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| Full name | Associazione Calcio AnconaS.p.A. |
|---|---|
| Nicknames | I Dorici (The Dorians) I Biancorossi (The Red and Whites) |
| Founded | 1905; 120 years ago (1905)(Ancona Calcio) 2004; 21 years ago (2004)(AC Ancona) |
| Dissolved | 2010; 15 years ago (2010) |
| Ground | Stadio del Conero |
| Capacity | 23,967 |
Associazione Calcio Ancona, commonly referred to asAncona, was anItalian football club based inAncona,Marche. It was founded in 2004 as thephoenix club of defunct 1905 clubUnione Sportiva Anconitana, which changed its name toAncona Calcio in 1982. It used clause in theArticle 52 of N.O.I.F.) with its last denomination. In 2010 it went bankrupt. Another club of the city,U.S. Ancona 1905 claimed as the phoenix club. However, the club also folded in 2017, with a second phoenix club, A.C. Anconitana, was founded in theEccellenza. They merged withS.S. Matelica Calcio 1921 to foundAncona-Matelica, who aim to have their name changed back to just "Ancona" in 2022.
The nicknames of the team werei Dorici (The Dorians) andi Biancorossi (The Red and Whites).
Ancona had spells inSerie B before World War II and shortly after, but would not return to that level until 1988. Under coachVincenzo Guerini, the club's rise was meteoric: 5th place in 1990 and promotion was achieved two years later. Although they would finish 17th and were relegated after just one year, the club nonetheless played in some memorable high-scoring games including a 3–0 home win overInter. MidfielderLajos Detari, wingerFabio Lupo and strikerMassimo Agostini ensured Ancona had a respectableGoals For tally but conceded goals at an alarming rate.
The following year, Ancona reached aCoppa Italia final but were heavily beaten bySampdoria. Near misses in the promotion race was followed by relegation in 1996 and again in 1998. After returning to Serie B in 2000, Ancona would achieve another promotion in 2003.
Its secondSerie A season would be one of the worst of anySerie A club, with a record-equalling 28-game winless streak from the start. They finished the season with a pitiful 13 points. This was followed by bankruptcy and condemnation toSerie C2.
Ancona finished 5th in 2005–2006 season and lost promotion play-off againstSassuolo by finishing best place but promoted after expulsions ofGela andSassari Torres due to financial troubles. They finished 16th inSerie C1/B and played relegation play-off againstTeramo in 2006–2007 season. Ancona won 4–2 by aggregate and remained in Serie C1.
In October 2007 it was reported that Centro Sportivo Italiano (CSI), run by theVatican'sConference of Bishops, had purchased an 80% share in the club. The report read:
"It is a way to moralise football, to bring some ethics to a sector that is going through a deep crisis of values," said Ancona Archbishop Edoardo Menichelli, who recently played a benefit game against an Italy national team of singers.
CSI president Edio Costantini said the centre wanted "to invest in the true meaning of sport. We want football to be again a means of education and not tied to strictly monetary values".
"We will show that, for boys, football is not just an illusion or a bad example."[1]
According to Catholic World News on 9 October 2007, the Vatican was distancing itself from the move, claiming the CSI was a group of 'lay Catholics' and the Vatican had 'nothing to do' with the project.[2] Yet in a Reuters report on 11 October 2007, both theVatican Secretary of State and thePope endorsed the move, quoted as saying respectively:
Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone praised the project in a statement read at its presentation, saying it was designed to 'bring out the human and spiritual values in sport'.
Pope Benedict XVI also encouraged the team after receiving a shirt with his name and the number 16 on from them at a general audience in St Peter's Square[3]
The club has had several Papal connections. The 'Project Soccer' initiative was blessed by Pope Benedict XVI with a letter sent by Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone to the Centro Sportivo Italiano.[4] The 'Del Conero' stadium was visited byPope John Paul II twice.[5]
The club has been promoted back to Serie B after winning promotion playoff after defeatingPerugia by finished best place andTaranto by 2–1 aggregate in 2007–2008 season. Ancona finished 19th at Serie B at next season and faced withRimini at play-outs. Ancona won them with a 2–1 aggregate and remained in it.
Ancona played the 2009–10 season in Serie B, finishing 17th despite 2 points deduction due to financial irregularities in the season and avoiding relegation, but eventually filed forbankruptcy and was unable to join any of the lower divisions. The club, however, managed to submit application for a place inTerza Categoria, the lowest level of theItalian football league system.[6] Their application was accepted on 13 September 2010, as they were granted a playing ground by the city administration.[7] However, they were still lacking players and a manager and were subsequently forced to forfeit the first four games of the season. According toFIGC regulations, this led to the club's removal from the league and they underwentliquidation.[8]
This list of former players includes those who received international caps while playing for the team, made significant contributions to the team in terms of appearances or goals while playing for the team, or who made significant contributions to the sport either before they played for the team, or after they left. It is clearly not yet complete and all inclusive, and additions and refinements will continue to be made over time.
The main rivals of Ancona wasAscoli.
Two illegitimate phoenix clubs had formed in Ancona:
