Torino F.C.

Torino FC

Full name	Torino Football Club S.p.A
Nickname(s)	Il Toro (The Bull), I Granata (The Maroons)
Founded	3 December 1906 (3 December 1906)[1]
Ground	Stadio Olimpico
Ground Capacity	28,140
Chairman	Urbano Cairo
Head Coach	Giampiero Ventura
League	Serie A
2012–13	Serie A, 16th
Website	Club home page
Home colours Away colours Third colours
Current season

Torino Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Torino or Toro, is a professional Italian football club based in Turin, Piedmont, that plays in Serie A.

Torino was founded as "Football Club Torino" in 1906 when Football Club Torinese merged with a group of Juventus dissidents led by Alfredo Dick.^[2][3] The club has spent the majority of its history in the top flight of Italian football, having won the domestic championship 7 times, first in 1927–28 and most recently in 1975–76. The club won five consecutive titles from 1942 to 1949, a record tied today only by Inter Milan and Juventus.^[4] On the European stage, the nearest Torino came to success was when they finished as runners-up in the UEFA Cup; this was achieved in 1991–92. The club has also won the Coppa Italia five times. Domestically, Torino are the joint fifth most successful club in Italian football in terms of championships won.^[5]

The club was known as Associazione Calcio Torino from 1936 until 1970, and as Torino Calcio from 1970 to 2005. In 2005 the club was declared bankrupt and readmitted to Serie B as Torino Football Club.

History

From first steps to the Great War

Torino was founded as "Foot-Ball Club Torino" on 3 December 1906 at the Voigt brewery in Via Pietro Micca near the center of Turin.^[1] Its foundation involved a group of Juventus dissidents, led by the Swiss Alfredo Dick (disenchanted by the professionalism of Juventus) and another group of players from Football Club Torinese (one of the oldest clubs in Italian football).^[6]

The meeting at the brewery was scheduled at 9 in the evening with 23 people present, namely: Alfredo Dick, John Main, Fritz Bollinger, Eugenio De Fernex, Joseph Varetto, Enrico Debernardi, Arthur Rodgers, Federico Ferrari and Orsi, Fritz Roth, Charles Pletscher, Charles Dick, Hans Kaempfer, Orestes Mazzia, Paul Boerner, Ugo Muetzell, Robert Depenheuer, Alfredo Jaquet, C. Bart, O. Quint, I. Michel, I. Faelmdrich, A. Boulaz and Walter Streule. Franz Schoenbrod, Louis Custer and Valvassori Emilia and another group of partners from FC Torinese were absent, but had given their support to the club.^[1][7] The new club chose to play in different colours, opting in the end for granata (maroon).

Torino's first official match was played on 16 December 1906 at Vercelli against Pro Vercelli, winning 3–1. Torino in fact played the match in the yellow-black jerseys of FC Torinese, because they did not yet have the new uniform. The historic photo of that first meeting portrays a young boy destined to play an important role in the history of Italian football: Vittorio Pozzo.

The first derby was played on the new year, with Torino beating perennial rivals Juventus 2–1 at the Velodromo Umberto I. This would become Torino's home ground until 1910. On 3 February 1907, Torino beat Juventus away 4–1 to advance in the Girone Finale where they came second to A.C. Milan.

Torino did not participate in the 1908 Italian Football Championship, as a new rule passed limiting the number of foreign players a team could use. Instead, the club participated in two 'minor' tournaments: the "Palla Dapples" (a silver trophy in the shape of a regulation football) won 2–5 against Vercelli, and the Torneo Internazionale Stampa Sportiva (second place to Servette FC).^[8] In 1909, it was succeeded by the Sir Thomas Lipton Trophy, in which a Torino XI composed of Juventus and Torino players participated but did not make it to the final.^[9]

In 1912 Vittorio Pozzo joined the technical staff. With him, Torino participated in a tour of South America, which ended with six wins in as many games against teams of the calibre of the Argentine national team and Brazil's Corinthians. In this period, four different brothers: Eugenio, Francisco, Benito and Julio, also played for Torino (the Mosso brothers), although at different times.

During the 1914–15 season, Torino were denied their first real championship attempt by the outbreak of World War I. With one match left to play, Torino were second, two points behind leaders Genoa. In the last game Torino would have had the opportunity to play the Genoese, who were beaten in the first leg 6–1.

The longest match

In the 1920–21 season, Torino finished on par with Legnano in the semi-final round and it was necessary the teams met in a play-off. The match ended 1–1 in normal time, and the regulations of the time provided extra time to the very end. Two extra 30 minute halves followed, after which was still a draw. The referee did start a third overtime, but after an additional 8 minutes of play, the teams mutually agreed to give up further play and shook hands.

The early twenties also saw the rise of the 'Martin brothers', like the Mosso brothers before, also in four. The strongest of which is Martin II, who would make 355 league appearances for Torino.^[10]

Torino experienced its first successful period at this time under the presidency of Count Enrico Marone Cinzano. The count built around "Campo Torino" the first of what would later become the famous Stadio Filadelfia (which would host all Torino home games until 1958) and bought top-class players to make a competitive team. In attack, Torino would boast the trio delle meraviglie (trio of wonders) composed of Julio Libonatti, Adolfo Baloncieri and Gino Rossetti. Under his leadership, Torino also won its first Scudetto in 1928, repeating the Scudetto of the previous year. The earlier Scudetto was revoked for corruption on the part of a Torino official and Juventus player Luigi Allemandi during a derby.

Based on the findings of the investigation Allemandi was approached at his home in Turin by an executive of Torino, Dr. Nani, who bribed the player half of the agreed sum (50,000 lire) before the derby. The derby ended with a victory by Torino 2–1. However Allemandi, in the opinion of Nani, distinguished himself among the best in the field contrary to the agreement. For this reason, Nani refused to pay the remaining 25,000 lire to the player. A discussion ensued between the two in Via Lagrange in the presence of a witness, Francesco Gaudioso, who was heard by journalist Renato Farminelli eavesdropping from another room. From this, Farminelli wrote an article at the end of the season titled "There's something rotten in Denmark", referring to a latter written by the Juventus defender claiming the balance of the agreed price.

This report would result in the investigation of the Federcalcio, whose president was then Leandro Arpinati, hierarch fascist, as well as the mayor and fan of the city of Bologna. The championship remained "unassigned" and therefore not given to Bologna, as Bologna company executives demanded. The "overwhelming evidence" was some pieces of paper found during an inspection where Allemandi asked for payment of the balance of 25,000 lire. The federal director, revoked the title from Torino and disqualified Allemandi for life.

Beginning with the abandonment of count Cinzano and the rise of Juventus, Torino experienced a slow decline in the early thirties that led to a series of mid-table finishes. However, Torino experienced a revival in the 1935–36 that would lay the basis for the club's golden age that followed, represented by Il Grande Torino (The Great Torino). That year, Torino finished third behind Bologna and Roma, but also won its first Coppa Italia. During the 1936–37 season, Torino finished in third place but also officially changed its name to "Associazione Calcio Torino" because of Italy's fascist regime. The final season of the 1930s saw Torino finish in second place, four points behind Bologna.

Il Grande Torino

In the summer of 1939, industrialist Ferruccio Novo assumed presidency of Torino. Novo had began playing for Torino at a young age in 1913, but was not a great player ("I was a duffer," he would say, smiling). With his brother, he started a factory of leather accessories. Following the advice of Vittorio Pozzo, Novo surrounded himself with competent staff including Antonio Janni and Mario Spur (domestic champions of 1927-28). Lievesley Leslie was given the role of youth coach, while technical guide was given to Ernest Erbstein.

Novo's first move was to buy talented eighteen year old Franco Ossola from Varese under the suggestion of Janni (who had trained with Varese). In hindsight, this would be the first piece of the squad, costing 55 thousand lire. As Italy entered the Second World War, Novo took advantage of the climate of stagnation and lack of investment in Italian football. Before the 1941-42 season, Novo would buy an additional five players: left winger Pietro Ferraris from Ambrosiana-Inter for 250,000 lire, Romeo Menti from Fiorentina, a fast winger with a powerful shot (exchanged with Gei, specially taken from Liguria for 300,000 lire), then Alfredo Bodoira, Felice Borel and Guglielmo Gabetto from "enemies" Juventus.

Borel, who would later become Torino coach, suggested that Novo apply a new tactic called sistema (system) at Torino. At the time, Italian teams had been using the defensive metodo (method) strategy popularised by Vittorio Pozzo's Italy that won the 1938 World Cup. Novo approved the suggestion and decided to set up his Torino with this tactic. In 1942, the final pieces of the team arrived in Ezio Loik and Valentino Mazzola from Venezia for 1,400,000 lire. That year, Torino won its second Scudetto, securing it on the last day of the season with a goal from Mazzola against Bari. Torino also won the 1942-43 Coppa Italia, becoming the first team to win both championships in the same year.

The league returned to a single round format with 20 teams in 1946-47. Danilo Martelli arrived from Brescia, as well as Rosetta Francis from Novara and Dante Plans from Pro Vercelli.

In 1947-48, Torino was still coached by Luigi Ferrero. They won the championship with a ten-point advantage over Juventus after accumulating a sixteen match unbeaten streak, of which fourteen are victories. The team scored 104 goals, with Valentino Mazzola league top scorer. The 1947-48 was the longest in the history of Italian football, played by 21 teams for geopolitical reasons. Mario Sperone took over as coach. After a defeat in the second day to Bari, Torino won 6-0 at Lucchese and 7-0 at Roma. In 1947, Torino recorded its biggest ever home win in Torino-Alessandria 10-0.^[11] The season ended with Torino in first place and a 16 point advantage, with 6 consecutive victories. In particular, after going 3-0 down to Lazio, the team is able to overturn the result with 2 goals from Eusebio Castigliano, 1 from Guglielmo Gabetto and 1 from captain Mazzola in half an hour. The team finished the season with 29 victories in 40 matches, 125 goals and 33 goals conceded. In 1948-49, Vittorio Pozzo loses his role as coach of Italy and is replaced by Ferruccio Novo. Midfielder Rubens Fadini joined from Gallarate; and goalkeeper Dino Ballarin, brother of Aldo Ballarin from Chioggia. Piero Operto, Giulio Schubert, Emile Bongiorni and Ruggero Grava were also signed. Torino began the season after a tournament in Brazil against Palmeiras, Corinthians, São Paulo and Portuguesa, losing only once. The league was reduced to 20 teams, with Englishman Leslie Lievesley appointed as coach. Torino occasionally dropped from first position throughout the season due to injuries and the long suspension of Aldo Ballarin. On 30 April 1949, Inter was four points from Torino. The teams played directly in Milan with the match ending 0-0, thus winning the fifth consecutive title.

However, the cycle of wins was abruptly ended on 4 May 1949, when the plane carrying the entire team (returning from a friendly in Lisbon) crashed into the retaining wall behind the Basilica di Superga. The Superga Tragedy, claimed the lives of the entire team, the reserves, two managers (Agnisetta and Civalleri), technicians Egri Erbstein and Leslie Lievesley, the masseur Cortina and three journalists in tow: Luigi Cavallero, Renato Tosatti and Renato Casalbore.

From relegation to the championship

Difficult years followed for Torino in the wake of the Superga tragedy. The club experienced a slow decline and in 1959 (then named Talmone Torino) was relegated to Serie B for the first time. The stay in Serie B lasted only one season, with Torino winning the league and returning to the top flight in 1960–61. In 1963, Orfeo Pianelli assumed presidency of the club.

In 1964–65, Torino, led by Nereo Rocco finished 3rd due in part to new team protagonist, Gigi Meroni. Meroni, nicknamed the "granata butterfly", was a fantastic playmaker and dribbler of the ball. However, on 15 October 1967 Meroni was struck by a car while crossing the street in Corso Re Umberto I after a league match played against Sampdoria. The car was driven by Attilio Romero (who became Torino president from 2000-2005). Torino finished the season in 7th place, also winning Coppa Italia. After his death, Meroni would go on to become a club icon.

The reconstruction of Torino launched by Pianelli would continue in 1971 with an additional Coppa Italia. In 1971–72, Torino finished in 2nd place, just 1 point behind rivals Juventus. Across the next 3 seasons, Torino would finish near the top of the table (preludes to what would be Torino's 7th league title).

Torino won the championship in the 1975-76 season, at the end of a comeback against the Juventus of Carlo Parola, who in the spring had come to have a 5 point advantage over Torino. However, a three-game losing streak for Juventus (the second of which was in the derby) allowed Torino to overtake the Bianconeri in the league standings. In the final day of the league, Torino held a one point advantage and, until then, were always victorious at home. Cesena played Torino at the Comunale, but the match did not go beyond a draw. However, Juventus lost at Perugia. The Scudetto was won by two points ahead of Juventus: 27 years after Superga.

Torino challenged for the title the following year, finishing second on 50 points against Juventus, on 51. In 1978, Torino once again came second (tied with Vicenza), still behind Juventus but more detached. In later years, while remaining a top team, Torino began a slow decline, with the exception of second place in the 1984-85 championship. In 1987–88 Torino lost a play-off qualification to the UEFA Cup against Juventus.

Venture in Europe

At the end of the 1988–89 season, Torino was relegated to Serie B for the second time in its history. The year in the cadets seemed to regenerate the team, which after winning the second division, lived an exciting period in Serie A. Under the guidance of Emiliano Mondonico, the team qualified for the UEFA Cup, finishing ahead of Juventus, that surprisingly remain outside of the European Cup for the first time in twenty-eight years (1963-1991).

The venture in Europe during the 1991–92 season is successful: with Torino finishing second, eliminating among others, Real Madrid. After a 2-2 draw in Turin during the first leg of the UEFA Cup Final, Torino lost on aggregate to Ajax in Amsterdam with the match ending 0-0. Torino were unfortunate in the final match against Ajax, hitting the crossbar 3 times and an alleged penalty denied. An infuriated Mondonico vented by raising his chair to the sky on the sideline, an image that became etched in the history of Torino. That year, Torino finished 3rd place in the league.

The following year, Torino won its fifth Coppa Italia in the 1992–93 season against Roma. After a 3-0 win for Torino at home in the first leg, the second leg was a close contest with the giallorossi winning 5-2, with 3 penalty kicks awarded by the referee. By virtue of the away goal rule in the event of a tie, Torino won the trophy in the same manner it had lost UEFA Cup the year earlier.

After the conquest of Coppa Italia, the club went through a period of serious economic difficulties. Changing president and coach, the results continued to worsen in 1995 with a derby lost 5-0 and at the end of the season the team is relegated to Serie B for the third time. In 1997–98, Torino lost the league play-offs on penalties to Perugia (3–5 away). Torino secured promotion in 1998–99 after finishing second, due in part to striker Marco Ferrante who was league top-scorer with 27 goals.

The rebirth after bankruptcy

The promotion was short-lived with Torino relegated already at the end of the 1999–2000 season. The team was promoted again the following season under Giancarlo Camolese, winning Serie B. In the 2001-02 Torino survived relegation and qualified for the Intertoto Cup. After beating Austrian side SC Bregenz 2-1 across both legs, they were eliminated by Spaniards Villarreal on penalty kicks (3-4). The team finished last in the league, alternating 4 coaches: Camolese, Renzo Ulivieri, Renato Zaccarelli and Giacomo Ferri. In the aftermath of the relegation on 4 May 2003, 50,000 fans marched from the remains of the Filadelfia stadium, passing the memorial plaque of Gigi Meroni, leading to the tomb of Grande Torino at Superga.

The 2003–04 Serie B season that saw 24 teams participate (the highest ever) with Torino finishing in an anonymous 12th place. Under the guidance of Zaccarelli, Torino qualified for the playoffs in the 2004–05 season, eliminating Ascoli in the semi-finals. On 26 June 2005, Torino celebrated the return to Serie A, beating Perugia (nemesis from the 1998 playoffs). However, the joy was short-lived, with the heavy debts the club accumulated during the past administrations (the last under Cimminelli) meant the club was denied entry into Serie A. The verdict was appealed, but after 40 days, Torino Calcio was declared definitively unsuitable for participation in the league. On 9 August 2005, after 99 years, Torino Calcio was inevitably declared bankrupt and ceased to exist.

A group of lawyers headed by Pierluigi Marengo subsequently established a new professional entity known as Società Civile Campo Torino (taken from the old name of the Stadio Filadelfia). An admission was submitted to law Lodo Petrucci, which guarantees transfer to the new company the titles and sporting merits of the former club and registration to Serie B, so as to avoid having to start from Serie C. A first economic proposal, however, was deemed insufficient by the FIGC: the consortium then added the sponsorship of the municipal SMAT (the company that manages the watter supply in Turin), thus completing the bureaucratic process.

On 16 August 2005, the FIGC officially entrusted the new company with the titles of Torino Calcio: the new leadership, restarting from scratch, acquired the burden of re-establishing the whole club (including players and employees). On 19 August, in the bar Norman (once known as the Voigt brewery, origin of the club), the club was sold to Italian businessman Urbano Cairo, who just the day before had made an offer to buy the club. The reunification to the "old" Torino was completed on 12 July 2006 when at a bankruptcy auction Cairo purchased the cups and memorabilia of the Grande Torino for €1,411,000.

When everything seemed to be concluded for the transition to the wealthy entrepreneur, Luke Giovannone, who had contributed €180,000 to finance the Lodo Petrucci, refused to sell. In an ongoing negotiation involving the mayor of Turin (Sergio Chiamparino), Giovannone changed his mind (infuriating fans, who had already acclaimed Urbano Cairo new president). Giovannone fled the city and became unavailable. Traced in a Moncalieri hotel, he was besieged by fans, refusing to mediate with the Mayor. Escorted by police, he left the city. On 26 August, at a shareholders' meeting resolution of SCC Torino, capital was raised to €10 million and Torino Football Club Srl was officially created. On 31 August, Giovannone yields after a long and exhausting negotiation process and on 2 September 2005 Cairo became the second president in the history of the new Torino (after the lawyer Marengo). Gianni De Biasi was immediately instated as head coach; and sport director: Fabrizio Salvatori (former player). Cairo also transformed the company from Srl to Spa with €10 million for capital.

The team made its debut just 7 days after the signing of Cairo, reinforced by late signings (some of whom bought the night before) and the players inherited from the former lodisti. The team debuted victoriously against Albinoleffe, 1-0 with a goal from Enrico Fantini. It would also highlight a young player taken from Parma, Alessandro Rosina. The 2005–06 Serie B season saw Torino qualify for the playoffs, with the players of the new Torino winning promotion after defeating Cesena (1-1 and 1-0) and in the final with the Mantova (2-4 and 3-1 after extra time).

Colours and badge

Torino is traditionally represented by the colour maroon. In the first few weeks of the clubs existence, the players used the faded orange and black shirts of Football Club Torinese, which at the time were yellow and black.^[12] The Torino uniform consists of: a maroon shirt, white shorts (sometimes also maroon) and black socks with maroon cuffs.

It is unknown exactly why the club chose maroon. One theory suggests that the choice of colour was because founding member Alfred Dick was a supporter of Genevan club Servette, which also wore maroon.^[13] Another theory suggests that the colour was adopted from the brigade of Savoy, that had adopted a blood-colored handkerchief in honour of the fallen messenger carrying news of victory in the liberation of Turin exactly 200 years before the club was founded.^[14] In Italian, maroon translates to "granata", one of the clubs common nicknames.^[15]

The away kit consists of: a white shirt with maroon trimmings, maroon shorts (sometimes white) and white socks with maroon cuffs.^[16] A common recurring away shirt consists of a white shirt with a diagonal maroon stripe: the design pays homage to Argentine club River Plate, that has historical ties to Torino since the times of the Superga tragedy.^[17] The shirt was debuted on 6 January 1953 against A.C. Milan, ending 1–1.^[18]

During the 2007–08 season, Torino presented a third kit that consisted of a shirt with orange and black vertical stripes, in reference to the historical progenitors of Torino: L'Internazionale Torino and Football Club Torinese.^[19] It only appeared once throughout the entire season, on 23 December 2007, away to Napoli ending 1–1.^[20]

Stadium

After the formation, Torino began playing its matches at the Stadio Velodrome Umberto on 13 January 1907. The Velodrome was used until 9 January 1910, before moving to the Campo di Piazza d'Armi, where there were numerous fields: From 23 January 1910, Torino used the Lato Ferrovia and from 26 February 1911 the Lato Crocetta. In the 1913 season, Torino transferred to an actual stadium, the Stradale Stupinigi. The stadium was in an area of Turin located not far where the Filadelfia would be located. With the outbreak of the First World War, the Stradale was used for military purposes.

From 11 October 1925 and for the duration of the 1925–26 season, Torino played its home games at the Motovelodromo di Corso Casale (today, restored and dedicated to Fausto Coppi where it hosts American Football meetings) while awaiting transfer to the Stadio Filadelfia. The Filadelfia, which is inextricably linked to the deeds of the Grande Torino, first opened on 17 October 1926 in a match against Fortitudo Roma. It hosted all of Torino's home games until 11 May 1958 (Torino-Genoa 4–2) before falling into disuse. The reconstruction of the ground has since been used as a ploy for various Torino presidents to gain influence with the fans.^[21] A reconstruction project believed to cost in the region of €8 million is currently planned.^[21]

In the 1958-59 season, Torino played at the Stadio Vittorio Pozzo, commonly known as the Comunale. The move was short lived, as Torino returned to the Filadelfia because of superstition surrounding the Comunale because of the first relegation to Serie B in the clubs history. The Filadelfia was used again in 1959-60, 1961–62 and 1962–63 (in the final season, only for significant games) before the move to the Comunale was completed. At the time, the Comunale was capable of holding 65,000 people and was the sight of Torino's last championship in 1976.

On 27 May 1990, it was abandoned in favour of the Stadio delle Alpi, a stadium purposely built for the 1990 FIFA World Cup. The ground would sell-out on rare occasions (the last being in the 2005-06 play-offs where Torino won promotion to Serie A), but it was generally criticised for its poor visibility and insulation. Torino would share the ground from 1990-2006 with neighbours Juventus.

Following stadium reconstructions for the XX Olympic Winter Games, Torino returned to the site of the former Comunale, renamed: Stadio Olimpico di Torino, or simply, Stadio Olimpico. It has a capacity of 28,140 seats, 38,000 less than the original Comunale (in accordance with modern safety standards), and has hosted all Torino home games since 2006.^[22]

Supporters and rivalries

Twin Clubs

In Italy, football clubs are commonly "twinned" or form friendships between different fan bases.^[23] Fans of Torino are commonly twinned with Fiorentina. The link was born in the 1970s from a shared anti-Juventus sentiment and a closeness with the viola since the time of Superga.^[24] Torino fans are also on good terms with Curva Nord of Alessandria and the Curva Nord of Nocerina.^[25][26] Internationally, the club has a good rapport with the fans of River Plate, Peñarol, Corinthians, Raith Rovers, Celtic Glasgow, Nizza, Manchester City and Millwall.

Friendship with Corinthians

The friendship between the Corinthians and Torino dates back to 1914. In that year, the Torino became the first Italian club to tour in South America. The destinations were Brazil and Argentina. Torino landed in the port of Santos and travelled by train to São Paulo. Torino played six friendly matches, all played at the Estádio Palestra Itália of the city of São Paulo. The granata won all the games, two of which were played against the Corinthians. The first match between the two teams on 15 August 1914 was also the first international match in the history of the Corinthians, dominated 3–0 by Torino with goals from Debernardi II and Arioni II (2).

The second friendly match was played on 22 August 1914. Vittorio Pozzo told a São Paulo newspaper that it proved the most difficult game of the entire tour. The match ended 1–1 at half-time, until Debernardi II scored the winning goal for Torino in the final minutes. The match was officiated by referee Charles Miller, who had introduced football to the city of São Paulo in 1894. Despite the result, the two clubs - both popular at home - cultivated and maintained a friendship.

In 1948, when Torino returned to play in Brazil, they once again played Corinthians. This time, the Brazilian club took victory 2–1, the only defeat of the Grande Torino during the entire tour. On 4 May 1949 when the entire Grande Torino perished in a plane crash of Superga, Corinthians paid tribute by wearing the Torino home shirt in a friendly against Portuguesa.^[27]

In the 2011 season, Corinthians wore a third jersey that was maroon with "1949" on the back, in memory of the Grande Torino.^[28]

Rivalries

Torino's traditional rivals are Juventus. Their minor rivalries are with U.C. Sampdoria, Hellas Verona, A.S. Roma, Atalanta B.C., Brescia Calcio, Mantova F.C., S.S. Lazio, Bologna F.C., U.S. Lecce, A.C. Perugia Calcio, A.C. Milan, Inter Milan, Delfino Pescara, Calcio Padova, Ternana Calcio and with Piacenza. Of note, there was also a rivalry with the fans of Reggina Calcio starting in 1989 and ending in 2004. The rivalry with the fans of Genoa C.F.C. ended in 2009 (after more than thirty years) during the penultimate day of the 2009 season, which saw Torino lose and effectively relegate to Serie B.^[29]

Rivalry with Juventus

Torino's main rivalry is contested with neighbours Juventus in the Turin derby or Derby della Mole. Until 29 September 2013, 228 matches (of which 187 relate to official competitions) have been played in the derby between Torino and Juventus. Juventus lead 78 wins to 55, with 54 draws, 272 goals scored by Juventus, 232 from Torino. The first derby was played in 1907 with Torino winning, 2–1.^[30]

Players

First team squad

As of 1 February 2014.^[31]

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

No. Position Player 1 GK Jean-François Gillet [32] 2 DF Guillermo Rodríguez 4 MF Migjen Basha 5 DF Cesare Bovo 7 MF Omar El Kaddouri (on loan from Napoli) 8 MF Alexander Farnerud 9 FW Ciro Immobile 10 FW Barreto 11 MF Alessio Cerci 14 MF Alessandro Gazzi 16 FW Marcelo Larrondo [33] 17 DF Salvatore Masiello 19 DF Nikola Maksimović (on loan from Apollon Limassol)[34]

No. Position Player 20 MF Giuseppe Vives 23 GK Lys Gomis 24 DF Emiliano Moretti 25 DF Kamil Glik (captain)[35] 26 DF Giovanni Pasquale (on loan from Udinese) 27 MF Jasmin Kurtić (on loan from Sassuolo)[36] 30 GK Daniele Padelli 32 GK Tommaso Berni 36 DF Matteo Darmian 69 FW Riccardo Meggiorini 77 MF Panagiotis Tachtsidis (on loan from Catania)[37] MF Ahmed Barusso [38] DF Marko Vešović

Out on loan

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

No. Position Player GK Alfred Gomis (at Crotone until 30 June 2014)[39] DF Marco Chiosa (at Bari until 30 June 2014)[40] DF Cristian Affinito (at Borgosesia Calcio until 30 June 2014)[41] DF Filippo Scaglia (at Cittadella until 30 June 2014)[42][43] MF Daniele Milani (at FeralpiSalò until 30 June 2014) MF Matteo Amedeo (at Asti until 30 June 2014)[44] MF Boubakary Diarra (at Bra until 30 June 2014)[45] MF Nicolás Gorobsov (at Timișoara until 30 June 2014)[46] MF Alen Stevanović (at Palermo until 30 June 2014)[47]

No. Position Player MF Nicola Bellomo (at Spezia until 30 June 2014)[48] MF Sergiu Suciu (at Juve Stabia until 30 June 2014)[49] FW Abou Diop (at Crotone until 30 June 2014)[50][51] FW Francesco Cavaglià (at Bra until 30 June 2014)[52] FW Giorgio Fumana (at Bra until 30 June 2014)[53] FW Vittorio Parigini (at Juve Stabia until 30 June 2014)[54] FW Simone Verdi (at Empoli until 30 June 2014)[55] FW Daniele Ferrandino (at Perugia until 30 June 2014)[56]

Co-ownership

The following are players who have been transferred to another team with Torino retaining the right of participation (i.e. 50% of the patrimonial rights) to their contracts. For further information, see: Co-ownership (football).

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

No. Position Player DF Davide Cinaglia (FeralpiSalò)[57] DF Nicolò Sperotto (Carpi)[58] DF Riccardo Fiamozzi (Varese)[59] MF Alessio Vita (Monza) MF Emanuele Gatto (Lumezzane)[60]

No. Position Player MF Marco Firriolo (Cuneo)[61] MF Umberto Miello (Monza) MF Vincenzo Nitride (Bra)[62] FW Gianmario Comi (Milan)[63]

Youth team squad

Notable players

Retired numbers

12 - Retired in the 1998–99 season as a sign of recognition towards the fans who sit in the Curva Maratona, symbolically considered the 12th man in the pitch.

Current coaching staff

As of 3 November 2013.^[64]

Position	Name
Head coach	Giampiero Ventura
Assistant coach	Salvatore Sullo
Team manager	Giacomo Ferri
Goalkeeping coach	Giuseppe Zinetti
Fitness coaches	Alessandro Innocenti
	Paolo Solustri

Managerial history

Torino have had many managers and trainers, some seasons they have had co-managers running the team, here is a chronological list of them from 1912 onwards.^[65]

Honours

National

• Serie A

• Champions (7): 1927–28, 1942–43, 1945–46, 1946–47, 1947–48, 1948–49, 1975–76 ¹
• Runners-up (7): 1907, 1914–1915, 1928–1929, 1938–1939, 1941–1942, 1976–1977, 1984–1985

• Coppa Italia

• Champions (5): 1935–36, 1942–43, 1967–68, 1970–71, 1992–93
• Runners-up (8): 1937–38, 1962–63, 1963–64, 1969–70, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1987–88

• Serie B

• Champions (3): 1959–60, 1989–90, 2000–01
• Runners-up (1): 2011–12
• Serie A Playoffs (3): 2004–05; 2005–06; 2009–10

• Italian Super Cup

• Runners-up (1): 1993

Notes:
^1 Torino won the title in the 1926–27 season, but it was later revoked.

International

• UEFA Cup

• Runners-up (1): 1991–92

• Mitropa Cup

• Winners (1): 1990–91

• Memorial Pier Cesare Baretti (O Trofeo San Vincent ex Cup of the Alps)

• Winners (1): 1990
• Runners-up (1): 1993

• Amicizia Cup

• Winners (1): 1960
• Runners-up (1): 1962

Other

• Amsterdam Tournament:
  • Runners-up (1): 1987

Youth

• Campionato Nazionale Primavera: 8 (record)^[66]
  • 1966–67, 1967–68, 1969–70, 1976–77, 1984–85, 1987–88, 1990–91, 1991–92
• Coppa Italia Primavera: 7 (record)^[66]
  • 1982–83, 1983–84, 1985–86, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1998–99
• Torneo di Viareggio: 6^[66]
  • 1984, 1985, 1987, 1989, 1995, 1998
• Campionato Berretti: 9 (record)^[66]
  • 1973–74, 1974–75, 1977–78, 1980–81, 1985–86, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1991–92, 2006–07
• Campionato Allievi Nazionali: 5^[66]
  • 1966–67, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1975–1976, 1979–1980
• Campionato Giovanissimi Nazionali: 2^[66]
  • 1984–85, 1999–00

Club statistics and records

• Joint holder of most consecutive Italian Serie A league titles (5), from 1943 to 1949 (1942–43, 1945–46, 1946–47, 1947–48, 1948–49; in 1944 and 1945, no league matches were played due to World War II). This tied Juventus' record from 1931 to 1935, and Internazionale equalled it from 2006 to 2010.
• Most consecutive seasons undefeated at home: 4 straight seasons (1945–46, 1946–47, 1947–48, 1948–49)
• Most consecutive league matches undefeated at home: 93 straight matches, with 83 wins and 10 draws (from 24 January 1943 to 30 April 1949) and just two visiting teams that didn't allow any goal.
• Most points in one season (before the 3 points per win rules): 65 points (1947–48)
• Biggest ever advantage on the English average: 6 points above (1946–47)
• Greatest ever home win: 10–0 against Alessandria (1947–48)
• Greatest ever away win: 0–7 against Roma (1945–46 Serie A Finals)
• Most wins in one season (16 teams league): 20 wins in 30 matches (1942–43)
• Most wins in one season (21 teams league): 29 wins in 40 matches (1947–48)
• Most home wins in one season: 19 wins on 20 matches (1947–48)
• Most away wins in one season (16 teams league): 10 wins in 15 matches (1942–43)
• Most home points in one season: 39 points on 40 available (1947–48)
• Most away points in one season (16 teams league): 22 points on 30 available (1942–43)
• Fewest home points dropped in one season: 1 point on 40 available (1947–48 and 1948–49)
• Fewest away defeats in one season: 3 defeats on 19 matches (1946–47 and 1948–49)
• Most goals scored in one season: 125 goals (1947–48)
• Most home goals scored in one season: 89 goals (1947–48)
• Most away goals scored in one season (16 teams league): 31 goals (1942–43)
• Most goals scored in the 5 championship seasons: 408 goals scored (1942–43, 1945–46, 1946–47, 1947–48, 1948–49)
• Fewest goals suffered in one season (21 teams league): 33 goals (1947–48)
• Fewest away goals suffered in one season (16 teams league): 9 goals (1942–43)
• Best ever average of goals scored in one season: 3.125 goals per match (1947–48)
• Most points in the second half of the season: 36 points on 40 available (1947–48)

Notable players

Nestor Combin Anton Polster Walter Schachner Enzo Scifo Júnior Müller Walter Casagrande Gerry Hitchens Jocelyn Angloma Antoine Bonifaci Abedi Pelé Aldo Agroppi Valerio Bacigalupo

Pasquale Bruno Luciano Castellini Roberto Cravero Giuseppe Dossena Giorgio Ferrini Guglielmo Gabetto Francesco Graziani Cesare Maldini Luca Marchegiani Valentino Mazzola Gigi Meroni Eraldo Pecci Giorgio Puia

Paolino Pulici Fabio Quagliarella Claudio Sala Andrea Silenzi Renato Zaccarelli Wim Kieft Denis Law Rafael Martín Vázquez Blerim Džemaili Hakan Şükür Enzo Francescoli Álvaro Recoba Haris Škoro

Shirt sponsors and manufacturers

Shirt sponsor

1958–59 Talmone (confectionery) 1981–83 Barbero (wines) 1983–84 Ariostea (pottery) 1984–88 Sweda (cash registers) 1988–91 Indesit (home appliances) 1991–94 Beretta (foodstuffs) 1994–95 Bongioanni (boilers) 1995–00 SDA (parcel delivery) 2000–01 Directa (financial services)

2001–02 Conto Arancio (net-banking) 2002–03 Ixfin (electronic products) 2003–05 Bavaria (brewery) 2005–08 Reale Mutua (insurance) – Beretta (foodstuffs) 2008–09 Renault Trucks (trucks and commercial vehicles) – Reale Mutua (insurance) 2009–11 Italporte (doors/windows) – Dahlia TV (pay television) 2011–12 Valmora (mineral water) – Aruba.it (web services) 2012–13 Beretta (foodstuffs) – Aruba.it (web services) 2013–14 Beretta (foodstuffs) – Suzuki (motorcycles and commercial vehicles)[67]

Kit manufacturer

1974–79 Umbro 1979–82 Superga Sport 1982–84 Tixo Sport 1984–90 Adidas 1990–93 ABM

1993–96 Lotto 1996–01 Kelme 2001–08 ASICS 2008–14 Kappa

References

External links

• (Italian) Torino FC Official website

v t e Torino Football Club Overview History Players Managers Supporters Honours Europe Ground Stadio Olimpico Stadio delle Alpi Rivalries Derby della Mole Related articles Il Grande Torino

v t e Torino F.C. seasons 1907 1908 1909 1909–10 1910–11 1911–12 1912–13 1913–14 1914–15 1915–16 1916–17 1917–18 1918–19 1919–20 1920–21 1921–22 1922–23 1923–24 1924–25 1925–26 1926–27 1927–28 1928–29 1929–30 1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 1934–35 1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40 1940–41 1941–42 1942–43 43–1944 1944–45 1945–46 1946–47 1947–48 1948–49 1949–50 1950–51 1951–52 1952–53 1953–54 1954–55 1955–56 1956–57 1957–58 1958–59 1959–60 1960–61 1961–62 1962–63 1963–64 1964–65 1965–66 1966–67 1967–68 1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75 1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 99–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14

v t e Serie A 2013–14 clubs Atalanta Bologna Cagliari Catania Chievo Fiorentina Genoa Internazionale Juventus Lazio Livorno Milan Napoli Parma Roma Sampdoria Sassuolo Torino Udinese Verona Former clubs Alessandria Ancona Ascoli Avellino Bari Brescia Casale Catanzaro Cesena Como Cremonese Empoli Foggia Lecce Lecco Legnano Lucchese Mantova Messina Modena Novara Padova Palermo Perugia Pescara Piacenza Pisa Pistoiese Pro Patria Pro Vercelli Reggiana Reggina Salernitana Siena SPAL Ternana Treviso Triestina Varese Venezia Vicenza Competition Champions Foreign players Statistics Records Finances Richest clubs: (Deloitte list) (Forbes' list) Average attendances Associated competitions Supercoppa Italiana UEFA Champions League UEFA Europa League

v t e Original Italian Serie A clubs, 1929–30 Alessandria Bologna Brescia Cremonese Genoa (as Genova 1893) Internazionale (as Ambrosiana) Juventus Lazio Livorno Milan Modena Napoli Padova Pro Patria Pro Vercelli Roma Torino Triestina