US Città di Pontedera

(Redirected from U.S. Città di Pontedera)

Unione Sportiva Città di Pontedera (formerly Unione Sportiva Pontedera 1912) is an Italian association football club located in Pontedera, Tuscany. Currently it plays in Serie C, the third tier of Italian football.

Pontedera
Full nameUnione Sportiva Città di Pontedera
Nickname(s)Granata
Founded1912
GroundStadio Ettore Mannucci,
Pontedera, Italy
Capacity5,014
ChairmanGianfranco Donnini
ManagerMax Canzi
LeagueSerie C Group B
2022–23Serie C Group B, 6th of 20
WebsiteClub website

History edit

Founded in 1912, Pontedera, a team from a city in the Pisa neighbourhood, played Serie C for several years without never gaining a single promotion to Serie B. In 1993/1994, a second place in Serie C2/B allowed Pontedera to be promoted to Serie C1: during that season, the team was known for having longily been the only undefeated team in all Italian professional leagues, and for having incredibly won 2–1 to the Italy national football team coached by Arrigo Sacchi in a friendly match played in April 1994. Pontedera played Serie C1 just in 1994/1995, and relegated to Serie D in 2001, and even Eccellenza in 2002. Pontedera returned to Serie D in 2005, after having won its Eccellenza round.

In 2006 Maurizio Mian's Gunther Corporation briefly held a controlling interest in Pontedera. Pornographic film actor Ilona Staller ("Cicciolina") was installed as the club "godmother", while another pornographic actress Valentine Demy served as one of three club Presidents, alongside a Polish lap dancer named Karolcia and a British rapper named Prodigal1.[1] The performance was related to Mian's left-libertarian views on reproductive rights and his upcoming appearance in the 2006 Italian general election.[2]

Marcello Lippi, head coach of Italy national team and World Cup champion in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, started his professional managing career as Pontedera head coach in 1985–1986.

Serie D 2010–11 edit

At the end of the 2010-11 Serie D season, Pontedera gained access to the Serie D play-off for promotion in Lega Pro Seconda Divisione, but they were eliminated in the third round.

Back into professionalism edit

In the 2012-13 Lega Pro Seconda Divisione season, Pontedera finished second in Girone B, and was promoted to Lega Pro Prima Divisione. This was the second consecutive promotion for the team. The 2013–14 season saw Pontedera topping the Lega Pro Prima Divisione table for the earlier weeks of the season, and then completing the regular season in eighth place and thus ensuring a Serie B promotion playoff spot, then losing to Lecce on penalties in the first round.

Colors and badge edit

Its colours are all-dark red.

Current squad edit

As of 25 January 2024[3]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   USA Luca Lewis (on loan from Cesena)
2 DF   ITA Lorenzo Gagliardi (on loan from Genoa)
4 DF   ITA Gabriele Calvani (on loan from Genoa)
5 DF   ITA Riccardo Martinelli
6 DF   ITA Mattia Pretato
7 FW   ITA Michele Ambrosini
8 MF   ITA Federico Marrone
9 FW   ITA Daniel Fossati (on loan from Genoa)
10 MF   ITA Giacomo Benedetti
11 FW   ITA Simone Ianesi
12 GK   ITA Giuseppe Ciocci (on loan from Cagliari)
14 MF   ITA Alessandro Lombardi (on loan from Rimini)
No. Pos. Nation Player
15 MF   ITA Lorenzo Peli (on loan from Atalanta)
16 MF   ITA Lorenzo Ignacchiti (on loan from Empoli)
18 MF   ITA Matteo Guidi
19 DF   ARG Marcos Espeche
20 MF   ARG Isaías Delpupo (on loan from Cagliari)
21 MF   ITA Gabriele Perretta
22 GK   ITA Giuseppe Stancampiano
23 DF   ITA Cristian Cerretti
26 FW   ITA Gabriele Selleri
27 MF   ITA Alessandro Provenzano
30 GK   ITA Niccolò Vivoli
99 FW   ITA Simone Ganz

Out on loan edit

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
DF   ITA Leonardo Di Bella (at Cenaia until 30 June 2024)
MF   ITA Jacopo Ciofi (at Montevarchi until 30 June 2024)
No. Pos. Nation Player
FW   ITA Luca Paudice (at Renate until 30 June 2024)

Notable former managers edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Tutti pazzi per Mian e Gunther IV". Il Tirreno. 6 June 2010. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  2. ^ "Laicità, pillola abortiva e pallone Mian si compra anche il Pontedera" (in Italian). la Repubblica. 24 March 2006. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
  3. ^ "Pontedera squad". Soccerway. Retrieved 26 September 2022.

External links edit