Spezia Calcio

Spezia Calcio is a professional football club based in La Spezia, Liguria, Italy. In 2020–21, they are playing in the for the first time in their history, after promotion to the top tier for the first time via play-offs in the 2019–20 season. Spezia hosts matches at the 10,336-capacity Stadio Alberto Picco.
History.
Early history (1906–1944).
Spezia Calcio was founded in 1906.
In 1944, because of World War II the Italian football federation decided to split the top league in regional rounds. The team, named "42° Corpo dei Vigili del Fuoco della Spezia" (Firefighters of La Spezia) after a merger with the local firefighter to have a sufficient number of players, was included in Round D of Emilia-Romagna, together with Corradini Suzzara, Fidentina, Orlandi Busseto and Parma. Spezia won the round and qualified to the semi-finals, in which it challenged Suzzara, Carpi and Modena. Spezia won also this round, winning five of the six matches played, losing only to Carpi. By winning the semi-final round, Spezia was admitted to play a two-legs play-off against Bologna.
The first match, played in Bologna, was suspended because of incidents started after the 1–0 goal of Spezia, contested by the Bologna supporters; Spezia was awarded a 2–0 win because of that. The return match, scheduled to be played in La Spezia, was first moved to Carpi, because of the heavy bombings underwent by the Ligurian city in the period, then cancelled because of protest by Bologna chairman Renato Dall'Ara, so Spezia was admitted to the final without playing the return match.
The finals, held in Milan, were played against Venezia and Torino. On 9 July 1944, the first match between Spezia and Venezia was played: it ended in a 1–1 draw, commented by the Gazzetta as "surprising result".
On 16 July, Spezia challenged the "Grande Torino", with Vittorio Pozzo as coach and Silvio Piola as striker. The match ended in an epic 2–1 victory of Spezia. After the third match, in which Torino beat Venezia in a 5–2 win, Spezia were declared champion.
However, the Italian league of 1944 was not immediately considered as official by the Italian federation, because it was obtained during war times in a reduced league, and the only "scudetto" of Spezia was finally awarded only in 2002 by the Federation, even if not counted officially as an Italian championship triumph, but as a "decoration".
Today, Spezia remembers the 1944 triumph by playing with a tricolour badge on the team's official jersey (but different from the "Scudetto"), with the authorisation of the Football Federation.
From Serie B to the bankruptcy (2002–2008).
In 2002, the club reached an agreement with Inter, making the club Inter's feeder club, with the Milan club holding a percentage in Spezia ownership shares. The team signed Goran Pandev, Aco Stojkov, and Alex Cordaz in the first season. In the second season, Cristian Lizzori, Luca Ceccarelli and Nicola Napolitano were signed from Inter. In 2004–05 season Spezia received Antonio Rizzo from ACF Fiorentina and Paolo Castelli from Inter.
Players like Alex Cordaz, Riccardo Meggiorini and Paolo Hernán Dellafiore joined the team directly from Inter to boost the team in January 2005. The season ended with winning Coppa Italia Serie C against Frosinone. After the season, Inter sold most of its shares in Spezia.
The next season (2005–06) started with the arrival of a new owner, Giuseppe Ruggieri, and a new manager, Antonio Soda. After a long battle for the first position with rivals Genoa C.F.C., Spezia were crowned Serie C1 champion and promoted to Serie B after 55 years of absence. The squad included Vito Grieco, Massimiliano Guidetti, Giuseppe Alessi, Massimiliano Varricchio and Roberto Maltagliati. Life in a Serie B with powerhouses Juventus, Genoa C.F.C. and S.S.C. Napoli was difficult for the newly promoted Ligurian side, which themselves were fighting to avoid the relegation spots. With mid-season signing Guilherme do Prado, Tomás Guzmán, Corrado Colombo, the old member Massimiliano Guidetti's good form and Nicola Santoni, Spezia survived in Serie B, gaining participation in the playout round after a late 3–2 victory in Turin against Juventus. Spezia then survived by winning the playout round against Hellas Verona. But in the next season, with Isah Eliakwu, Colombo and Do Prado, the club failed to make the miracle happened twice, primarily due to a troubled situation in the financiers of the club.
In 2008, due to financial difficulty and following their relegation from Serie B, the club was forced to declare bankruptcy. In June 2011 FIGC sanctioned a number of former board members of the bankrupted Spezia for sports fraud.
Refoundation (2008–present).
The team was refounded in 2008 as A.S.D. Spezia Calcio 2008 by Gabriele Volpi, the owner of water polo team of Pro Recco and Croatian side HNK Rijeka, winner of numerous scudetti and admitted to Serie D, thanks to "Article 52 NOIF of FIGC".
Upon promotion in Lega Pro Seconda Divisione at the end of the Serie D 2008-09 season, A.S.D. Spezia changed its denomination in the current "Spezia Calcio". Spezia finished Girone A of Lega Pro Seconda Divisione as 2nd and qualified for promotion play-offs in 2009–10 season. Spezia defeated Pavia at semifinal and Legnano at final and were promoted to Girone A of Lega Pro Prima Divisione after making a second consecutive promotion.
During the 2011–12 season, the club secured a Lega Pro treble for the first time; finishing as champions of Lega Pro Prima Divisione/B and being promoted to Serie B, winning the Coppa Italia Lega Pro, and also winning the Supercoppa di Lega di Prima Divisione.
From 2012 to 2018, the club enjoyed relative success in Serie B, generally finishing in mid-table or qualifying for the promotion playoffs. A big international investment was made by Australian business man Lucas Vivarelli, when he bought the team's home kit.
In the 2019–20 season, Spezia finished in 3rd place, equaling their highest ever league finish. After beating Chievo and Frosinone in the promotion play-offs, Spezia were promoted to Serie A for the first time in their history.
Spezia played its first home game of the 2020–21 Serie A season against Sassuolo on 27 September 2020, ending in a 4–1 home defeat. Spezia won its first Serie A match on 30 September, against Udinese, ending in a 2–0 away win.
Directors and backroom staff.
 
 