Empoli FC
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Full name | Empoli Football Club S.p.A. | |||
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Nickname(s) | Gli Azzurri (The Blues) | |||
Founded | 1920 | |||
Ground | Stadio Carlo Castellani - Computer Gross Arena | |||
Capacity | 16,167[1] | |||
Owner | Fabrizio Corsi[citation needed] | |||
Chairman | Fabrizio Corsi[2] | |||
Head coach | Davide Nicola | |||
League | Serie A | |||
2022–23 | Serie A, 14th of 20 | |||
Website | Club website | |||
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Active teams of Empoli FC |
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Empoli Football Club, commonly referred to as Empoli, is an Italian football club based in Empoli, Metropolitan City of Florence. Founded in 1920, the side is part of a select group of Italian football clubs not based in a provincial capital city that have participated in Serie A.[3]
Empoli has spent most of its history in professional football.[4] Empoli competed in European competitions once, in which they were eliminated in the qualification stage of 2007–08 UEFA Cup.[5]
History
From the 1920s to the 1970s
In August 1920 in Empoli , Foot Ball Club Empoli and the football section Unione Sportiva Empoli were born. After the participation of a tournament in San Miniato, the two merged into a single local football club. The next season, the new club, after having obtained in September affiliation in the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) ratified by the Tuscan Regional Committee, was included in Group A of the Tuscan Promozione 1921–22, but did take part due to economic problems, choosing instead to join the league of Terza Categoria, where the team achieved second place in the group A.[3]
In the 1922–23 season, Empoli finished in second place in Group A of the Terza Categoria, gaining admission to the final round after winning the play-off in
From 1923 to 1926, Empoli continued to play in the Tuscan third division. Then, in the 1926–27 season, Empoli won the Group A division of Tuscany, and was admitted to the interregional finals; thanks to a fourth place in Group G, the Tuscans were promoted in the North Division of the Second Division 1927–28, the third Italian football tier of the era. In the following season the team was then inserted in Group C of the North Division, which concluded in fourth place, but for economic reasons refused the invitation to take part in the next championship of Prima Divisione, and therefore followed the downgrading of the Seconda Divisione from third to fourth tier. However, already the following season, in the 1928–29 Seconda Divisione, the club won promotion, winning the Tuscan championship, and returned to the North Division of Prima Divisione.[3]
Empoli was in the Prima Divisione, then Serie C, until the 1935–36 season, when the team withdrawn halfway through the season because of the call to arms for many of its players.[citation needed] Empoli resumed competitive activity from Prima Divisione the next season, under the name of OND Empoli, with the colours grey and blue; the team won the Tuscan Group A again gaining admission in Serie C.[citation needed] Until the shutdown from the causes of war, Empoli played in Serie C, obtaining a best result of sixth place in 1938–39.[citation needed] Meanwhile, the club was renamed OND Interaziendale Italo Gambaccioni Section Soccer from 1938 to 1941, until the name was changed again to Associazione Calcio Empol.[citation needed] On 15 September 1935, Empoli debuted in the Coppa Italia with a 1–0 home success against Pontedera.
After
The club returned to Serie C on 9 June 1963 after beating Tempio 2–0 in the play-off in
The 1980s and 1990s
In 1986, the small-town club was promoted to Serie A.[
This club then spent several seasons in Serie C1 before returning to Serie B in 1996 and achieving a second successive promotion in 1997.[citation needed] With Luciano Spalletti at the helm, Empoli defied the odds to finish in 12th place and avoid relegation.[citation needed] Relegation the following year began a three-year stay in Serie B, in which time the club became renowned[by whom?] for nurturing its own outstanding[tone] young talent.[tone]
Promotions to Serie A in 2002 and 2005 have seen the club emerge as battlers against relegation.[
The years 2000 and participation in the UEFA Cup
With the prospect of European football approaching, the management strengthened the squad, most notably[
Between Serie B and Serie A
Despite modest results, Baldini was sacked.[
Players
Current squad
- As of 1 February 2024[9]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Other players under contract
- As of 2 February 2024
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Primavera
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Out on loan
- As of 7 February 2024
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Coaching staff
As of 18 December 2023[10]
Position | Name |
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Head coach | Davide Nicola |
Assistant coach | Simone Barone |
Technical collaborator | Manuele Cacicia Stefano Bianconi |
Goalkeeper coach | Vincenzo Sicignano |
Fitness coach | Gabriele Stoppino Rocco Perrotta Andrea Vieri |
Rehab coach | Paolo Giordani |
Chief analyst | Federico Barni |
Match analyst | Giampiero Pavone |
Head of medical staff | Luca Gatteschi |
Club doctor | Jacopo Giuliattini Giuseppe Anania |
Physiotherapist | Mirco Baldini Francesco Marino Claudio Patti |
Nutritionist | Marta Pieraccioli |
Podiatrist | Daniele Palla |
Kit manager | Luca Batini Sauro Spera |
Notable former players
- Players with international caps, appearances in Olympic Games or 100 league appearances with Empoli
- Etrit Berisha
- Ardian Ismajli
- Stiven Shpendi
- Kristjan Asllani
- Elseid Hysaj
- Nedim Bajrami
- Frédéric Veseli
- Mark Bresciano
- Vince Grella
- Emílson Cribari
- Jorge Vargas
- Igor Budan
- Ignazio Abate
- Daniele Adani
- Marco Borriello
- Raoul Bortoletto
- Luca Bucci
- Antonio Buscè
- Andrea Coda
- Dario Dainelli (youth)
- Antonio Di Natale
- Éder
- Sebastian Giovinco
- Massimo Maccarone
- Claudio Marchisio
- Vincenzo Montella
- Andrea Raggi
- Tommaso Rocchi
- Luca Saudati
- Luciano Spalletti
- Francesco Tavano
- Luca Toni
- Ighli Vannucchi
- Piotr Zieliński
- Samuel Mráz
- Zlatko Dedić
- Johnny Ekström
- Marcelo Zalayeta
- See also: Category:Empoli FC players
Former managers
- Antonio Vojak (1937–39)
- Enrico Colombari (1939–40)
- Sergio Cervato (1968–70)
- Sergio Castelletti (1971–72)
- Renzo Ulivieri (1972–76)
- Bruno Giorgi (1976–77)
- Vincenzo Guerini (1983–85)
- Luigi Simoni (1988–89)
- Vincenzo Montefusco (1989–91)
- Francesco Guidolin (1991–92)
- Adriano Lombardi (1993–94)
- Luciano Spalletti (1995–98)
- Luigi Delneri (1998)
- Mauro Sandreani (1998–99)
- Corrado Orrico (1998–99)
- Elio Gustinetti (1999–2000)
- Silvio Baldini (2000–03)
- Mario Somma (2004–06)
- Luigi Cagni (2006–07)
- Alberto Malesani (2007–08)
- Luigi Cagni (2008)
- Silvio Baldini (2008–09)
- Salvatore Campilongo (2009–10)
- Alfredo Aglietti (2010–11)
- Giuseppe Pillon (2011)
- Guido Carboni (2011–12)
- Alfredo Aglietti (2012)
- Maurizio Sarri (2012–15)
- Marco Giampaolo (2015–16)
- Giovanni Martusciello (2016–17)
- Vincenzo Vivarini (2017)
- Aurelio Andreazzoli (2017–18)
- Giuseppe Iachini (2018–19)
- Aurelio Andreazzoli (2019)
- Cristian Bucchi (2019)
- Roberto Muzzi (2019–20)
- Alessio Dionisi (2020–21)
- Aurelio Andreazzoli (2021–22)
- Paolo Zanetti (2022–23)
- Aurelio Andreazzoli (2023–24)
- Davide Nicola (2024–present)
In Europe
UEFA Cup
Season | Round | Opponent | Home | Away | Aggregate |
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2007–08 | First round | Zürich | 2–1 | 0–3 | 2–4 |
Honours]
- Serie B
- Serie C1
- Coppa Italia Serie C
- Winners: 1995–96
Divisional movements
- Winners: 1995–96
Series | Years | Last | Promotions | Relegations |
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A | 14 | 2021–22 | - | 6 (1988, 1999, 2004, 2008, 2017, 2019) |
B | 22 | 2020–21 | 7 (1986, 1997, 2002, 2005, 2014, 2018, 2021) | 2 (1950, 1989) |
C | 47 | 1995–96 | 3 (1946, 1983, 1996) | 3 (1936, 1957, 1962) |
83 out of 90 years of professional football in Italy since 1929 | ||||
D | 7 | 1962–63 | 3 (1937, 1961, 1963) | Never |
References
- ^ "Empoli Stadium". legaseriea.it. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
- ^ "Empoli". legaseriea.it. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
- ^ a b c d "1920–1929". empolicalcio.net. Archived from the original on 8 November 2014. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
- ^ "Storia". empolicalcio.net. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
- ^ "2000–2009". empolicalcio.net. Archived from the original on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 8 November 2014.
- ^ "Empoli axe Cagni". Football Italia. 26 November 2007. Archived from the original on 28 November 2007. Retrieved 27 November 2007.
- ^ "Empoli promoted to Serie A! - Football Italia". www.football-italia.net.
- ^ "Empoli return to Serie A after two years away". besoccer.com. May 2021.
- ^ "Rosa". Empoli FC. Retrieved 1 September 2022.
- ^ "Staff" (in Italian). Empoli FC. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
- ^ "Empoli FC at UEFA.com". Uefa.com.