A.C. Siena

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Siena
logo
Full name Associazione Calcio Siena SpA
Nickname(s) Bianconeri (white-and-black striped),
Robur
Founded 1904
Ground Stadio Artemio Franchi,
Siena, Italy
(Capacity 15,725)
Chairman Flag of Italy Pier Luigi Fabrizi
Head Coach Flag of Italy Mario Beretta
League Serie A
2007-08 Serie A, 13th
Team colours Team colours Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
 
Home colours
Team colours Team colours Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
 
Away colours

Associazione Calcio Siena is a football club based in Siena, Italy. The club was formed in 1904 and currently plays in Italian Serie A, having returned there in 2003 after last playing in Italy's top division in 1946. The team's colors are white and black. Its stadium is named Stadio Artemio Franchi, although its capacity is only 15,725 and is located in Siena, whereas its more famous namesake is located in Florence.

Contents

[edit] History

Formed in 1904 as Società Studio e Divertimento (Society for Study and Entertainment), a sports club characterized by a black and white check jersey (derived from the city of Siena coat of arms), it opened its football section, named Società Sportiva Robur, in 1908. Today the name "Robur" is widely used by the local supporters to distinguish the football team from the two basket ones, "Mens Sana" and "Virtus".

The team finally became known as Associazione Calcio Siena in 1933/1934. In 1934/1935 Siena were promoted for the first time to Serie B.

After 55 years played in several minor leagues, in 1999/2000 Siena was again promoted to Serie B. After a good season on 2000/2001, the next season saw Siena in serious troubles, and coach Giuseppe Papadopulo, first sacked but then recalled at the helm of the team, was able to save the team in the last day.

The following season, again with Papadopulo as head coach, saw the first Serie A promotion ever of Siena, led by players such as Rodrigo Taddei and Pinga.

The 2003/2004 campaign, remembered as the first Serie A season in the club's history, ended in a good 13th place.

In the 2004/05 Serie A campaign, with Luigi De Canio as head coach, Siena struggled for large periods of the season, languishing in the relegation zone for a great deal of the campaign, and with the team drawing far too many games and barely taking any wins, the club looked a sure bet to be relegated.

A resurge of form towards of the end of the season gave them hope however, and a 2-1 win against already relegated Atalanta on the last day saw them secure safety and an acceptable 14th place in the table.

The 2005/2006 season also saw Siena fighting hard and successfully for keeping its place in Serie A. This season, ended in a 17th place, was also the last at AC Siena's helm for coach De Canio. For the 2006-2007 season, Mario Beretta, who led Parma in the previous season, was appointed as new head coach. He led Siena to save from relegation after a 2-1 home win to Lazio in the final matchday.

During the 2006-07 season, club chairman Paolo De Luca, who took over in 2001 and helped the club to their first historical Serie A promotion, started talks to sell AC Siena to a conglomerate of Tuscan businessmen led by Giovanni Lombardi Stronati, president of Valle del Giovenco.[1] The bid was finalized on March 30, 2007, one day before De Luca died after a long illness.[2]

The head coach for the 2007-08 campaign was to be Andrea Mandorlini, but he left the club by mutual consent on November 12. Former coach Mario Beretta once again took charge. [1]

The club is also exploring the possibility to change the club denomination in order to include the name of their main sponsor, Monte dei Paschi di Siena.[3] On July 9, 2007 the club announced to have changed their denomination to A.C. Siena Montepaschi; the name change should however be accepted by the Italian Football Federation in order to become official.[4]

[edit] Current first team squad

As of 2008-06-09[5]

No. Position Player
1 Flag of Austria GK Alex Manninger
5 Flag of Romania MF Paul Codrea
6 Flag of Morocco MF Houssine Kharja (on loan from Piacenza)
7 Flag of Liechtenstein FW Mario Frick
8 Flag of Italy MF Simone Vergassola (captain)
9 Flag of Italy FW Christian Riganò (on loan from Levante)
10 Flag of Italy FW Enrico Chiesa
13 Flag of Italy DF Luca Rossettini
14 Flag of Italy MF Daniele Galloppa
15 Flag of Italy DF Simone Loria
20 Flag of Italy FW Tomas Locatelli
21 Flag of Italy DF Andrea Rossi
22 Flag of Brazil MF Alberto
23 Flag of the Czech Republic MF Lukáš Jarolím
No. Position Player
26 Flag of Italy DF Alessandro Rigoli
28 Flag of Italy MF Mirko Guadalupi (on loan from Perugia)
30 Flag of Italy FW Fernando Forestieri
31 Flag of Greece GK Dimitrios Eleftheropoulos
32 Flag of Italy FW Massimo Maccarone
33 Flag of Italy DF Daniele Ficagna
46 Flag of Italy DF Giuseppe Campisi (from youth team)
50 Flag of Finland GK Anssi Jaakkola
55 Flag of Italy MF Manuel Coppola
70 Flag of Brazil MF Caetano
73 Flag of Italy DF Valerio Bertotto
86 Flag of Italy MF Rosario Pepe (from youth team)
90 Flag of Italy DF Daniele Portanova
99 Flag of Australia FW Richard Porta

[edit] Out on loan

Flag of Brazil MF Douglas Packer (to Pescara)
Flag of Italy FW Thomas Albanese (to Ancona)[6]
Flag of Brazil DF Rodrigo De Lazzari (to Martina)[7]
Flag of Brazil DF Vanderson Scardovelli (to Martina)[7]
Flag of Italy MF Gennaro Esposito (to Cesena)[8]
Flag of Italy DF Stefano Pezzana (to Olbia)[8]
Flag of Brazil GK Artur Moraes (to Cesena)[9]
Flag of Argentina MF Ricardo Matías Verón (to PAOK F.C.)[10]
Flag of Italy FW Daniele Corvia (to Lecce)[11]

[edit] Retired numbers

[edit] Notable former players

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Siena sell to new investors", Football Italia, 2007-03-03. Retrieved on 2007-07-11. 
  2. ^ "Siena mourn President De Luca", Football Italia, 2007-03-31. Retrieved on 2007-07-11. 
  3. ^ "Siena set for name change?", Football Italia, 2007-05-10. Retrieved on 2007-07-11. 
  4. ^ L'Assemblea Straordinaria (Italian). Football Italia (2007-07-09). Retrieved on 2007-07-11.
  5. ^ La squadra (Italian). AC Siena. Retrieved on 2008-02-01.
  6. ^ AC Siena (2007-07-19). Albenese all'Ancona (Italian). Retrieved on 2007-07-24.
  7. ^ a b AC Siena (2008-01-31). MERCATO: Scardovelli e De Lazzari al Martina (Italian). Retrieved on 2008-02-01.
  8. ^ a b AC Siena (2008-01-31). MERCATO:Esposito al Cesena, Pezzana all'Olbia (Italian). Retrieved on 2008-02-01.
  9. ^ AC Siena (2008-01-30). MERCATO: Arthur Gusmao in prestito al Cesena (Italian). Retrieved on 2008-02-01.
  10. ^ AC Siena (2008-01-25). Veron al Paok Salonicco (Italian). Retrieved on 2008-02-01.
  11. ^ AC Siena (2008-01-21). Corvia all'US Lecce (Italian). Retrieved on 2008-02-01.

[edit] External links