U.S. Pistoiese 1921

Pistoiese

Full name

Unione Sportiva Pistoiese 1921 s.r.l.

Nickname(s)

Arancioni (Orange)

Founded

1921
1937 (refounded)
1945 (refounded)
1988 (refounded)
2009 (refounded)

Ground

Stadio Marcello Melani,
Pistoia, Italy

Capacity

13,195

Chairman

Andrea Bonechi

Manager

Cristiano Lucarelli

League

Lega Pro/B

2013-14

Serie D/E, 1st (promoted)

Home colours

Away colours

Unione Sportiva Pistoiese 1921 is an Italian association football club, based in Pistoia, Tuscany. Currently Pistoiese plays in Lega Pro.

The singer-songwriter Francesco Guccini is probably the most famous tifoso of Pistoiese in Italy.

History

The club was founded in 1921 and refounded in 1937, 1945, 1988 and 2009; having last been in Serie A in 1981.

U.S. Pistoiese

Pistoiese achieved prominence by rising to Serie B in the late 1970s with promotion to Serie A following in 1980. Under Marcello Melani Presidency, who choose veterans like Marcello Lippi and Mario Frustalupi and promising young talents such as Paolo Benedetti, Pistoiese reached in just 6 years the Serie A and made a reasonable start reaching as high as 4th after a win at Fiorentina at Round 13. But a dismal freefall resulted in last place in relegation, and the club have not recovered since apart from spells in Serie B in 1995–96 and 1999–2002. Melani left his direction in 1980 followed by Lippi in 1981.

A.C. Nuova Pistoiese 1988

Old A.C. Pisoiese logo

In the 2005–06 Serie C1/B campaign, Pistoiese battled against relegation from Serie C1 with goals proving hard to come by, yet having one of the best defensive records in the division. A good season ending brought the team to a good 9th place in Group A, but just three points ahead the relegation playouts. Pistoiese finished 14th in Group B in 2007–2008 season and played relegation play-off against Sangiovannese. They won by 4–0 aggregate and remained in Lega Pro Prima Divisione (former Serie C1).

The Tuscan club started the 2008–09 season with Roberto Miggiano as head coach, but disappointing results and a bottom-place in the Lega Pro Prima Divisione table led the club to replace him with Salvatore Polverino later in October. However, results did not improve under new boss Polverino, prompting him to tend his resignations on February 2009. He was replaced by former Juventus star Moreno Torricelli, in his first personal stint as professional head coach; under Torricelli's reign, Pistoiese managed to improve results and escape immediate relegation ending in 16th place. Nevertheless, Pistoiese lost play-out against Foligno and got relegated in Lega Pro Seconda Divisione.

On Summer 2009 Pistoiese is not permitted enrolment in Lega Pro Seconda Divisione due to inadequate financial guarantees.

Unione Sportiva Pistoiese 1921

On August 13, 2009 Unione Sportiva Pistoiese 1921 is created by Pistoia's maire Berti. The club is admitted to Tuscany's Eccellenza league and managed an excellent maiden year, reaching the promotion's play-off, where eventually lost against Mosciano.

In the season 2010-11 it wins Eccellenza Tuscany group A and is thus promoted to Serie D. Pistoiese managed to reacquire professional status after winning the Girone E of 2013–14 Serie D and thus ensuring a spot in the 2014–15 Lega Pro.

Colors and badge

The team's colors are orange and blue.

Squads 2013-2014

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

No.		Position	Player
		GK	Michal Olczak
		GK	Matteo Ricci
		DF	Petar Golubović
		DF	Lorenzo Collacchioni
		DF	Lorenzo Giovannelli
		DF	Edoardo Romani
		MF	Fabio Varricchio
		DF	Mickael Varutti
		DF	Gianluca Nocentini
		MF	Niccolò Galasso
		MF	Leonardo Marzocchi

No.		Position	Player
		MF	Gianluca Vianello
		MF	Francesco Belli
		MF	Angelo Buglio
		MF	Lorenzo Cecchi
		MF	Alessandro Gambadori
		MF	Giulio Giordani
		FW	Carlo Bigoni
		FW	Pietro Tripoli
		FW	Souleymane Coulibaly

Former players

Former managers

External links

Official site

Lega Pro · 2014–15 clubs

Girone A	AlbinoLeffe Alessandria Arezzo Bassano Virtus Como Cremonese FeralpiSalò Giana Erminio Lumezzane Mantova Monza Novara Pavia Pordenone Pro Patria Real Vicenza Renate Südtirol Torres Venezia

Girone B	Ancona Ascoli Carrarese Forlì Grosseto Gubbio L'Aquila Lucchese Pisa Pistoiese Pontedera Prato Pro Piacenza Reggiana San Marino Santarcangelo Savona SPAL Teramo Tuttocuoio

Girone C	Aversa Normanna Barletta Benevento Casertana Catanzaro Cosenza Foggia Ischia Juve Stabia Lecce Lupa Roma Martina Franca Matera Melfi Messina Paganese Reggina Salernitana Savoia Vigor Lamezia

Serie C seasons

Seconda Divisione	1926–27 1927–28

Prima Divisione	1928–29 1929–30 1930–31 1931–32 1932–33 1933–34 1934–35

Serie C	1935–36 1936–37 1937–38 1938–39 1939–40 1940–41 1941–42 1942–43 1943–44 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

Prima Divisione (Serie C1)	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 1999–2000 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

Lega Pro	2014–15

Football in Italy

Overview	National association League system List of clubs List of venues Records Scudetto Capocannoniere

International	Italy Under-21 Under-20 Under-19 Under-18 Under-17 Under-16 Under-15 Italy women

Leagues	Lega Serie A Lega Serie B Lega Pro Lega Nazionale Dilettanti Lega Calcio (defunct)

League competitions	Serie A Serie B Lega Pro Serie D Eccellenza Promozione Prima Categoria Seconda Categoria Terza Categoria Lega Pro Prima Divisione (defunct) Lega Pro Seconda Divisione (defunct)

Cup competitions	Coppa Italia Supercoppa Italiana Coppa Italia Lega Pro Supercoppa di Lega di Prima Divisione Supercoppa di Lega di Seconda Divisione Coppa Italia Serie D Coppa Italia Dilettanti

Youth competitions	Campionato Nazionale Primavera Coppa Italia Primavera Supercoppa Primavera Torneo di Viareggio Campionato Nazionale Dante Berretti

Women's competitions	Serie A Coppa Italia

Awards	Oscar del Calcio AIC Italian Football Hall of Fame

Miscellaneous	Totonero 1980 Totonero 1986 2004–10 Italian football scandal 2006 Italian football scandal 2011–12 Italian football scandal Foreign Serie A players Foreign Serie B players

Seasons	1999–00 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 2014–15

Original Italian Serie B clubs, 1929–30

Atalanta Bari Biellese Casale La Dominante (Sampdoria forerunner) Fiorentina Fiumana Lecce Legnano Monfalcone (as Monfalconese) Novara Parma Pistoiese Prato Reggiana Spezia Venezia Verona