Associazione Sportiva Livorno Calcio is a football club based in Livorno, Tuscany. The club was formed in 1915 and currently plays in Italian Serie A, having returned there in 2004 after last playing in Italy's top division in 1949. The team's colors are dark red or maroon (amaranto in Italian, from which the team nickname derives). The best placement in Italian Serie A was second place in 1942/1943 season, during which the amaranto gave life to a head-to-head competition with Torino Calcio. The team features in their home fixtures at the 18,200 seater Stadio Armando Picchi.

Livorno's supporters are known for their left-wing politics and their fierce, often violent, rivalries with several "right wing" team supporters, especially those of S.S. Lazio, Internazionale, Hellas Verona and with some elements of A.S. Roma's support.

Livorno were promoted from Serie B after finishing 3rd in the league at the end of the 2003/04 campaign, one of six clubs to be promoted that season. It had been fifty-five years since Livorno's last season in the top flight, and as a result of this, most were predicting an instant return to Serie B for the club. There were spells of struggle during the season, but there were many more good performances shown, and Livorno finished a surprise and creditable 9th place in the league for the 2004/05 Serie A season.

The club certainly seems more sure to stay clear of relegation this season, especially after Livorno managed to keep their star striker Cristiano Lucarelli at the club, who was the top scorer of Serie A during their successful season, outscoring even the likes of Shevchenko and Adriano. In fact, after the first half of the season the team was placed sixth, fighting for qualification to the next UEFA Cup. However, shortly after Roberto Donadoni announced his resignations after having been criticized by the club's chairman Aldo Spinelli. Donadoni was then replaced by veteran coach Carlo Mazzone, who was only able to save a UEFA Cup place due to the explusion of four teams from Europe in the 2006 Serie A match fixing scandal. Mazzone has seen his team suffer a run of seven straight defeats. In the 2006/2007 season, Daniele Arrigoni will be the new coach.

Current first team squad

2006/2007 Summer Transfers

(co-ownership)

Out

Retired numbers

• 10 Igor Protti, striker, 1985-1988, 1999-2005

Notable former players

• Armando Picchi
• Igor Protti

References