 | ||||
| Full name | Associazione Calcistica Perugia CalcioS.r.l. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname | I Grifoni (The Griffins) | |||
| Founded | 1905; 120 years ago (1905) 1935; 90 years ago (1935) (refounded) 1940; 85 years ago (1940) (refounded) 2005; 20 years ago (2005) (refounded) 2010; 15 years ago (2010) (refounded) | |||
| Ground | Stadio Renato Curi, Perugia, Italy | |||
| Capacity | 23,625[1] | |||
| Chairman | Javier Faroni[2] | |||
| Head coach | Giovanni Tedesco[3] | |||
| League | Serie C Group B | |||
| 2024–25 | Serie C Group B, 12th of 20 | |||
| Website | www | |||
 Current season | ||||
Associazione Calcistica Perugia Calcio,[4] or simplyPerugia, is a professionalfootball club based inPerugia,Umbria, Italy, that competes in theSerie C Group B, the third division of Italian football.
Founded in 1905 as Associazione Calcistica Perugia, the club folded in 2005 and were re-founded the same year as Perugia Calcio, before dissolving once again in 2010, taking on its current name.
The club has played 13 times in the Serie A; their best placement was finishing as unbeaten runners-up in the 1978–79 season, becoming the first team under the round-robin format to finish a Serie A season without defeats. In addition to various minor league titles, the club has won the2003 UEFA Intertoto Cup, and has made twoUEFA Cup appearances. In its Serie A spell under club presidentLuciano Gaucci around the turn of the century Perugia had some upset wins at home, most notably againstJuventus on the final day in2000, which led to their opponents dropping the title win toLazio. Gaucci's era ended with relegation in2004 after which bankruptcy unfolded.
The club's players are nicknamed "biancorossi" (red and whites) due to their historical kit colours, which include red shirts and socks accompanied by white shorts, and "grifoni" (griffins), inspired by their city's heraldic symbol. They play their home matches at the 28,000-capacityStadio Renato Curi. In the 1979–80 season, they became the first Italian football team to show a kit sponsorship.[5]
A.C. Perugia were founded on 9 June 1905, after the merger ofU.S. Fortebraccio andLibertas.[6] During the early 1900s, the club primarily engaged in regional competitions.[7] Throughout the 1930s, Perugia experienced significant growth, culminating in its inaugural promotion to Serie B in 1933. Notably, in 1937, Perugia constructed its first official stadium, Santa Giuliana. After a second promotion to Serie B in the season 1945–46, Perugia spent almost all of the 1950s in the lower divisions.[7]
The 1960s marked a resurgence for Perugia, under the presidency of prominent local entrepreneur Lino Spagnoli. The promotion to Serie B in the1966-1967 season would mark the beginning of one of the club's most successful periods.[7] Perugia spent the next eight years in Serie B before promotion to Serie A for the first time in 1975.[8]The society underwent profound renewal, with the arrival of Apulian entrepreneurFranco D'Attoma as president and with a new technical and managerial staff, includingIlario Castagner, a former player for the team in the early part of the previous decade, as coach, andSilvano Ramaccioni as sporting director. Several new players joined the team, including defenderPierluigi Frosio, midfieldersFranco Vannini andRenato Curi, and forwardPaolo Sollier.[9] Sollier gained attention beyond football circles and was known for using aclenched fist salute on the pitch.[10][11] Perugia secured promotion to Serie A with a three-point lead overComo and a four-point lead overVerona.[12][13]
The newly promoted Perugia, competing in the newComunale di Pian di Massiano stadium, embarked on its inaugural Serie A campaign, retaining much of the squad from the previous season. Their debut match in Serie A was againstMilan on October 5, 1975.[14]
On May 16, 1976, Renato Curi - who played a pivotal role in Perugia's journey to Serie A - scored the decisive goal in the Perugia-Juventus match, sealingTorino's victory in the championship against Juventus.[15] Additionally, Perugia made its debut in European competitions during that season, participating in theMitropa Cup.[15]Curi's performances and goals were crucial in securing Perugia's commendable sixth-place finish in the following season, making them the highest-ranked team excluded from UEFA qualification. Tragically, the talented Curi died on October 30, 1977, from a heart attack during a home match against Juventus, leaving a lasting impact on the club and leading to the stadium's renaming in his honor.[15][16]
Despite this loss, Perugia continued to excel. The following season, they made history by becoming the first team to complete a Serie A campaign undefeated, finishing runners-up in 1979 with 11 wins and 19 draws, resulting in the only unbeaten side not to win a title.[8] Perugia's unbeaten record in the Serie A lasted for 37 matches from April 1978 until October 1979.[17][8] Led by Castagner, the team's cohesive performance saw them finish second in the league standings behind AC Milan, earning widespread admiration as the "Perugia of miracles." Among the key figures in their ranks were captain Pierluigi Frosio, along with Franco Vannini,Antonio Ceccarini, andSalvatore Bagni.[8]
Ahead of the1979–80 season, Perugia ambitiously signed Italy national team strikerPaolo Rossi fromL.R. Vicenza.[18] Also notable was President D'Attoma's pioneering commercial deal with the Ponte pasta factory, which marked the first instance of a kit sponsorship for an Italian football team, setting a precedent in the history of Italian football.[5]
Despite Rossi's performance as a goal scorer, the team couldn't replicate their previous success, seeming overwhelmed by newfound fame. Perugia struggled in the league and their firstUEFA Cup appearance ended early in the round of 16 againstAris Thessaloniki.[19] The ongoing absence of a key midfielder like Vannini, who later retired due to injury, further hindered their season.[20]
However, as the club appeared to have solidified its position in Italian football, an unexpected turn of events occurred. In March 1980, theTotonero scandal erupted, implicating Rossi himself and indirectly impacting Perugia's fate. The team collapsed, finishing the season in a nondescript seventh place and was penalized five points in the following season, which ultimately led to relegation in 1981.[8]
The club spent the first half of the 1980s trying to get back to Serie A, nearly succeeding under the management ofAldo Agroppi in the1984-1985 season, narrowly missing promotion back to Serie A by just one point, setting records for the fewest defeats (1) and most draws (26 out of 38 matches) in the Serie B, a sign of potential resurgence.[21] However, the club's decline continued, culminating in a double relegation to Serie C2 in 1986 due to their involvement in the1986 Totonero scandal, despite already facing relegation on the pitch.[22] It was during this time thatFabrizio Ravanelli would be discovered, he would later go on to a career with Reggiana, Juventus, Middlesbrough and several other clubs before returning to Perugia.[23]
In 1991, the entrepreneur and sportsmanLuciano Gaucci took control of the club.[24] His impactful legacy with the team endured until 2005, characterized by notable moments, including the contentious attempt to recruit the first female footballer for a male Serie A side, an unexpected victory against championship contender Juventus in 2000, and the triumph in the Intertoto Cup in 2003.[24][25]
Gaucci, known for his unconventional methods of dealing with players, coaches, and journalists, expressed his determination to swiftly return the Biancorossi to the top flight, a goal he achieved within five years.[24] To accomplish this, Gaucci initiated significant transfer campaigns in the early 1990s, making notable signings such asGiuseppe Dossena andGiovanni Cornacchini.[26] Despite narrowly missing promotion in the 1991–1992 season, Perugia secured promotion to Serie B the following year after defeating Acireale in a playoff match. However, the joy was short-lived as Gaucci was embroiled in a scandal involving a gift of a horse to the family of a favorable referee, leading to the denial of Serie B promotion by the Italian Football Federation.[27] Nevertheless, the 1993–1994 season saw Perugia, led byIlario Castagner, dominate their group and earn promotion to Serie B, with Cornacchini clinching the top scorer title for the second consecutive year.[28] The team's stay in Serie B lasted only two seasons, as they achieved promotion to Serie A in the 1995–1996 season under the guidance ofGiovanni Galeone. Led by captainFederico Giunti and strikerMarco Negri, Perugia secured promotion with a dramatic victory over Verona, ultimately sealing their return to the top flight after a fifteen-year absence.[29]
Perugia started well before Gaucci's decision to replace Galeone withNevio Scala.[30] The side's form subsequently declined before a late rally gave them a chance of survival- a 2–1 defeat at Piacenza in the final round ultimately determined relegation by tie-breaker rules due to finishing level on points.[30] With Castagner back in charge, Perugia won a play-off with Torino to secure a return to the top flight.[31]
The next six seasons saw Perugia hold their own in Serie A with foreign imports including the Japanese internationalHidetoshi Nakata in 1998 and the Ecuadorian top goal scorer Ivan Kaviedes.[32] The team came under scrutiny when Gaucci criticised and eventually terminated the contract of his own player,Ahn Jung-Hwan of South Korea, for scoring thegolden goal that knocked Italy out of the2002 FIFA World Cup, and allegedly insulting the Italian nation. Ahn's national managerGuus Hiddink spoke out against the sacking.[33]
In the summer of 2003, Perugia signed English strikerJay Bothroyd, andAl-Saadi Gaddafi (the son of Libyan dictatorMuammar Gaddafi).[34] Soon after, the club were one of three winners of the2003 UEFA Intertoto Cup after beatingVfL Wolfsburg of Germany 3–0 on aggregate. This qualified the team to the2003–04 UEFA Cup, in which they were eliminated in the third round byPSV Eindhoven.[35]
The new chairman Vincenzo Silvestrini had re-established the club in 2005 asPerugia Calcio.[36]
After a takeover, in 2009 Perugia Calcio property passed to Perugian entrepreneur and formerPisa owner and chairman Leonardo Covarelli. On 21 May 2010 the Court of Perugia declared the bankruptcy of Perugia Calcio srl.[37] Nobody decided to take over the society at the subsequent auction[38] and on 30 June 2010 the club was unable to join the Italian third level championship 2010–2011. TheItalian Football Federation decided on 8 July 2010 to revoke the affiliation of the bankruptPerugia Calcio Srl.[39]
In July 2010, a new club with the same denomination as ASD Perugia Calcio and inheriting the old side history, was entered into theSerie D with local entrepreneur Roberto Damaschi as chairman.[40]
On 10 April 2011, Perugia became the first team of the season to get promoted from Serie D to theLega Pro Seconda Divisione 2011–12, after a 3–2 home victory againstCastel Rigone.[41] The club also won the 2010–11Coppa Italia Serie D, beatingTurris 1–0 in the final.[42]
In summer 2011 the club was renamedAssociazione Calcistica Perugia Calcio, to play in theLega Pro Seconda Divisione/B obtaining immediate promotion toLega Pro Prima Divisione.[43] On 4 May 2014, beating Frosinone 1–0, AC Perugia won the 2013–14 Lega Pro Prima Divisione championship and gained promotion to Serie B after a 9-year absence from Italy's second highest football division. Additionally, Roman entrepreneur Massimiliano Santopadre acquired full ownership of the club's shares.[44]
On 2 May 2021, Perugia finished in first place in group B of the2020–21 Serie C, and were promoted back to the Serie B.[45] Their promotion came after consecutive wins in the last five games on the season, having been in third place, six points from first place.[45] The club was relegated back toSerie C at the end of the2022–23 Serie B season.[46]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach |  Lamberto Zauli[3] |
| Assistant coach | Andrea Costa |
| Goalkeeper coach | Alessandro Greco |
| Technical coach | Gian Marco Ortolani |
| Athletic coach | Stefano Cellio |
| Rehab coach | Matteo Valeri |
| Academy manager | Mauro Lucarini[3] |
| Chief doctor | Giuliano Cerulli[3] |
 | This sectiondoes notcite anysources. Please helpimprove this section byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged andremoved.(January 2024) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| Series | Years | Last | Promotions | Relegations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 13 | 2003–04 | - |  3 (1981,1997,2004) |
| B | 29 | 2022–23 |  3 (1975,1996,1998) | 6 (1935✟,1948,1986⇊,2005✟,2020,2023) |
| C +C2 | 33 +3 | 2023–24 | 6 (1933,1946,1967,1994,2014,2021) 2 (1988 C2,2012 C2) | 3 (1939,1951,2010✟) |
| 78 out of 92 years of professional football in Italy since 1929 | ||||
| D | 13 | 2010–11 | 4 (1938,1940,1959,2011) | never |
| E | 1 | 1929–30 | 1 (1930⇈) | never |
| Season | Round | Club | Home | Away | Aggregate | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979–80 | First Round |  Dinamo Zagreb | 1–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 | [19] |
| Second Round |  Aris | 0–3 | 1–1 | 1–4 | ||
| 2003–04 | First Round |  Dundee | 1–0 | 2–1 | 3–1 | [50] |
| Second Round | Aris | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | ||
| Third Round |  PSV Eindhoven | 0–0 | 1–3 | 1–3 |
| Season | Round | Club | Home | Away | Aggregate | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Second Round |  Pobeda | 1–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 | [51] |
| Third Round |  Trabzonspor | 0–3 (f) | 2–1 | 2–4 | ||
| 2000 | Second Round |  Standard Liège | 1–2 | 1–1 | 2–3 | [52] |
| 2002 | Third Round |  Stuttgart | 2–1 | 1–3 | 3–4 | [53] |
| 2003 | Third Round |  Allianssi | 2–0 | 2–0 | 4–0 | [54] |
| Semi-final |  Nantes | 0–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | ||
| Final | Wolfsburg | 1–0 | 2–0 | 3–0 |
43°6′22″N12°21′26″E / 43.10611°N 12.35722°E /43.10611; 12.35722
