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Empoli Football Club, commonly referred to as Empoli, is an Italian football club based in Empoli, Metropolitan City of Florence. Founded in 1920, the side is part of a select group of Italian football clubs not based in a provincial capital city that have participated in Serie A.[3]
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| Full name | Empoli Football Club S.p.A. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Gli Azzurri (The Blues) | |||
| Founded | 1920 | |||
| Ground | Stadio Carlo Castellani - Computer Gross Arena | |||
| Capacity | 16,167[1] | |||
| Owner | Fabrizio Corsi[citation needed] | |||
| Chairman | Fabrizio Corsi[2] | |||
| Head coach | Davide Nicola | |||
| League | Serie A | |||
| 2022–23 | Serie A, 14th of 20 | |||
| Website | Club website | |||
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Empoli has spent most of its history in professional football.[4] Empoli competed in European competitions once, in which they were eliminated in the qualification stage of 2007–08 UEFA Cup.[5]
History edit
From the 1920s to the 1970s edit
In August 1920 in Empoli , Foot Ball Club Empoli and the football section Unione Sportiva Empoli were born. After the participation of a tournament in San Miniato, the two merged into a single local football club. The next season, the new club, after having obtained in September affiliation in the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) ratified by the Tuscan Regional Committee, was included in Group A of the Tuscan Promozione 1921–22, but did take part due to economic problems, choosing instead to join the league of Terza Categoria, where the team achieved second place in the group A.[3]
In the 1922–23 season, Empoli finished in second place in Group A of the Terza Categoria, gaining admission to the final round after winning the play-off in Florence, held on 15 April 1923 against Pontedera, 1–0. The season concluded with a third place in the group final.[3]
From 1923 to 1926, Empoli continued to play in the Tuscan third division. Then, in the 1926–27 season, Empoli won the Group A division of Tuscany, and was admitted to the interregional finals; thanks to a fourth place in Group G, the Tuscans were promoted in the North Division of the Second Division 1927–28, the third Italian football tier of the era. In the following season the team was then inserted in Group C of the North Division, which concluded in fourth place, but for economic reasons refused the invitation to take part in the next championship of Prima Divisione, and therefore followed the downgrading of the Seconda Divisione from third to fourth tier. However, already the following season, in the 1928–29 Seconda Divisione, the club won promotion, winning the Tuscan championship, and returned to the North Division of Prima Divisione.[3]
Empoli was in the Prima Divisione, then Serie C, until the 1935–36 season, when the team withdrawn halfway through the season because of the call to arms for many of its players.[citation needed] Empoli resumed competitive activity from Prima Divisione the next season, under the name of OND Empoli, with the colours grey and blue; the team won the Tuscan Group A again gaining admission in Serie C.[citation needed] Until the shutdown from the causes of war, Empoli played in Serie C, obtaining a best result of sixth place in 1938–39.[citation needed] Meanwhile, the club was renamed OND Interaziendale Italo Gambaccioni Section Soccer from 1938 to 1941, until the name was changed again to Associazione Calcio Empol.[citation needed] On 15 September 1935, Empoli debuted in the Coppa Italia with a 1–0 home success against Pontedera.
After World War II, Empoli took up the club name of Empoli Foot Ball Club after being called Sports Group Azelio Landi for a brief period between October and November 1944, and was admitted into Serie B thanks to a third-place finish in the 1945–46 season.[citation needed] In Serie B, Empoli played for four consecutive seasons, finishing in third place in the 1946–47 season.[citation needed] Relegation of the club – which by then had adopted the colour blue – occurred at the end of 1949–50 championship.[citation needed] The permanence in Serie C lasted for six seasons: in the summer of 1955, the club sold most of its players and at the end of the 1955–56 season, the Tuscan side were relegated to Serie D.[citation needed] After three seasons in the fourth division, in 1959–60 the Azzurri risked relegation to the regional level after finishing in 15th place, on equal points with Carrarese and Rieti.[citation needed] The club managed to escape relegation before drawing with Carrarese and then surpassing Lazio, in Pesaro, with a goal from Vezzosi.[citation needed] In 1960–61, Empoli returned to the third tier of Italian football, but for only one season, again suffering relegation.
The club returned to Serie C on 9 June 1963 after beating Tempio 2–0 in the play-off in Genoa.[citation needed] The club's permanence in the third tier of Italian football, then called Serie C1, lasted for 20 years until the 1982–83 season.
The 1980s and 1990s edit
In 1986, the small-town club was promoted to Serie A.[citation needed] Playing their first few home games in Florence, Empoli's Serie A debut resulted in a 1–0 win over Internazionale.[citation needed] Helped by a nine-point deduction from Udinese, they avoided relegation with 23 points and 13 goals in 30 games.[citation needed] Empoli themselves received a five-point penalty the following season, and were relegated despite an improved showing.[citation needed] They were relegated again to Serie C1 in 1989.
This club then spent several seasons in Serie C1 before returning to Serie B in 1996 and achieving a second successive promotion in 1997.[citation needed] With Luciano Spalletti at the helm, Empoli defied the odds to finish in 12th place and avoid relegation.[citation needed] Relegation the following year began a three-year stay in Serie B, in which time the club became renowned[by whom?] for nurturing its own outstanding[tone] young talent.[tone]
Promotions to Serie A in 2002 and 2005 have seen the club emerge as battlers against relegation.[citation needed] They ended the 2005–06 season in tenth place in the top-flight.[citation needed] As a result of the Serie A match-fixing scandal at the end of that season, they gained qualification for the UEFA Cup for the following season, but did not participate as club management failed to apply for a UEFA licence.[citation needed] In the 2006–07 season, the club once again qualified for the UEFA Cup.
The years 2000 and participation in the UEFA Cup edit
With the prospect of European football approaching, the management strengthened the squad, most notably[why?] signing a number of young players from large Serie A clubs, such as Rincón of Inter, Ignazio Abate and Lino Marzoratti of Milan and Sebastian Giovinco, Claudio Marchisio and Rej Volpato of Juventus on loan or co-ownership deals.[citation needed] Empoli marked their debut in the UEFA Cup with a two-legged match against Zürich, losing 4–2 on aggregate.[citation needed] A poor showing in the initial part of the season then led chairman Fabrizio Corsi to sack Luigi Cagni, who led the Tuscans to UEFA Cup qualification, and replace him with Alberto Malesani.[6] However, the club's fortunes did not change and Malesani was sacked after a 2–0 defeat to Sampdoria which left them at the bottom of the table.[citation needed] Cagni was re-appointed on 31 March 2008 but the team suffered[tone] a last-minute relegation.[citation needed] Cagni resigned and was replaced by Silvio Baldini ahead of the 2008–09 season.[citation needed] Baldini's tenure, however, did not prove to be successful, as the Tuscans ended the season only in fifth place, and were later defeated in the promotion playoffs by Brescia.
Between Serie B and Serie A edit
Despite modest results, Baldini was sacked.[citation needed] By December 2011, the club had gone through four coaches since the 2009–10 season.[citation needed] The club maintained their Serie B status dramatically in 2011–12.[tone][citation needed] After a poor season, Empoli finished 18th, one point from safety, which meant a relegation play-off against Vicenza over two legs.[citation needed] The first game finished goalless before Vicenza led 2–0 in the second leg with 30 minutes to go.[citation needed] However, two goals in two minutes saw the Azzuri level the tie before Massimo Maccarone secured a 3–2 victory in the fourth minute of injury time.[citation needed] 2012–13 saw the club finish fourth, a dramatic improvement on the previous season,[tone] but lost the promotion play-off final to Livorno over two legs.[citation needed] The club secured promotion back to Serie A the following season, finishing as runners-up to Palermo and stayed in the top flight for two seasons, finishing 15th in 2014–15 and 10th in 2015–16.[citation needed] Going into the final matchday of the 2016–17 Serie A season, Empoli were one point above the relegation zone ahead of Crotone, however were eventually relegated to Serie B after they failed to beat Palermo, while Crotone beat Lazio.[citation needed] After a triumph[tone] of the 2017–18 Serie B, Empoli promptly[tone] regained promotion to Serie A, after winning Serie B on 28 April 2018, four matches in advance.[7] In the final matchday of the 2018–19 Serie A season, Empoli were one point above the relegation zone ahead of Genoa, however were eventually relegated to Serie B after they were defeated by Internazionale; while Genoa drew with Fiorentina, both sides finished on the same number of points, but Genoa had a greater goal difference by one. However, Empoli finished first in the 2020–21 Serie B season, their third title in the competition in their history, and so returned to Serie A after two seasons.[8]
Players edit
Current squad edit
- As of 1 February 2024[9]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Other players under contract edit
- As of 2 February 2024
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Primavera edit
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Out on loan edit
- As of 7 February 2024
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Coaching staff edit
As of 18 December 2023[10]
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach |  Davide Nicola
|
| Assistant coach | Simone Barone
|
| Technical collaborator | Manuele Cacicia Stefano Bianconi
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| Goalkeeper coach | Vincenzo Sicignano
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| Fitness coach | Gabriele Stoppino Rocco Perrotta Andrea Vieri
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| Rehab coach | Paolo Giordani
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| Chief analyst | Federico Barni
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| Match analyst | Giampiero Pavone
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| Head of medical staff | Luca Gatteschi
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| Club doctor | Jacopo Giuliattini Giuseppe Anania
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| Physiotherapist | Mirco Baldini Francesco Marino Claudio Patti
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| Nutritionist | Marta Pieraccioli
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| Podiatrist | Daniele Palla
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| Kit manager | Luca Batini Sauro Spera
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Notable former players edit
- Players with international caps, appearances in Olympic Games or 100 league appearances with Empoli
Etrit Berisha- Ardian Ismajli
- Stiven Shpendi
- Kristjan Asllani
- Elseid Hysaj
- Nedim Bajrami
- Frédéric Veseli
Mark Bresciano- Vince Grella
Emílson Cribari
Jorge Vargas
Igor Budan
Ignazio Abate- Daniele Adani
- Marco Borriello
- Raoul Bortoletto
- Luca Bucci
- Antonio Buscè
- Andrea Coda
- Dario Dainelli (youth)
- Antonio Di Natale
- Éder
- Sebastian Giovinco
- Massimo Maccarone
- Claudio Marchisio
- Vincenzo Montella
- Andrea Raggi
- Tommaso Rocchi
- Luca Saudati
- Luciano Spalletti
- Francesco Tavano
- Luca Toni
- Ighli Vannucchi
Piotr Zieliński
Samuel Mráz
Zlatko Dedić
Johnny Ekström
Marcelo Zalayeta
- See also: Category:Empoli FC players
Former managers edit
Antonio Vojak (1937–39)- Enrico Colombari (1939–40)
- Sergio Cervato (1968–70)
- Sergio Castelletti (1971–72)
- Renzo Ulivieri (1972–76)
- Bruno Giorgi (1976–77)
- Vincenzo Guerini (1983–85)
- Luigi Simoni (1988–89)
- Vincenzo Montefusco (1989–91)
- Francesco Guidolin (1991–92)
- Adriano Lombardi (1993–94)
- Luciano Spalletti (1995–98)
- Luigi Delneri (1998)
- Mauro Sandreani (1998–99)
- Corrado Orrico (1998–99)
- Elio Gustinetti (1999–2000)
- Silvio Baldini (2000–03)
- Mario Somma (2004–06)
- Luigi Cagni (2006–07)
- Alberto Malesani (2007–08)
- Luigi Cagni (2008)
- Silvio Baldini (2008–09)
- Salvatore Campilongo (2009–10)
- Alfredo Aglietti (2010–11)
- Giuseppe Pillon (2011)
- Guido Carboni (2011–12)
- Alfredo Aglietti (2012)
- Maurizio Sarri (2012–15)
- Marco Giampaolo (2015–16)
- Giovanni Martusciello (2016–17)
- Vincenzo Vivarini (2017)
- Aurelio Andreazzoli (2017–18)
- Giuseppe Iachini (2018–19)
- Aurelio Andreazzoli (2019)
- Cristian Bucchi (2019)
- Roberto Muzzi (2019–20)
- Alessio Dionisi (2020–21)
- Aurelio Andreazzoli (2021–22)
- Paolo Zanetti (2022–23)
- Aurelio Andreazzoli (2023–24)
- Davide Nicola (2024–present)
In Europe edit
UEFA Cup edit
| Season | Round | Opponent | Home | Away | Aggregate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007–08 | First round |  Zürich
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2–1 | 0–3 | 2–4 |
Honours edit
Divisional movements edit
| Series | Years | Last | Promotions | Relegations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 14 | 2021–22 | - |  6 (1988, 1999, 2004, 2008, 2017, 2019)
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| B | 22 | 2020–21 |  7 (1986, 1997, 2002, 2005, 2014, 2018, 2021) |
2 (1950, 1989)
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| C | 47 | 1995–96 | 3 (1946, 1983, 1996) |
3 (1936, 1957, 1962)
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| 83 out of 90 years of professional football in Italy since 1929 | ||||
| D | 7 | 1962–63 | 3 (1937, 1961, 1963) |
Never |
References edit
- ^ "Empoli Stadium". legaseriea.it. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
- ^ "Empoli". legaseriea.it. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
- ^ a b c d "1920–1929". empolicalcio.net. Archived from the original on 8 November 2014. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
- ^ "Storia". empolicalcio.net. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
- ^ "2000–2009". empolicalcio.net. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
- ^ "Empoli axe Cagni". Football Italia. 26 November 2007. Archived from the original on 28 November 2007. Retrieved 27 November 2007.
- ^ "Empoli promoted to Serie A! - Football Italia". www.football-italia.net.
- ^ "Empoli return to Serie A after two years away". besoccer.com. May 2021.
- ^ "Rosa". Empoli FC. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
- ^ "Staff" (in Italian). Empoli FC. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
- ^ "Empoli FC at UEFA.com". Uefa.com.
External links edit
