U.S. Città di Pontedera

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.

Not to be confused with Pontevedra CF.

Pontedera
Full nameUnione Sportiva Città di Pontedera
Nickname(s)Granata
Founded1912
GroundStadio Ettore Mannucci,
Pontedera, Italy
Capacity5,014
ChairmanGianfranco Donnini
ManagerPasquale Catalano
LeagueSerie C Group B
2021–22Serie C Group B, 14th of 20
WebsiteClub website

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 2006 Maurizio Mian's Gunther Corporation briefly held a controlling interest in Pontedera. Pornographic film actor Ilona Staller ("Cicciolina") was installed as the club "godmother", while another pornographic actress Valentine Demy served as one of three club Presidents, alongside a Polish lap dancer named Karolcia and a British rapper named Prodigal1.[1] The performance was related to Mian's left-libertarian views on reproductive rights and his upcoming appearance in the 2006 Italian general election.[2]

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 February 2023[3] Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  ITA Alessandro Siano
4 DF  ITA Riccardo Baroni (on loan from Modena)
6 DF  ALB Cristian Shiba
7 FW  ITA Cristian Mutton
8 MF  ITA Riccardo Ladinetti
9 FW  ITA Simone Ianesi (on loan from Udinese)
11 FW  ITA Antonio Cioffi (on loan from Napoli)
12 GK  ITA Daniele Cagnina
13 MF  ITA Giovanni Catanese
14 DF  ITA Leonardo Di Bella
15 DF  ITA Giovanni Bonfanti (on loan from Sampdoria)
16 MF  ITA Nicolas Izzillo (on loan from Pisa)
17 FW  ITA Marzio Casadidio
18 MF  ITA Matteo Guidi
19 DF  ARG Marcos Espeche
No. Pos. Nation Player
20 MF  ITA Giacomo Benedetti
21 MF  ITA Gabriele Perretta
22 GK  ITA Giuseppe Stancampiano
23 MF  ITA Marco De Ioannon
24 DF  ARM Arman Markosian
25 FW  ITA Francesco Nicastro
26 MF  ITA Cosimo Tripoli
27 DF  ITA Alessandro Marcandalli (on loan from Genoa)
28 DF  ITA Marco Somma (on loan from Sampdoria)
29 DF  ITA Riccardo Martinelli
30 GK  ITA Niccolò Vivoli
— DF  POR Tiago Gonçalves (on loan from Novara)
— MF  ITA Tomás Sosa (on loan from Vis Pesaro)
— FW  ITA Lorenzo Peli (on loan from Atalanta)

Out on loan

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
— GK  ITA Mattia Di Furia (at Arezzo U19 until 30 June 2023)
No. Pos. Nation Player
— DF  ITA Mattia Pretato (at Arezzo until 30 June 2023)

Notable former managers

References
  1. "Tutti pazzi per Mian e Gunther IV". Il Tirreno. 6 June 2010. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
  2. "Laicità, pillola abortiva e pallone Mian si compra anche il Pontedera" (in Italian). la Repubblica. 24 March 2006. Retrieved 29 December 2021.
  3. "Pontedera squad". Soccerway. Retrieved 26 September 2022.


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