On 28 April 2008 Camolese was fired as Orsi was re-appointed, but in the penultimate day of the season, the team could not avoid relegation, due to a 1–0 home defeat against Torino
. They finished last in the Serie A standings of the 2007–08 season. Thus, being relegated to Serie B. They finished Serie B as the third place team in 2008–09 season and returned to Serie A after winning promotion play-offs after defeating successively Grosseto
with a 4–3 aggregate score and Brescia
with a 5–2 aggregate score. However, this return was lasted one season and they relegated again to Serie B after finishing last.
Igor Protti
, who played with Livorno from 1985 to 1988 and then from 1999 until his retirement from football in 2005. However, Protti, who led the forward line and captained his side in two promotions from Serie C1 to Serie A, quickly gaining a reputation as a fan favourite, announced his willingness to see the #10 number reissued to another player, in order to "give anybody back a dream to dress it one day." This was made effective starting from the 2007–08 season, in which Francesco Tavano
played with the #10 number.
Marco Amelia
Giorgio Chiellini
Alessandro Diamanti
Cristiano Lucarelli
Armando Picchi
Igor Protti
Jack Kirwan (1923–24) Roberto Donadoni
(2002–03), (2004–06)
, Lazio
, Internazionale and Verona. The notorious right-wing Lazio striker Paolo Di Canio
once made a fascist salute to his own fans during a match against Livorno, when tensions were running high between the two clubs' ultra
groups.
Since 2005, a group of migrant Livorno supporters resident in northern Europe have styled themselves Partigiani Livornesi Scandinavia (Livornian partisans of Scandinavia). A so-called "triangle of brotherhood" has developed between the most heavily supported left-wing fan clubs of Olympique de Marseille
, Livorno, and AEK Athens, namely between Commando Ultras 84, Brigate Autonome Livornesi 99, and Original 21. Their connection is mostly an ideological one. They also have a connection with Adana Demirspor
(Şimşekler), Celtic
and Omonoia of Nicosia. The team's friendly game in September 2009 with Adana Demirspor created a leftist rally in the city of Adana, surprising everyone in Turkey.
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 Livorno
Livorno
Livorno , traditionally Leghorn , is a port city on the Tyrrhenian Sea on the western edge of Tuscany, Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Livorno, having a population of approximately 160,000 residents in 2009.- History :...
, Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
. The club was formed in 1915 and currently plays in Italian 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 team's colors are dark red or maroon (amaranto in Italian, from which the team nickname derives). The best placement in Italian Serie A was second place in 1942–43 season, during which the amaranto gave life to a head-to-head competition with Torino
Torino F.C.
Torino Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Torino, is a professional Italian football club based in Turin, Piedmont, that was founded in 1906. The club has spent most of its history in the top tier in Italian football....
. The team play their home matches at the 18,200 seater Stadio Armando Picchi.
History
Founded in 1915 as U.S. Livorno, the club ended the Italian Football Championship 1919–20 in second place, losing the final to InternazionaleF.C. Internazionale Milano
Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...
. One year later, they were defeated in the semi-final by arch-rivals Pisa
Pisa Calcio
Associazione Calcio Pisa 1909 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 , after the cancellation of the old one because of economical troubles...
. In 1933, the club moved to the current stadium, originally named after Edda Ciano Mussolini
Edda Mussolini
Edda Mussolini was the eldest child of Benito Mussolini, Italy's fascist dictator from 1922 to 1943. Upon her marriage to fascist propagandist and foreign minister Galeazzo Ciano she became Edda Ciano, Countess of Cortellazzo and Buccari.She strongly denied her involvement in the National Fascist...
, daughter of fascist dictator Benito Mussolini
Benito Mussolini
Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini was an Italian politician who led the National Fascist Party and is credited with being one of the key figures in the creation of Fascism....
. Successively, Livorno ended as Serie A runners-up in the 1942–43 season. Livorno left Serie A in 1949 after seven consecutive seasons. They relegated to 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...
soon after, making a return to Serie B in 1955 for a single season and again from 1964 to 1972. The club was then cancelled in 1991, being forced to start from Eccellenza
Eccellenza
Eccellenza is the sixth level of Italian football. It is a regional league, composed of 28 divisions divided geographically. All 20 regions are represented by at least one division except for Piedmont and Aosta Valley which share 2 divisions...
; two consecutive promotions led the team back 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...
. The club was 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 1997 and was acquired by Aldo Spinelli two years later. Under the new property, Livorno returned to Serie B in 2001.
Livorno were promoted to Serie A after finishing third in the Serie B 2003–04, one of six clubs to be promoted that season. It had been 55 years since Livorno's last season in the top flight, and as a result of this, most were predicting an instant return to Serie B for the club. The first match in the major league was attended by Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi
Carlo Azeglio Ciampi
dr. Carlo Azeglio Ciampi is an Italian politician and banker. He was the 73rd Prime Minister of Italy from 1993 to 1994 and was the tenth President of the Italian Republic from 1999 to 2006...
, a Livorno's citizen and team supporter in his childhood. There were spells of struggle during the season, but there were many more good performances shown, and Livorno finished a surprise and creditable ninth place in the league for the Serie A 2004–05, also thanks to goals by striker Cristiano Lucarelli
Cristiano Lucarelli
He is a staunch admirer of Che Guevara, whose face is frequently displayed on Livorno fans' banners and T-shirts during matches. This first came to the fore in 1997, when, after scoring for Italy's Under-21 side, he celebrated by pulling his jersey over his face to reveal a shirt bearing the...
, who won the Serie A top scorer award that season, outscoring even the likes of Andriy Shevchenko
Andriy Shevchenko
Andriy Mykolayovych Shevchenko is a Ukrainian footballer who plays for Dynamo Kyiv and the Ukraine national team as a striker. He is the third-highest scorer in the history of European club competition with 67 goals as of 2011-03-10, behind Filippo Inzaghi and Raúl. With 175 goals scored with A.C...
and Adriano
Adriano Leite Ribeiro
Adriano Leite Ribeiro , commonly known as simply Adriano, is a Brazilian footballer who played striker who currently plays for Corinthians...
.
The Serie A 2005–06 saw Livorno in sixth place after the first half of the season the team, being involved for qualification to the next 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...
. However, shortly after Roberto Donadoni
Roberto Donadoni
Roberto Donadoni is an Italian football manager and former player, last in charge of Serie A club Cagliari.An attacking midfielder or winger known for pace and technique, he was a pillar of the powerhouse AC Milan teams of the late 1980s and early 1990s and one of the pioneers of Major League...
announced his resignations after having been criticised by club's chairman Aldo Spinelli. Donadoni was replaced by veteran coach Carlo Mazzone
Carlo Mazzone
Carlo "Carletto" Mazzone is an Italian football manager.A former centre back who played several seasons for his beloved team, AS Roma, other than Spal and Ascoli, where he played for nine season, Mazzone left the playing career in season 1968-1969, to become the manager of Ascoli itself, in Serie...
, who was only able to save a UEFA Cup place due to the expulsion of three teams from Europe in the 2006 Serie A match fixing scandal. Mazzone then saw his team suffer a run of seven straight defeats. In May 2006, Daniele Arrigoni
Daniele Arrigoni
Daniele Arrigoni is an Italian football coach, his manager at Cesena.- Playing career :Arrigoni, a defender, made fifteen Serie A appearances in his first professional playing season with Cesena, and mostly played at Serie B and Serie C levels for several different teams, before retiring in 1993.-...
was appointed new coach for the next season.
In the Serie A 2006–07 season, Livorno took part to the UEFA Cup for their first time ever. The Tuscan side were drawn to face Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n team SV Pasching
SV Pasching
SK Austria Kärnten was an Austrian association football club, from Klagenfurt, Carinthia.- History :The club was formed on 1 June 2007 and took over the license of ASKÖ Pasching to play in the Austrian Football Bundesliga...
in the first round, beating them comfortably 3–0 on aggregate. They thus qualified for the group stages being drawn in Group A, along with Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
, Auxerre
AJ Auxerre
Association de la Jeunesse Auxerroise is a French association football club based in the commune of Auxerre in Burgundy. The club was founded in 1905 and currently play in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. Auxerre plays its home matches at the Stade l'Abbé-Deschamps on the banks of the...
, FK Partizan
FK Partizan
Fudbalski klub Partizan is a professional football club based in Belgrade, Serbia. In its long history, FK Partizan won as many as 37 trophies. The club is the holder of 23 national championships, 12 national cups and 1 national supercup, and has also won the Mitropa Cup in 1978...
, and Maccabi Haifa
Maccabi Haifa F.C.
Maccabi Haifa Football Club is an Israeli football team from the city of Haifa, a section of Maccabi Haifa sports club. The club has won 12 championships, 5 State Cups and 4 Toto Cups...
. After a home loss to Rangers (2–3) and two 1–1 draws against Partizan in Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
(where goalkeeper Marco Amelia
Marco Amelia
Marco Amelia, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Serie A club Milan. He was part of the Italian squad that won the 2006 FIFA World Cup.-Early career:Amelia grew up as part of the Roma youth system...
scored in the 87th minute) and Maccabi (in Livorno), the Tuscan side gained a 1–0 victory over Auxerre in the last game played in France, thus earning a spot in the Round of 32 of the competition. However, Spanish team RCD Espanyol
RCD Espanyol
Reial Club Deportiu Espanyol de Barcelona is a sports club based in Barcelona, Spain. It is best known for its football team. Espanyol currently play in the Estadi Cornellà-El Prat with seats for 40,500 spectators. It was inaugurated on 2 August 2009...
knocked out Livorno from the UEFA Cup by winning 4–1 on aggregate.
After day 19 of the Italian Serie A, Arrigoni was sacked by chairman Spinelli, but his position was kept due to the strong opposition by the team. His dismissal was, however, only delayed, as Arrigoni was eventually fired on 21 March 2007, and replaced by Fernando Orsi
Fernando Orsi
Fernando "Nando" Orsi is an Italian football manager and former player.-Playing:Orsi, a goalkeeper, made his professional debut in 1979 for Serie C2 club Siena...
, who managed to keep the team away from the relegation battle. For the 2007–08 campaign
Serie A 2007-08
The 2007-08 Serie A football season was the seventy-sixth since its establishment, and started on August 26, 2007 and ended on May 18, 2008. Internazionale successfully defended the championship on the final day of the season, finishing first with 85 points, three ahead of Roma.-Plusvalenze...
, Orsi was confirmed as head coach and a number of notable signings such as Francesco Tavano
Francesco Tavano
Francesco "Ciccio" Tavano is an Italian football a striker who currently plays for Empoli of Serie B.- Career :...
, Diego Tristan
Diego Tristán
Diego Tristán Herrera is a retired Spanish professional footballer.At his peak, he was considered amongst the best strikers in Europe, displaying a vast array of skills: dribble, shot accuracy, aerial ability and off-the-ball movements; he is best known for his Deportivo de La Coruña spell, where...
and Vikash Dhorasoo were finalized, but also the transfer of Lucarelli to Ukrainian
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
club Shakhtar Donetsk
FC Shakhtar Donetsk
FC Shakhtar Donetsk is a Ukrainian professional football club from the city of Donetsk. Shakhtar has appeared in several European competitions and currently is often a participant of the UEFA Champions League. The club became the first Ukrainian club to win the UEFA Cup in 2009, the last year...
. The club, however, did not start well, making a mere two points in the first seven matches, and Orsi was sacked on 9 October and replaced by Giancarlo Camolese
Giancarlo Camolese
Giancarlo Camolese is an Italian football manager and former player. He is currently without a club.-Playing:...
. Despite showing some positive signals at the beginning, Livorno found himself again at the bottom of league table. On 28 April 2008 Camolese was fired as Orsi was re-appointed, but in the penultimate day of the season, the team could not avoid relegation, due to a 1–0 home defeat against Torino
Torino F.C.
Torino Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Torino, is a professional Italian football club based in Turin, Piedmont, that was founded in 1906. The club has spent most of its history in the top tier in Italian football....
. They finished last in the Serie A standings of the 2007–08 season. Thus, being relegated to Serie B. They finished Serie B as the third place team in 2008–09 season and returned to Serie A after winning promotion play-offs after defeating successively Grosseto
U.S. Grosseto F.C.
Unione Sportiva Grosseto Football Club is a professional Italian association football club, based in the city of Grosseto, Tuscany. The club was founded in 1912. The team's most associated nickname is grifone, after its logo, depicting a griffon...
with a 4–3 aggregate score and 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...
with a 5–2 aggregate score. However, this return was lasted one season and they relegated again to Serie B after finishing last.
Current squad
Out on loan
Retired numbers
In December 2005, Livorno officially retired the #10 jersey previously issued to strikerStriker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
Igor Protti
Igor Protti
Igor Protti is a former Italian footballer. He was a prolific, penalty box striker who became a legend at Livorno...
, who played with Livorno from 1985 to 1988 and then from 1999 until his retirement from football in 2005. However, Protti, who led the forward line and captained his side in two promotions from Serie C1 to Serie A, quickly gaining a reputation as a fan favourite, announced his willingness to see the #10 number reissued to another player, in order to "give anybody back a dream to dress it one day." This was made effective starting from the 2007–08 season, in which Francesco Tavano
Francesco Tavano
Francesco "Ciccio" Tavano is an Italian football a striker who currently plays for Empoli of Serie B.- Career :...
played with the #10 number.
Notable former players
- See also :Category:A.S. Livorno Calcio players
Marco Amelia
Marco Amelia
Marco Amelia, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Serie A club Milan. He was part of the Italian squad that won the 2006 FIFA World Cup.-Early career:Amelia grew up as part of the Roma youth system...
Giorgio Chiellini
Giorgio Chiellini
Giorgio Chiellini is an Italian footballer who currently plays for Serie A club Juventus. He is a centre back, who started his career playing as a left back.-Livorno:...
Alessandro Diamanti
Alessandro Diamanti
Alessandro Diamanti is an Italian professional football player who is currently playing his club football as a second striker for Bologna F.C. 1909.-Prato:...
Cristiano Lucarelli
Cristiano Lucarelli
He is a staunch admirer of Che Guevara, whose face is frequently displayed on Livorno fans' banners and T-shirts during matches. This first came to the fore in 1997, when, after scoring for Italy's Under-21 side, he celebrated by pulling his jersey over his face to reveal a shirt bearing the...
Armando Picchi
Armando Picchi
Armando Picchi was an Italian football player and coach. Regularly positioned as a sweeper, he captained the Internazionale side known as La Grande Inter.-Club career:...
Igor Protti
Igor Protti
Igor Protti is a former Italian footballer. He was a prolific, penalty box striker who became a legend at Livorno...
Notable former managers
- See also .
Jack Kirwan (1923–24) Roberto Donadoni
Roberto Donadoni
Roberto Donadoni is an Italian football manager and former player, last in charge of Serie A club Cagliari.An attacking midfielder or winger known for pace and technique, he was a pillar of the powerhouse AC Milan teams of the late 1980s and early 1990s and one of the pioneers of Major League...
(2002–03), (2004–06)
Supporters
Livorno's supporters are well known for their left-wing politics which often spark fiercely violent clashes with opposing right-wing supporter groups, especially those of RomaA.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...
, 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...
, Internazionale and Verona. The notorious right-wing Lazio striker Paolo Di Canio
Paolo Di Canio
Paolo Di Canio is a Italian former professional footballer and current manager of League Two side Swindon Town. Di Canio made over 500 league appearances and scored over 100 league goals as a player....
once made a fascist salute to his own fans during a match against Livorno, when tensions were running high between the two clubs' ultra
Ultras
Ultras are a type of sports fans renowned for their fanatical support and elaborate displays. They are predominantly European followers of football teams...
groups.
Since 2005, a group of migrant Livorno supporters resident in northern Europe have styled themselves Partigiani Livornesi Scandinavia (Livornian partisans of Scandinavia). A so-called "triangle of brotherhood" has developed between the most heavily supported left-wing fan clubs of Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille
Olympique de Marseille is a French association football club based in Marseille. Founded in 1899, the club plays in Ligue 1 and have spent most of its history in the top tier of French football. Marseille have been French champions nine times and have won the Coupe de France a record ten times. In...
, Livorno, and AEK Athens, namely between Commando Ultras 84, Brigate Autonome Livornesi 99, and Original 21. Their connection is mostly an ideological one. They also have a connection with Adana Demirspor
Adana Demirspor
Adana Demirspor is a professional Turkish football club located in the city of Adana. Formed in 1940, Adana Demirspor are nicknamed Mavi Şimşekler...
(Şimşekler), Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
and Omonoia of Nicosia. The team's friendly game in September 2009 with Adana Demirspor created a leftist rally in the city of Adana, surprising everyone in Turkey.