Football Club Crotone S.r.l., commonly referred to as Crotone, is an
Italian football
Football ( it, calcio ) is the most popular sport in Italy. The Italy national football team is considered to be one of the best national teams in the world. They have won the FIFA World Cup four times ( 1934, 1938, 1982, 2006), trailing on ...
club based in
Crotone
Crotone (, ; nap, label= Crotonese, Cutrone or ) is a city and ''comune'' in Calabria, Italy. Founded as the Achaean colony of Kroton ( grc, Κρότων or ; la, Crotona) in Magna Graecia, it was known as Cotrone from the Middle Ages unti ...
,
Calabria
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. They play in the third division of Italian football, the
Serie C
The Serie C () is the third-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie B and Serie A. The Lega Italiana Calcio Professionistico (Lega Pro) is the governing body that runs the Serie C.
The unification of the Lega P ...
. Founded in 20 settembre 1910, it holds its home games at
Stadio Ezio Scida
Stadio Ezio Scida is a football stadium
A stadium ( : stadiums or stadia) is a place or venue for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a tiered structu ...
, which has a 16,547-seat capacity.
History
The club is based in the ancient Greek settlement of
Kroton, one of the first Greek colonies in what is now known as modern day Italy. The club is proud of their Greek origins with their banners and slogans and regularly depicting Greek icons such as
soldiers of Sparta.
The first team from Crotone, ''Società sportiva Crotona'', was founded on 20 September 1910, but without adhering to
Italian Football Federation
The Italian Football Federation ( it, Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio; FIGC), known colloquially as ''Federcalcio'', is the governing body of football in Italy. It is based in Rome and the technical department is in Coverciano, Florence.
It ...
, and the following main teams of Crotone, like ''Milone Crotone'', did not participate before 1921-1923 in several minor leagues including ''Prima Divisione'' (which later would be known as
Serie C
The Serie C () is the third-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie B and Serie A. The Lega Italiana Calcio Professionistico (Lega Pro) is the governing body that runs the Serie C.
The unification of the Lega P ...
). Following
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, a new club, ''Unione Sportiva Crotone'' replaced the previous one, playing seven seasons in Serie C.
In 1963, the club was relegated to
Serie D
The Serie D () is the top level of semi-professional football in the country. The fourth tier of the Italian league system, the competition sits beneath the third professional league, Serie C. It is administered by the Lega Nazionale Dilettanti ...
, but returned to the third division the following year, remaining there for fourteen consecutive seasons, missing promotion in 1977 when finishing third behind
Bari
Bari ( , ; nap, label= Barese, Bare ; lat, Barium) is the capital city of the Metropolitan City of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, southern Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Ital ...
and
Paganese. In 1978, following the Italian football league reorganisation, Crotone was relegated to Serie C2 and the following year was declared
bankrupt
Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor ...
. A new club, ''Associazione Sportiva Crotone'', began competing again in the ''Prima Categoria'' (eighth division).
Crotone was promoted to
Serie C2
Lega Pro Seconda Divisione was the fourth highest football league in Italy, the lowest with a professional status. Usually it consisted of 36 teams, but in the 2011–12 season, there were 41 teams divided geographically into two divisions of 2 ...
in 1984–85, but only for one season. The team's name was changed to ''Kroton Calcio'', and the club was promoted again to C2 after the 1986–87 season, where it played until 1991. A second bankruptcy led to the foundation of Football Club Crotone Calcio with Raffaele Vrenna as chairman, starting in the ''Promozione'' (7th level). Crotone gained successive promotions to Serie C2 and C1, winning in the play-offs against Locri and
Benevento
Benevento (, , ; la, Beneventum) is a city and '' comune'' of Campania, Italy, capital of the province of Benevento, northeast of Naples. It is situated on a hill above sea level at the confluence of the Calore Irpino (or Beneventano) and the ...
, respectively.
Under
Antonello Cuccureddu
Antonello Cuccureddu (, ; 4 October 1949) is an Italian association football coach and former player who played as a defender. He last managed Lega Pro Prima Divisione club Grosseto in 2014.
Club career
A central defender, Cuccureddu spent hi ...
, Crotone first reached
Serie B
The Serie B (), currently named Serie BKT for sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It has been operating for over ninety years since the 1929–30 season. It had been ...
in 2000, returning to the second level two seasons later. Again in division two in 2004, after disposing of
Viterbese
The Viterbese or it, Asino Viterbese, italic=no is a breed of donkey from Lazio in central Italy. It is particularly associated with the town and province of Viterbo from which it takes its name, and with the Monti della Tolfa and the town o ...
in the promotion play-offs, it remained in the category until the
2006–07 season.
After being beaten by
Taranto
Taranto (, also ; ; nap, label=Tarantino, Tarde; Latin: Tarentum; Old Italian: ''Tarento''; Ancient Greek: Τάρᾱς) is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Taranto, serving as an important comme ...
in the 2008 play-offs, Crotone returned to the second division the following season, defeating
Benevento
Benevento (, , ; la, Beneventum) is a city and '' comune'' of Campania, Italy, capital of the province of Benevento, northeast of Naples. It is situated on a hill above sea level at the confluence of the Calore Irpino (or Beneventano) and the ...
.
The team was promoted to
Serie A
The Serie A (), also called Serie A TIM for national sponsorship with TIM, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and the winner is awarded the Scudetto and the Cop ...
, the Italian top flight, for the first time in its history in 2016. In the
2016–17 season, the club finished 17th, securing a place in the
next Serie A season. This was despite the Calabrian side only winning two points from the first ten matches, one of the poorest starts the Italian top-flight had seen in years. Crotone remained in the relegation positions for almost the entire season before an impressive revival saw the club achieve a seven-match unbeaten run from matchdays 30 to 36, including five wins in that time, and the season was concluded with a 3-1 victory over
Lazio
it, Laziale
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on the last matchday, a result that saw Crotone jump above
Empoli
Empoli () is a town and ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Florence, Tuscany, Italy, about southwest of Florence, to the south of the Arno in a plain formed by the river. The plain has been usable for agriculture since Roman times. The comm ...
to 17th place and thus secured another season in Serie A in what was hailed as a football miracle, led by 13-goal top scorer
Diego Falcinelli
Diego Falcinelli (born 26 June 1991) is an Italian professional footballer who plays as a striker for club Modena.
Club career Pontevecchio
Born in Marsciano, in the Province of Perugia, Falcinelli started his career at Ponte San Giovanni (a ...
and coach
Davide Nicola
Davide Nicola (born 5 March 1973) is an Italian professional football manager and former player. He was most recently head coach of Serie A club Salernitana.
Club career
Nicola was born in Luserna San Giovanni.
During his time in Genoa C.F ...
.
In the following season, Crotone failed to avoid relegation after losing against
Napoli
Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...
in the last match of the Serie A campaign, returning to
Serie B
The Serie B (), currently named Serie BKT for sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It has been operating for over ninety years since the 1929–30 season. It had been ...
after two seasons.
Following the
2019-20 season, the club was promoted to Serie A once more in second place, only behind
Benevento
Benevento (, , ; la, Beneventum) is a city and '' comune'' of Campania, Italy, capital of the province of Benevento, northeast of Naples. It is situated on a hill above sea level at the confluence of the Calore Irpino (or Beneventano) and the ...
in the table. However, the club's top-flight campaign was less than satisfactory. After spending the majority of the season in the last spot of the table, and losing incredible matches that were an early indicator of the hardship the club would endure, Crotone was mathematically relegated to Serie B after 34 games, following a loss to would-be champions Inter. This relegation came in contrast with several excellent performances from individual players, particularly striker
Simy, who scored 20 league goals during the season, a record for a relegated team. Nevertheless, the 92 goals Crotone conceded was one more than
Casale conceded in
1933-34, setting a new Serie A record for goals against in a single season.
To reduce wage bills following relegation to Serie B, the club loaned out attacking midfielder
Junior Messias
Walter Messias Júnior (born 13 May 1991) is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder and forward for club AC Milan.
Club career
Early career
Messias started his senior career in the lower-tier, non-professi ...
to
AC Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan (), commonly referred to as AC Milan or simply Milan, is a professional football club in Milan, Italy, founded in 1899. The club has spent its entire history, with the exception of the 1980–81 and 1982–83 seaso ...
with an option for the latter to buy, and striker
Simy to
Salernitana
Unione Sportiva Salernitana 1919, commonly referred to as Salernitana, is
an Italian football club based in Salerno, Campania. The original club was founded in 1919 and has been reconstituted three times in the course of its history, most recentl ...
(sold to the latter in January 2022). The team's attacking power weakened. Crotone finished 19th in the league and suffered a second successive relegation to
2022-23 Serie C
The hyphen-minus is the most commonly used type of hyphen, widely used in digital documents. It is the only character that looks like a minus sign or a dash in many character sets such as ASCII or on most keyboards, so it is also used as such. ...
.
Colors and badge
Team colours are dark blue and white due to their Greek origins and also red. The club's kits are traditionally dark blue and red stripes.
The team's mottos are "Salutate la Magna Grecia" (Salute Greater Greece) and "Noi siamo la Magna Grecia" (We are Greater Greece).
Players
Current squad
Other players under contract
Out on loan
Coaching staff
Managers
*
Giorgio Tricoli (1954–1955)
*
Bruno Giordano
Bruno Giordano (; born 13 August 1956) is an Italian football manager and former player, who was deployed as a forward and is mostly remembered for winning the title of Serie A capocannoniere (top goalscorer) achieved with Lazio as well as fo ...
(1996–1997)
*
Antonello Cuccureddu
Antonello Cuccureddu (, ; 4 October 1949) is an Italian association football coach and former player who played as a defender. He last managed Lega Pro Prima Divisione club Grosseto in 2014.
Club career
A central defender, Cuccureddu spent hi ...
(1999–2001)
*
Giuseppe Papadopulo (2000–2001)
*
Antonio Cabrini
Antonio Cabrini (; born 8 October 1957) is an Italian professional football manager and a former player. He played left-back, mainly with Juventus. He won the 1982 FIFA World Cup with the Italy national team. Cabrini was nicknamed ''Bell'Antoni ...
(2001)
*
Stefano Cuoghi (2001–2002)
*
Franco Selvaggi (2002)
*
Gian Piero Gasperini
Gian Piero Gasperini (born 26 January 1958) is an Italian football manager and former player, who is currently the manager of Italian side Atalanta.
Playing career
Gasperini entered the Juventus youth system at the age of 9; during his stay ...
(2003–2004)
*
Andrea Agostinelli
Andrea Agostinelli (born 20 April 1957) is an Italian football coach and former professional footballer. He played as midfielder.
Coaching career
In April 2013, he was hired by Varese
Varese ( , , or ; lmo, label= Varesino, Varés ; l ...
(2004–2005)
*
Gian Piero Gasperini
Gian Piero Gasperini (born 26 January 1958) is an Italian football manager and former player, who is currently the manager of Italian side Atalanta.
Playing career
Gasperini entered the Juventus youth system at the age of 9; during his stay ...
(2005–2006)
*
Elio Gustinetti
Elio Gustinetti (born 29 March 1955 in Bergamo) is an Italian football manager.
Coaching career
From Leffe to AlbinoLeffe
Leffe and Albinese
Gustinetti started his coaching career in 1988 with Serie D club Leffe, ending the season in third ...
(2006–2007)
*
Guido Carboni
Guido Carboni (born 27 January 1963) is an Italian football manager most recently in charge of Olbia and a former player, who played as a forward.
He is the brother of former Italian international footballer Amedeo Carboni, who also played for ...
(2007)
*
Francesco Moriero
Francesco "Checco" Moriero (; born 31 March 1969) is an Italian football former player and current manager, who played as a midfielder, usually as a winger on the right flank. He is the current head coach of the Maldives national football team.
...
(2008–2009)
*
Franco Lerda
Franco Lerda (born 19 August 1967) is an Italian football manager and a former player who played as a forward.
Club career
Lerda began his career with the Torino youth system, at the age of 16, joining the first team during the 1985–86 season ...
(2009–2010)
*
Leonardo Menichini
Leonardo Menichini (born 11 December 1953) is an Italian football manager and former player. He is currently in charge of Serie C club Monterosi.
Career
Playing
A defender, Menichini played for several top-flight teams, including AS Roma and Ca ...
(2010)
*
Eugenio Corini
Eugenio Corini (born 30 July 1970) is an Italian professional football coach and former player, currently in charge of Serie B club Palermo.
A talented, dynamic, and hard-working playmaker, known for his precise long passing, flair, and his ...
(2010–2011)
*
Leonardo Menichini
Leonardo Menichini (born 11 December 1953) is an Italian football manager and former player. He is currently in charge of Serie C club Monterosi.
Career
Playing
A defender, Menichini played for several top-flight teams, including AS Roma and Ca ...
(2010–2012)
*
Massimo Drago (2012–2015)
*
Ivan Jurić
Ivan Jurić (; born 25 August 1975) is a Croatian professional football manager and former player who is the manager of club Torino.
Jurić spent most of his playing career, as a midfielder, and his entire managing career in Italy.
Playing car ...
(2015–2016)
*
Davide Nicola
Davide Nicola (born 5 March 1973) is an Italian professional football manager and former player. He was most recently head coach of Serie A club Salernitana.
Club career
Nicola was born in Luserna San Giovanni.
During his time in Genoa C.F ...
(2016–2017)
*
Walter Zenga
Walter Zenga (; born 28 April 1960) is an Italian football manager and former player who last managed Serie A club Cagliari. He was a long-time goalkeeper for Inter Milan and the Italian national team.
During his playing career, Zenga was pa ...
(2017–2018)
*
Giovanni Stroppa
Giovanni Stroppa (; born 24 January 1968) is an Italian professional football coach and former player who was most recently head coach of Serie A club Monza.
Club career
AC Milan and loan to Monza
Stroppa started his playing career in A ...
(2018–2021)
*
Serse Cosmi
Serse Cosmi (born 5 May 1958) is an Italian football coach, most recently in charge of Rijeka.
Career
Early career
Cosmi was born in 1958 in Ponte San Giovanni, a Perugia ''frazione''. His father, a cycling fan, called him Serse after Fausto ...
(2021)
*
Francesco Modesto (2021)
*
Pasquale Marino
Pasquale Marino (born 13 July 1962) is an Italian football manager and former midfielder. He most recently served as the manager of Crotone.
Career
Playing career
In his playing career, started for his home team, Marsala, Marino never played in ...
(2021)
*
Francesco Modesto (2021-)
References
External links
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Crotone
Football clubs in Calabria
Association football clubs established in 1910
Serie A clubs
Serie B clubs
Serie C clubs
1910 establishments in Italy