A.S. Cittadella
Encyclopedia
Associazione Sportiva Cittadella is an Italian association football
club, based in Cittadella
, Veneto.
and Serie C1
ranks. Cittadella won its first promotion to Serie B
in 1999 after defeating Brescello in the playoff finals, and spent a total two seasons in the Italian second-highest ranked division, being then relegated in 2001. During their first stay in Serie B, the club played in Stadio Euganeo
in Padua
and, in an attempt to expand the fanbase, was renamed A.S. Cittadella Padova, being Padua (Padova in Italian
) the capital city of Cittadella's referring province.
Cittadella returned to Serie B in 2008, after defeating Cremonese
in the 2007–08 Serie C1/A playoffs
, under the guide of head coach Claudio Foscarini
. In the 2008–09 Serie B season
, the club was involved to projects focused to boost the capacity of the Stadio Tombolato to 7,500, in order to let the club play in their home town (with dispensation from the FIGC, since a stadium of at least 10,000 seats is required for Serie B). Thus, Cittadella played the first season games in Stadio Omobono Tenni
in Treviso
, about 40 km away. After some delays, the first Serie B
game played in Cittadella
was played on 29 October 2008, A.C. Ancona
being the opponents. The club escaped relegation in the final days of the season, thus ensuring another year of Serie B football to the local fans.
The following season, Cittadella thrashed Lecce 5–1 and Mantova 6–0 to finish 6th, and only losing to Brescia in the playoffs due to Brescia's superior league placing, despite a late 1–0 win in the second leg.
Football in Italy
Football is the most popular sport in Italy. The Italian national football team has won the FIFA World Cup 4 times , trailing only Brazil . Italy's club sides have won 27 major European trophies, making them the most successful European nation in the subject of football...
club, based in Cittadella
Cittadella
Cittadella is a medieval walled city in the province of Padua, northern Italy, founded in the thirteenth century as a military outpost of Padua. The surrounding wall has been restored and is 1461 m in circumference with a diameter of around 450 m. There are four gates which roughly...
, Veneto.
History
Cittadella was founded in 1973, after the merger of U.S. Cittadellense and A.S. Olympia. The club spent most of its first years in amateur football, and then professional football at Serie C2Serie C2
Lega Pro Seconda Divisione is the name of the fourth highest football league in Italy, the lowest with a professional status. Usually it consists of 54 teams, but in the season 2010–11 the teams are only 49 divided geographically into three divisions of 17, 16 and 16 teams each...
and Serie C1
Serie C1
Lega Pro Prima Divisione is the name of the third highest football league in Italy. It consists of 36 teams, divided geographically into two divisions of 18 teams each. Until 2008 it was known as Serie C1....
ranks. Cittadella won its first promotion to Serie B
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
in 1999 after defeating Brescello in the playoff finals, and spent a total two seasons in the Italian second-highest ranked division, being then relegated in 2001. During their first stay in Serie B, the club played in Stadio Euganeo
Stadio Euganeo
Stadio Euganeo is a football stadium in Padua, Italy. It replaced the old and historical Appiani stadium.Since 1994 it is the home of Calcio Padova, which now plays in Serie B...
in Padua
Padua
Padua is a city and comune in the Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Padua and the economic and communications hub of the area. Padua's population is 212,500 . The city is sometimes included, with Venice and Treviso, in the Padua-Treviso-Venice Metropolitan Area, having...
and, in an attempt to expand the fanbase, was renamed A.S. Cittadella Padova, being Padua (Padova in Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
) the capital city of Cittadella's referring province.
Cittadella returned to Serie B in 2008, after defeating Cremonese
U.S. Cremonese
Unione Sportiva Cremonese is an Italian football club, based in Cremona. The club was founded in 1903. Cremonese played the 2005/2006 season in Serie B, having won Serie C1/A the previous season. However, in the 2005/2006 Serie B campaign, Cremonese came out twenty-first, being therefore relegated...
in the 2007–08 Serie C1/A playoffs
Serie C1 2007-08
The 2007-08 Serie C1 season will be the thirtieth football league season of Italian Serie C1 since its establishment in 1978 . It will be divided into two phases: the regular season, played from September 2007 to May 2008, and the playoff phase from May to June 2008.The league will be composed of...
, under the guide of head coach Claudio Foscarini
Claudio Foscarini
Claudio Foscarini is an Italian football coach, currently serving as head coach of Serie B outfit Cittadella since 2005.-Career:...
. In the 2008–09 Serie B season
Serie B 2008-09
The 2008–09 Serie B season was the seventy-seventh since its establishment. A total of 22 teams will contest the league, 15 of which will be returning from the 2007–08 season, four of which will have been promoted from Serie C1 , and three relegated from Serie A.-Teams:Noted teams featured in the...
, the club was involved to projects focused to boost the capacity of the Stadio Tombolato to 7,500, in order to let the club play in their home town (with dispensation from the FIGC, since a stadium of at least 10,000 seats is required for Serie B). Thus, Cittadella played the first season games in Stadio Omobono Tenni
Stadio Omobono Tenni
Stadio Omobono Tenni is a football stadium in Treviso, Italy. It is currently the home of Treviso F.B.C. 1993. The stadium was built in 1933 and holds 10,001. After the inauguration in 1933, a friendly match between Treviso F.B.C. and Udinese was held, which was followed by a friendly against the...
in Treviso
Treviso
Treviso is a city and comune in Veneto, northern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Treviso and the municipality has 82,854 inhabitants : some 3,000 live within the Venetian walls or in the historical and monumental center, some 80,000 live in the urban center proper, while the city...
, about 40 km away. After some delays, the first Serie B
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
game played in Cittadella
Cittadella
Cittadella is a medieval walled city in the province of Padua, northern Italy, founded in the thirteenth century as a military outpost of Padua. The surrounding wall has been restored and is 1461 m in circumference with a diameter of around 450 m. There are four gates which roughly...
was played on 29 October 2008, A.C. Ancona
A.C. Ancona
Associazione Calcio Ancona was a professional Italian football club, based in Ancona, Marche. It was founded in 1905 as Unione Sportiva Anconitana, changing its name to Ancona Calcio 1905 in 1981 and being refounded in 2004 with its last denomination....
being the opponents. The club escaped relegation in the final days of the season, thus ensuring another year of Serie B football to the local fans.
The following season, Cittadella thrashed Lecce 5–1 and Mantova 6–0 to finish 6th, and only losing to Brescia in the playoffs due to Brescia's superior league placing, despite a late 1–0 win in the second leg.