U.S. Città di Pontedera

Pontedera
Full name Unione Sportiva Città di Pontedera
Nickname(s) Granata
Founded 1912
Ground Stadio Ettore Mannucci,
Pontedera, Italy
Capacity 5,014
Chairman Gianfranco Donnini
Manager Paolo Indiani
League Serie C/A
2016–17 Lega Pro/A, 14th

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 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 1 September 2018[1][2] Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
1 Italy GK Edoardo Sarri
2 Italy DF Francesco Benassai
3 Italy DF Paolo Ropolo
4 Italy DF Jacopo Giuliani (on loan from Spezia)
5 Italy DF Federico Vettori (Captain)
6 Italy DF Lorenzo Borri
7 Italy MF Daniele Mannini
8 Italy MF Andrea Caponi
9 Italy FW Lorenzo Pinzauti
10 Italy MF Nicolas La Vigna (on loan from Atalanta)
11 Italy MF Michele Bruzzo (on loan from Genoa)
12 Italy GK Matteo Biggeri
13 Italy DF Leonardo Fontanesi (on loan from Sassuolo)
14 Italy MF Giuseppe Pandolfi
No. Position Player
15 Italy DF Alessio Benedetti
16 Italy DF Alessandro Raimo (on loan from Livorno)
17 Italy MF Filippo Serena (on loan from Venezia)
18 Italy FW Christian Tommasini
19 Italy DF Riccardo Calcagni
20 Italy FW Riccardo Benedetti
21 Italy DF Andrea Masetti (on loan from Sassuolo)
22 Romania GK Eduard Marinca
23 Italy DF Andrea Magrini (on loan from Chievo)
24 Italy DF Federico Marseglia
25 Italy DF Christian Tassi
26 Italy FW Lorenzo Riccio
27 Italy DF Alberto Nicolas Prete

Out on loan

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

No. Position Player
Italy DF Giorgio Cavalli (at Sangimignano)
Italy DF Lorenzo Filippini (at Castelfiorentino)
Italy DF Matteo Orlandini (at Sangimignano)
Italy MF Gianmarco Manetti (at Tuttocuoio)
No. Position Player
Italy FW Davide Borgioli (at Ghivizzano Borgo a Mozzano)
Italy FW Hamza Malih (at Valdinievole Montecatini)
Italy FW Giovanni Benericetti (at Ponsacco)

Notable former managers

References

  1. ↑ http://www.uspontedera.it/atleti/%5Bpermanent+dead+link%5D
  2. ↑ "PONTEDERA, I NUMERI DELLE MAGLIE" (in Italian). U.S. Città di Pontedera. 22 July 2016. Retrieved 17 September 2016.


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