Pontedera
Full nameUnione Sportiva Città di Pontedera
Nickname(s)Granata
Founded1912
GroundStadio Ettore Mannucci,
Pontedera, Italy
Capacity5,014
ChairmanGianfranco Donnini
ManagerMax Canzi
LeagueSerie C Group B
2022–23Serie C Group B, 6th of 20
WebsiteClub website

Unione Sportiva Città di Pontedera (formerly Unione Sportiva Pontedera 1912) is an Italian association football club located in Pontedera, Tuscany. Currently it plays in Serie C, the third tier of Italian football.

History

Founded in 1912, Pontedera, a team from a city in the Pisa neighbourhood, played Serie C for several years without never gaining a single promotion to Serie B. In 1993/1994, a second place in Serie C2/B allowed Pontedera to be promoted to Serie C1: during that season, the team was known for having longily been the only undefeated team in all Italian professional leagues, and for having incredibly won 2–1 to the Italy national football team coached by Arrigo Sacchi in a friendly match played in April 1994. Pontedera played Serie C1 just in 1994/1995, and relegated to Serie D in 2001, and even Eccellenza in 2002. Pontedera returned to Serie D in 2005, after having won its Eccellenza round.

In 2006 Maurizio Mian's Gunther Corporation briefly held a controlling interest in Pontedera. Pornographic film actor Ilona Staller ("Cicciolina") was installed as the club "godmother", while another pornographic actress Valentine Demy served as one of three club Presidents, alongside a Polish lap dancer named Karolcia and a British rapper named Prodigal1.[1] The performance was related to Mian's left-libertarian views on reproductive rights and his upcoming appearance in the 2006 Italian general election.[2]

Marcello Lippi, head coach of Italy national team and World Cup champion in the 2006 FIFA World Cup, started his professional managing career as Pontedera head coach in 1985–1986.

Serie D 2010–11

At the end of the 2010-11 Serie D season, Pontedera gained access to the Serie D play-off for promotion in Lega Pro Seconda Divisione, but they were eliminated in the third round.

Back into professionalism

In the 2012-13 Lega Pro Seconda Divisione season, Pontedera finished second in Girone B, and was promoted to Lega Pro Prima Divisione. This was the second consecutive promotion for the team. The 2013–14 season saw Pontedera topping the Lega Pro Prima Divisione table for the earlier weeks of the season, and then completing the regular season in eighth place and thus ensuring a Serie B promotion playoff spot, then losing to Lecce on penalties in the first round.

Colors and badge

Its colours are all-dark red.

Current squad

As of 9 January 2024[3] Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK United States USA Luca Lewis (on loan from Cesena)
2 DF Italy ITA Lorenzo Gagliardi (on loan from Genoa)
4 DF Italy ITA Gabriele Calvani (on loan from Genoa)
5 DF Italy ITA Riccardo Martinelli
6 DF Italy ITA Mattia Pretato
7 FW Italy ITA Michele Ambrosini
8 MF Italy ITA Federico Marrone
9 FW Italy ITA Daniel Fossati (on loan from Genoa)
10 MF Italy ITA Giacomo Benedetti
11 FW Italy ITA Simone Ianesi
12 GK Italy ITA Giuseppe Ciocci (on loan from Cagliari)
13 MF Italy ITA Giovanni Catanese
No. Pos. Nation Player
16 MF Italy ITA Lorenzo Ignacchiti (on loan from Empoli)
18 MF Italy ITA Matteo Guidi
19 DF Argentina ARG Marcos Espeche
20 MF Argentina ARG Isaías Delpupo (on loan from Cagliari)
21 MF Italy ITA Gabriele Perretta
22 GK Italy ITA Giuseppe Stancampiano
23 DF Italy ITA Cristian Cerretti
25 FW Italy ITA Francesco Nicastro
26 FW Italy ITA Gabriele Selleri
27 MF Italy ITA Alessandro Provenzano
30 GK Italy ITA Niccolò Vivoli

Out on loan

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
— DF Italy ITA Leonardo Di Bella (at Cenaia until 30 June 2024)
— MF Italy ITA Jacopo Ciofi (at Montevarchi until 30 June 2024)
No. Pos. Nation Player
— FW Italy ITA Luca Paudice (at Renate until 30 June 2024)

Notable former managers

References

  1. ↑ "Tutti pazzi per Mian e Gunther IV". Il Tirreno. 6 June 2010. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  2. ↑ "Laicità, pillola abortiva e pallone Mian si compra anche il Pontedera" (in Italian). la Repubblica. 24 March 2006. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
  3. ↑ "Pontedera squad". Soccerway. Retrieved 26 September 2022.


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