U.S. Città di Pontedera

Not to be confused with Pontevedra CF.
Pontedera
Full name Unione Sportiva Città di Pontedera
Nickname(s) Granata
Founded 1912
Ground Stadio Ettore Mannucci,
Pontedera, Italy
Ground Capacity 4,405
Chairman Gianfranco Donnini
Manager Paolo Indiani
League Lega Pro/B
2014–15 Lega Pro/B, 9th

Unione Sportiva Città di Pontedera (formerly Unione Sportiva Pontedera 1912) is an Italian association football club located in Pontedera, Tuscany. Currently it plays in Lega Pro.

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 summer 2006, The Gunther Corporation purchased Pontedera. It was reported in The Guardian newspaper on 17 May 2007 that the owner of Pontedera is a dog named Gunther IV, who inherited it from Gunther III who in turn inherited it from his owner Countess Libenstein.

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 16 January 2015.[1] Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
Italy GK Daniele Cardelli
Italy GK Francesco Proietti Gaffi
Italy GK Leonardo Citti
Italy DF Alessandro Videtta
Italy DF Lorenzo Polvani
Italy DF Federico Vettori
Italy DF Federico Sorbo
Italy DF Nicolò Curti
Italy DF Marco Supino
Senegal DF Ansoumana Sané
Italy DF Andrea Gemignani
Italy DF Giacomo Risaliti
Italy MF Daniel Gemignani
No. Position Player
Italy MF Alessio Cannoni
Italy MF Matteo Severino
Italy MF Simone Della Latta
Italy MF Gregorio Luperini
Italy MF Samuele Pizza
Albania MF Elvis Kabashi
Italy MF Riccardo Secondo
Italy MF Francesco Di Santo
Italy FW Matteo Tazzari
Italy FW Stefano Scappini
Italy FW Daniele Bazzoffia
Italy FW Bryan Gioè
Italy FW Marco Pintus

Notable former managers

References

External links


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