Brescia Calcio
Encyclopedia
Brescia Calcio (ˈbreʃa 'kalʧo), known simply as Brescia, is the largest football club
in the Lombard
city of Brescia
, where it was founded in 1911.
In the 2009–10 season
, in the return leg of the Serie B
playoff final, they defeated Torino
2-1 at home (after a goalless first leg), returning to Serie A
after a 5-year absence. In the season 2010-11 from Serie A
relegated to Serie B
.
The club holds the record for total number of seasons (53) and consecutive seasons (18, from 1947–48 to 1964–65) in Serie B, which they have won 3 times. Also included in their honours is an Anglo-Italian Cup
, won in 1994 against Notts County
(1-0). Their best finish in Serie A came in the 2000–01 season in seventh place, when, led by the 1993 Ballon d'Or winner, Roberto Baggio
, the club qualified for the Intertoto Cup
. In the latter competition, Brescia reached the final but were defeated on the away goals rule by Paris Saint-Germain after two draws.
Previously, in the 1928–29 Divisione Nazionale, the team finished joint-second, along with Juventus
, eight points behind first-placed Bologna
.
The team's colours are blue and white. Its stadium is the 27,547 seater Stadio Mario Rigamonti
.
. The club then returned to Serie B in 1985. Brescia played outside the two national tournament
s of Lega Calcio (A
and B
) only four years: under this aspect, only eleven clubs in all Italy marked a better performance.
Brescia Calcio won the Anglo-Italian Cup
in 1994, the biggest notable achievement in their entire history to date. However, Brescia actually came to the footballing forefront only in 2000, when the previously unfancied club signed former FIFA World Player of the Year
Roberto Baggio
, who led Brescia to a seventh place in 2000–2001 Serie A, the best result during its time in Serie A, thus qualifying for the UEFA Intertoto Cup
. Successively, Brescia reached the Intertoto Cup finals, then lost to Paris Saint-Germain for the away goals rule. Baggio spent four years at Brescia before retiring in 2004 and during those historic four years, Brescia became widely known as "Baggio's Brescia". During Baggio's four-year spell with Brescia, Brescia recorded their best-ever run of staying in Serie A. However, in the very next season that followed Baggio's retirement (2004–2005), Brescia were relegated from Serie A on the last day, finishing a lowly 19th. Brescia struggled for returning to top flight after the relegation and finally returned to Serie A after beating Torino
with a 2–1 aggregate in 2009–10 season.
Former Spanish
captain and current Barcelona
manager Josep Guardiola
, the Romanian Gheorghe Hagi
, Italy's national team
striker Luca Toni
, and current AC Milan
star Andrea Pirlo
(born in Brescia) have also spent time in Brescia.
Some substanstial changes after World War II saw the shirt become plain white with blue shorts. This was short-lived and, in 1954, the plain blue shirt returned. The white 'V' also returned eventually in 1961 as a show of goodwill by the new chairman at the time.
The 'V' disappeared again in 1969; replaced by a diagonal white sash, and returned, but much smaller, in 1974 for two years. The 'V' was situated over the heart with the inclusion of the lioness, the symbol of the city of Brescia. The shirt remained plain blue until 1991, when the 'V' returned and has been used ever since.
The first badge appeared on Brescia kits in the 1980s; a blue crest with a golden outline featuring a lion. The city of Brescia is known as Leonessa d'Italia (the Lioness of Italy) after ten days of popular uprising
that took place in the city in the spring of 1849 against Austrian
rule.
The crest was changed for the centenary of Brescia Calcio in 2011, featuring higher visibility, leaves, and a substantial redesign of the old logo.
The thick profile of the gold shield and laurel branches surrounding the badge are in pure celebration of achieving 100 years of age. The lettering has changed in favour of a font in the style of the period when the team was founded.
The Lion that, due to a misunderstanding of history, many believe to be a lioness (the definition of Leonessa d'Italia was assigned to Brescia following the uprisings, but the lion as a symbol of Brescia dates back to the Republic of Venice
), has undergone a total redesign which aims to fix some errors in heraldic iconography (the absence of nails, muscle weakness and weak curvature of the tail) and to restore a more toned and ferocious looking lion, the symbol a football team should have.
In 1911, in the wake of enthusiasm following the foundation of the new club, it is thought a fenced ground was built shortly after on Via Milano.
In 1920 came the opening of the new ground on Via Cesare Lombroso, Brescia, which was used by the team until 1923 . From 1923 until 1959 the team had moved into a more modern and larger facility located at Porta Venezia (then Via Naviglio), built for the town's sports club Virtus and called Stadium.
It was in 1956 that the municipality had the idea to move the club to a stadium more suited to host the matches of the new Serie B.
They began the renovation and construction of the stands to the existing ground at Via Giovanni Novagani. This was completed in 1959 and Brescia began to play their home games in the new Mario Rigamonti stadium (named after the Torino
player, Mario Rigamonti
, who died in the Superga air disaster
).
Over the years, the stadium has undergone several refurbishments (construction of roofing, press room, etc.), the most significant of which was in 2007 with the installation of new security measures.
Roberto Baggio
, second striker, 2000–04.
13 – Vittorio Mero
, defender
, 1998–2002, who died following a serious car accident.
Football team
A football team is the collective name given to a group of players selected together in the various team sports known as football.Such teams could be selected to play in an against an opposing team, to represent a football club, group, state or nation, an All-star team or even selected as a...
in the Lombard
Lombardy
Lombardy is one of the 20 regions of Italy. The capital is Milan. One-sixth of Italy's population lives in Lombardy and about one fifth of Italy's GDP is produced in this region, making it the most populous and richest region in the country and one of the richest in the whole of Europe...
city of Brescia
Brescia
Brescia is a city and comune in the region of Lombardy in northern Italy. It is situated at the foot of the Alps, between the Mella and the Naviglio, with a population of around 197,000. It is the second largest city in Lombardy, after the capital, Milan...
, where it was founded in 1911.
In the 2009–10 season
2009–10 Serie B
The 2009–10 Serie B season is the seventy-eighth edition since its establishment in 1929. A total of 22 teams contest the league, 15 of which returned from the 2008-09 season, 4 of which have been promoted from Lega Pro Prima Divisione, and three relegated from Serie A.-Stadiums and...
, in the return leg of the 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...
playoff final, they defeated Torino
Torino F.C.
Torino Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Torino, is a professional Italian football club based in Turin, Piedmont, that was founded in 1906. The club has spent most of its history in the top tier in Italian football....
2-1 at home (after a goalless first leg), returning to Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
after a 5-year absence. In the season 2010-11 from Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
relegated 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...
.
The club holds the record for total number of seasons (53) and consecutive seasons (18, from 1947–48 to 1964–65) in Serie B, which they have won 3 times. Also included in their honours is an Anglo-Italian Cup
Anglo-Italian Cup
The Anglo-Italian Cup is a defunct European football competition that was played intermittently between 1970 and 1996 between clubs from England and Italy. Founded by Gigi Peronace in 1970, following the success of the Anglo-Italian League Cup, it was played as a professional tournament until 1973...
, won in 1994 against Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
(1-0). Their best finish in Serie A came in the 2000–01 season in seventh place, when, led by the 1993 Ballon d'Or winner, Roberto Baggio
Roberto Baggio
Roberto Baggio is a retired Italian footballer. Widely regarded as one of the finest footballers of his generation, Baggio won both the Ballon d'Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year in 1993. He is the only Italian player ever to score in three World Cups. He is also one of the top 5 all-time...
, the club qualified for the Intertoto Cup
UEFA Intertoto Cup
The UEFA Intertoto Cup, also abbreviated as UI Cup and originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition for European clubs that had not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. The competition was discontinued...
. In the latter competition, Brescia reached the final but were defeated on the away goals rule by Paris Saint-Germain after two draws.
Previously, in the 1928–29 Divisione Nazionale, the team finished joint-second, along with Juventus
Juventus F.C.
Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...
, eight points behind first-placed Bologna
Bologna F.C. 1909
Bologna Football Club 1909, known simply as Bologna, is an Italian Football League club based in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, formed in 1993. The club are nicknamed the rossoblù because of the red and blue striped shirts they wear. Red and Blue are the official colours of the town.During its history...
.
The team's colours are blue and white. Its stadium is the 27,547 seater Stadio Mario Rigamonti
Stadio Mario Rigamonti
Stadio Mario Rigamonti is a football ground in Brescia, Italy, home of Brescia Calcio. It was built in 1928 and holds 27,547 ....
.
History
The team was founded in 1911 as Brescia Football Club, joining the Terza Categoria division the same year. In 1913, Brescia was promoted to First Division for its first time ever, and from 1929 it played in Serie A for six of the seven following seasons. Successively, the club played among the two top divisions until 1982, when Brescia was relegated to Serie C1Serie C
The Lega Italiana Calcio Professionistico , commonly known as Lega Pro , is the governing body that runs the third and fourth highest football divisions in Italy, the Prima Divisione and Seconda Divisione respectively. It also includes the sole professional club of San Marino...
. The club then returned to Serie B in 1985. Brescia played outside the two national tournament
Tournament
A tournament is a competition involving a relatively large number of competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:...
s of Lega Calcio (A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
and 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...
) only four years: under this aspect, only eleven clubs in all Italy marked a better performance.
Brescia Calcio won the Anglo-Italian Cup
Anglo-Italian Cup
The Anglo-Italian Cup is a defunct European football competition that was played intermittently between 1970 and 1996 between clubs from England and Italy. Founded by Gigi Peronace in 1970, following the success of the Anglo-Italian League Cup, it was played as a professional tournament until 1973...
in 1994, the biggest notable achievement in their entire history to date. However, Brescia actually came to the footballing forefront only in 2000, when the previously unfancied club signed former FIFA World Player of the Year
FIFA World Player of the Year
The FIFA World Player of the Year was an association football award given annually to the male and female player who were thought to be the best in the world, based on votes by coaches and captains of international teams...
Roberto Baggio
Roberto Baggio
Roberto Baggio is a retired Italian footballer. Widely regarded as one of the finest footballers of his generation, Baggio won both the Ballon d'Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year in 1993. He is the only Italian player ever to score in three World Cups. He is also one of the top 5 all-time...
, who led Brescia to a seventh place in 2000–2001 Serie A, the best result during its time in Serie A, thus qualifying for the UEFA Intertoto Cup
UEFA Intertoto Cup
The UEFA Intertoto Cup, also abbreviated as UI Cup and originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition for European clubs that had not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. The competition was discontinued...
. Successively, Brescia reached the Intertoto Cup finals, then lost to Paris Saint-Germain for the away goals rule. Baggio spent four years at Brescia before retiring in 2004 and during those historic four years, Brescia became widely known as "Baggio's Brescia". During Baggio's four-year spell with Brescia, Brescia recorded their best-ever run of staying in Serie A. However, in the very next season that followed Baggio's retirement (2004–2005), Brescia were relegated from Serie A on the last day, finishing a lowly 19th. Brescia struggled for returning to top flight after the relegation and finally returned to Serie A after beating Torino
Torino F.C.
Torino Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Torino, is a professional Italian football club based in Turin, Piedmont, that was founded in 1906. The club has spent most of its history in the top tier in Italian football....
with a 2–1 aggregate in 2009–10 season.
Former Spanish
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
captain and current Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
manager Josep Guardiola
Josep Guardiola
Josep "Pep" Guardiola i Sala , is a Spanish football manager and former player. Guardiola played as a defensive midfielder and spent the majority of his playing career with FC Barcelona, whom he currently manages. He was part of Johan Cruyff's dream team that won Barcelona's first European Cup....
, the Romanian Gheorghe Hagi
Gheorghe Hagi
Gheorghe Hagi is a former Romanian footballer. He was famous for his passing, close control, long shots and was regarded as one of the best attacking midfielders in Europe during the 1980s and 1990s and is considered the greatest Romanian footballer of all time...
, Italy's national team
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
striker Luca Toni
Luca Toni
Luca Toni, Ufficiale OMRI is an Italian World Cup-winning footballer who currently plays for Serie A club Juventus. He has had successful spells at top clubs such as Palermo, Fiorentina, Bayern Munich, and Roma...
, and current AC Milan
A.C. Milan
Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...
star Andrea Pirlo
Andrea Pirlo
Andrea Pirlo, Ufficiale OMRI , is an Italian World Cup winning footballer who currently plays for Serie A club Juventus, and for the Italian national team. He is usually deployed as a deep-lying playmaker for both Juventus and Italy and is regarded as one of best players in this position...
(born in Brescia) have also spent time in Brescia.
Colours and badge
Colours and kit
The first Brescia kit in 1911 was blue (the national colour) with a thick white vertical stripe down the middle, a design which has returned for the centenary season in 2011. The first appearance of a white 'V' was in 1927; added so that the team could use Stadium, the newly-built home of another team, Virtus. This style remained until 1940 when the 'V' was removed and a plain blue shirt was used.Some substanstial changes after World War II saw the shirt become plain white with blue shorts. This was short-lived and, in 1954, the plain blue shirt returned. The white 'V' also returned eventually in 1961 as a show of goodwill by the new chairman at the time.
The 'V' disappeared again in 1969; replaced by a diagonal white sash, and returned, but much smaller, in 1974 for two years. The 'V' was situated over the heart with the inclusion of the lioness, the symbol of the city of Brescia. The shirt remained plain blue until 1991, when the 'V' returned and has been used ever since.
Badge
Ten Days of Brescia
The Ten Days of Brescia was a revolt which broke out in the northern Italian city of that name, which lasted from March 23 to April 1, 1849.In the early 19th century Brescia was part of the Austrian puppet state called Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia...
that took place in the city in the spring of 1849 against Austrian
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
rule.
The crest was changed for the centenary of Brescia Calcio in 2011, featuring higher visibility, leaves, and a substantial redesign of the old logo.
The thick profile of the gold shield and laurel branches surrounding the badge are in pure celebration of achieving 100 years of age. The lettering has changed in favour of a font in the style of the period when the team was founded.
The Lion that, due to a misunderstanding of history, many believe to be a lioness (the definition of Leonessa d'Italia was assigned to Brescia following the uprisings, but the lion as a symbol of Brescia dates back to the Republic of Venice
Republic of Venice
The Republic of Venice or Venetian Republic was a state originating from the city of Venice in Northeastern Italy. It existed for over a millennium, from the late 7th century until 1797. It was formally known as the Most Serene Republic of Venice and is often referred to as La Serenissima, in...
), has undergone a total redesign which aims to fix some errors in heraldic iconography (the absence of nails, muscle weakness and weak curvature of the tail) and to restore a more toned and ferocious looking lion, the symbol a football team should have.
Seasons
|
A.S. Livorno Calcio Associazione Sportiva Livorno Calcio is an Italian football club based in Livorno, Tuscany. The club was formed in 1915 and currently plays in Italian Serie B. The team's colors are dark red or maroon... Torino F.C. Torino Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Torino, is a professional Italian football club based in Turin, Piedmont, that was founded in 1906. The club has spent most of its history in the top tier in Italian football.... , promoted to Serie A |
Stadium
The first ground at which football was played in Brescia was Campo Fiera, where the English workers at the Tempini plant played on their breaks.In 1911, in the wake of enthusiasm following the foundation of the new club, it is thought a fenced ground was built shortly after on Via Milano.
In 1920 came the opening of the new ground on Via Cesare Lombroso, Brescia, which was used by the team until 1923 . From 1923 until 1959 the team had moved into a more modern and larger facility located at Porta Venezia (then Via Naviglio), built for the town's sports club Virtus and called Stadium.
It was in 1956 that the municipality had the idea to move the club to a stadium more suited to host the matches of the new Serie B.
They began the renovation and construction of the stands to the existing ground at Via Giovanni Novagani. This was completed in 1959 and Brescia began to play their home games in the new Mario Rigamonti stadium (named after the Torino
Torino F.C.
Torino Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Torino, is a professional Italian football club based in Turin, Piedmont, that was founded in 1906. The club has spent most of its history in the top tier in Italian football....
player, Mario Rigamonti
Mario Rigamonti
Mario Rigamonti was an Italian football player, who played for Torino FC and died in the Superga air disaster together with the whole Grande Torino team.-Biography:...
, who died in the Superga air disaster
Superga air disaster
The Superga air disaster took place on Wednesday, 4 May 1949, when a plane carrying almost the entire Torino A.C. football squad, popularly known as Il Grande Torino, crashed into the hill of Superga near Turin killing all 31 aboard including 18 players, club officials, journalists accompanying the...
).
Over the years, the stadium has undergone several refurbishments (construction of roofing, press room, etc.), the most significant of which was in 2007 with the installation of new security measures.
Current squad
Out on loan
Retired numbers
10 – Roberto BaggioRoberto Baggio
Roberto Baggio is a retired Italian footballer. Widely regarded as one of the finest footballers of his generation, Baggio won both the Ballon d'Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year in 1993. He is the only Italian player ever to score in three World Cups. He is also one of the top 5 all-time...
, second striker, 2000–04.
13 –
Vittorio MeroVittorio Mero
Vittorio Mero was an Italian football player.-Career:Born at Vercelli, he started his career with an amateur team, Belvedere, in 1990-1991, and made his debut at the professional level at the age of 17 for A.S. Casale Calcio. The following year Mero signed for Parma F.C., playing with the...
, defender
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
, 1998–2002, who died following a serious car accident.
Technical staff
| Head coach: | Giuseppe Scienza |
| Assistant coach: | Max Canzi |
| Coach: | Paolo Lazzarin |
| Coach: | Alessio Squassoni |
| Tactical consultant: | Luca Pergher |
| Goalkeeping coach: | Giacomo Violini |
| Primavera head coach: | Giampaolo Saurini |
| Primavera assistant coach: | Egidio Salvi |
| Primavera coach: | Tommaso Chiriatti |
| Primavera goalkeeping coach: | Mauro Bacchin |
| Head doctor: | Fabio De Nard |
| Team doctor: | Diego Giuliani |
| Physiotherapist: | Fausto Balduzzi |
| Physiotherapist: | Enzo Verzelletti |
| Physiotherapist: | Alex Maggi |
Achievements
- Coppa dell'Amicizia:
- Winners (1): 1967
- Anglo-Italian CupAnglo-Italian CupThe Anglo-Italian Cup is a defunct European football competition that was played intermittently between 1970 and 1996 between clubs from England and Italy. Founded by Gigi Peronace in 1970, following the success of the Anglo-Italian League Cup, it was played as a professional tournament until 1973...
:- Winners (1): 1993–94
- UEFA Intertoto CupUEFA Intertoto CupThe UEFA Intertoto Cup, also abbreviated as UI Cup and originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition for European clubs that had not qualified for one of the two major UEFA competitions, the Champions League and the UEFA Cup. The competition was discontinued...
:- Runners-up (1): 2001
- Serie BSerie BSerie 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...
:- Winners (3): 1964–65, 1991–92, 1996–97
- Runners-up (4): 1932–33, 1942–43, 1968–69, 1985–86
- Promoted (4): 1979–80, 1993–94, 1999–2000, 2009–102009–10 Serie BThe 2009–10 Serie B season is the seventy-eighth edition since its establishment in 1929. A total of 22 teams contest the league, 15 of which returned from the 2008-09 season, 4 of which have been promoted from Lega Pro Prima Divisione, and three relegated from Serie A.-Stadiums and...
- Serie C/C1:
- Winners (2): 1938–39, 1984–85