U.S. Città di Palermo

Unione Sportiva Città di Palermo is an Italian football team which currently plays in Serie A, the top level of Italian football.

The official team colours are pink and black. The team is nicknamed rosanero (referring to the team colours) or aquile (referring to the official logo).

The US Città di Palermo stadium is the Stadio Renzo Barbera, formerly known as La Favorita. It has a capacity of 37,460 people.

History

Foundation and early years

Originally founded in 1898http://www.corrieredellosport.it/sportnetwork/calcio/seriea/pdf/palermo.pdf as the Anglo Panormitan Athletic and Football Club, in 1907 this football team from Palermo, Sicily changed its name to Palermo FBC, and the team colors were changed to pink and black. The team played in a regionally organized league until 1929, when the team was admitted to I Division League (Serie C). In 1932 it obtained the first promotion to Serie A, but in 1939 the team was cancelled by the Italian Football Federation because of economic problems.

The team, refounded, would return in Serie A in 1948. Until 1973, the team played only in Serie A and Serie B under the presidence of Renzo Barbera, still known today as the one of the greatest chairmen in the team's history. They also participated in two Italian Cup finals against Bologna and Juventus, but lost both.

The decline

After 1973, Palermo FBC only played in Serie B, except for the 1984/1985 season (Serie C). In the summer of 1987 the team was once again cancelled because of financial problems. In the fall of 1987, after a year without football in Palermo, a new club bearing the current name was created and began play in Serie C2.

The Serie B return occurred 1991, but lasted only a year. In 1993, the team again returned to Serie B for 4 more years, with the 1995/1996 season as the top one of Palermo in the 1990s, obtaining a brilliant seventh place, and even appearing to the quarter-finals of Italian Cup after having eliminated Parma and Vicenza among others, with a team mostly composed of Palermitan footballers and coached by Palermo-born Ignazio Arcoleo. However, the following season ended with a Serie C1 relegation.

In 1997, the team, relegated to the Serie C2 division after a dramatic defeat in a play-out against Battipagliese, was saved by the federation due to the cancellation of Ischia Isolaverde, another Serie C1 team.

Back to Serie A

The team, bought by AS Roma chairman Franco Sensi, was newly promoted to Serie B in 2001. Sold to Maurizio Zamparini in summer 2002 after a quiet Serie B season, the team arrived 5th in the 2002/2003 season after having lost Serie A promotion in the last match, against Lecce. Palermo, driven by Francesco Guidolin as coach, won the Serie B title in the 2003/2004 season on goal difference over Cagliari. The 2004/2005 season was the first in Serie A for the current Palermo club, and the first for any Palermo club since 1973.

On September 4, 2004, during the 2006 World Cup Qualfications' match Italy vs Norway, played in Palermo, striker Luca Toni, top team and Serie B goalscorer with 30 goals for the end of the 2003/2004 season, marked the winning goal (the match ended 2-1). It was the first goal scored by a Palermo player for the Italian national team.

Palermo ended the Serie A season with a surprising sixth place, allowing it to qualify for the 2005/2006 UEFA Cup for the first time in its history.

The European debut

After a long and successful time in Sicily, Francesco Guidolin resigned as coach, and Luigi Del Neri was appointed to replace him for the incoming 2005/2006 season. During the summer football market, a number of youngsters were signed, among them Andrea Caracciolo and Stephen Ayodele Makinwa, and Luca Toni was sold to ACF Fiorentina for €10mln. The team had a good start in the new season, showing a spectacular way of playing, with notably an exciting 3-2 win against Inter Milan remembered as the highest point of this part of season.

As of September 29, 2005, Palermo had successfully reached the group stages of the UEFA Cup, defeating Anorthosis Famagusta of Cyprus 6-1 (aggregate: 2-1, 4-0) over two legs. In the group stage, drawn on October 5, 2005, US Città di Palermo went an astonishing 2-0-2 against the likes of RCD Espanyol, Lokomotiv Moscow, Maccabi Petach Tikva FC and Brøndby IF. They won Group B with eight points (they had a higher goal differential than second-placed RCD Espanyol).

However, the successful performances at the European level were not repeated at the domestic one, and Palermo gradually lost touch with the top sides of the Serie A table. Despite intensive activity during the January football market, which brought David Di Michele, Federico Agliardi, Cristiano Lupatelli and Denis Godeas to the club, Palermo's poor results continued with a disappointing 1-3 loss at home against Siena, Del Neri was fired, and Giuseppe Papadopulo was appointed to replace him for the remaining half of season.

Papadopulo's debut at the helm of Palermo was the best that could possibly have been expected, as his team sensationally defeated AC Milan in a surprising 3-0 for the Italian Cup quarter-finals return match, overturning the 1-0 for the rossoneri of the first round and thus qualifying to the semi-final round for the third time in the club's history, with Palermo being opposed to AS Roma on this occasion.

In addition, US Palermo eliminated Czech team SK Slavia Praha in the round of 32 played on February 16 and 23, 2006. The eve of the return match was preceded by the publication of a fullscreen picture on the Slavia's official website, thought to publicize the first leg match, in which two players, dressed with sunglasses and caps, appeared mocking the figure of Mafioso, with the phrase "Kosa Nostra" in big block capital letters. The Palermo management board immediately denounced the poor taste of this disputed picture to the Slavia club, and even contacted them through the Italian embassy in the Czech Republic. The picture was then removed the next day after its publication. Palermo was then defeated by FC Schalke 04 in the round of 16 of the UEFA Cup: the first leg match, played March 9, 2006, ended in a Palermo's 1-0 victory, with Franco Brienza scoring the decisive goal, whereas the return match ended in a 3-0 win for Schalke 04, on March 16.

Just six days after the UEFA Cup loss, Palermo won the first leg of the Italian Cup semifinal over AS Roma by 2-1. The return match, played at the Stadio Olimpico of Rome on April 12, ended in a 1-0 win for AS Roma, which eliminated Palermo and Roma reached the Italian Cup final.

Palermo ended its season in eighth place, being thus qualified for the 2006/2007 Intertoto Cup. The coach at the start of next season will be, once again, Francesco Guidolin . Guidolin was re-hired to a three year deal after Zamparini let go of Coach Papadopulo, who was signed on for another year with the Rosanero.

Serie A Scandal & Palermo's Champions League Berth

Due to the 2005/06 "Calciopoli" scandal in Serie A, the FIGC had stated they would not enter Palermo into the Summer tournament. Palermo qualified for the UEFA Intertoto Cup (play-in tournament to the UEFA Cup) finishing in the 8th spot of the Serie A table. The decision initially meant extra time for Palermo to rest and make offseason aquisitions in the transfer market. However, after the Calciopoli verdicts which demoted Juventus FC, SS Lazio and ACF Fiorentina (AC Milan suspended from 06/07 Champions League Season), Palermo have qualified for their first tour in the UEFA Champion's League for the 2006-2007 tournament. Palermo will begin the Champions League campaign with fellow Serie A side Chievo in qualification. Inter Milan and AS Roma will begin the tournament in group play.

Current first team squad

As of July 15, 2006http://www.ilpalermocalcio.it/it/news/news.jsp?id=5466&date=07-2006

2006/2007 Summer Transfers

(co-ownership resolved in favour of Palermo) (co-ownership resolved in favour of Palermo) (co-ownership resolved in favour of Palermo) (co-ownership) (co-ownership)

Out

(co-ownership resolved in favour of Roma)

(co-ownership resolved in favour of Juventus) (co-ownership renewed)