Cosenza Calcio

Cosenza Calcio

The club was founded in 1914 as "Società Sportiva Fortitudo"^[2] (the year 1914 is a reference to the first historic match played by the club on 23 February 1914) and enjoyed a long time in the professional leagues, spending several years in the Serie B. They also won the Anglo-Italian Cup in 1983. In 2003, Cosenza 1914 was expelled from professional league.^[3]

In 2003 an illegitimate phoenix club was found as A.S. Cosenza F.C.. In 2004, old Cosenza won the appeal and was admitted to 2004–05 Serie D. Thus that season there was a derby. In 2005 new Cosenza switched its denomination into A.S. Cosenza Calcio,^[4] after the fall of old Cosenza.

Cosenza Calcio 1914 Srl

In 2007, A.S. Cosenza Calcio gave up its Serie D membership, but all the team players later joined new club Fortitudo Cosenza, born as relocation of Rende Calcio, a team from the neighbouring city of Rende which was relegated to Serie D in 2006–07 season and moved to Cosenza soon after. The new club quickly managed to win the Serie D/Girone I championship in 2007–08, ensuring a place back into the Lega Pro Seconda Divisione (the renamed Serie C2) for the 2008–09 season.

Three seasons in professionalism

Following this, the new club renamed itself, taking the old historical denomination of Cosenza Calcio 1914 S.r.l. with the aim to rise up the Italian football pyramid. In 2008–09, their first season in the Lega Pro, Cosenza showed all of their intentions by winning the Lega Pro Seconda Divisione/Girone C championship. The team played the 2009–10 season in the Lega Pro Prima Divisione/Girone B, finishing 11th in the table.

At the end of the 2010–11 Lega Pro Prima Divisione season the team was relegated after losing the playoff. The team was then excluded from professional Championship by Co.Vi.So.C. of Italian Football Federation^[5] and it didn't appeal.

During the professional seasons, former chairman Damiano Paletta was suspended in June 2009 for 6 months for irregularities in administration.^[6] The ban was reduced after an appeal.^[7]

For the bankruptcy of Cosenza Calcio 1914 S.r.l., former managers Eugenio Funari, Paolo Pagliuso (former chairman) and his son Luca Pagliuso, Giuseppe Citrigno and Francesco Iannucci were banned from football for 2 years to 5 years. due to irregularities in management.^[8]

In 2013 the membership of Cosenza Calcio 1914 S.r.l. was finally revoked.^[9]

Nuova Cosenza Calcio

In mid-2011 the club was refounded as Nuova Cosenza Calcio and restarted from Serie D^[10][11] After a mediocre start, they sacked coach Enzo Patania and hired Tommaso Napoli.^[12] They won nine and drew seven without a loss to finish the regular season in second place to HinterReggio in Group I and entered in the promotion playoffs.^[13] They won six in a row to become champions of the playoffs.^[14] The club won the promotion playoffs by beating SandonàJesoloCalcio 3–2 in the final, but not being automatically promoted shall remain still in Serie D.

On 5 August 2013, the team announced that it was promoted to the professional league, Lega Pro Seconda Divisione.^[15] Circa 2013 the club refer itself simply as Cosenza Calcio,^[16] a name change in Italian Chamber of Commerce was done some time later.

Cosenza was promoted again to the unified 2014–15 Lega Pro after ending the 2013–14 Lega Pro Seconda Divisione season in fourth place. The team mathematically secured the promotion in March 2014.^[17]

In 2018, Cosenza promoted to Serie B.

The team's official colours are red and dark blue, probably in honor to Genoa C.F.C.^{[18] [unreliable source?]}

First-team squad

As of 1 February 2024

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

No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
19	FW	ITA	Valerio Crespi (on loan from Lazio)
23	DF	ITA	Michael Venturi
24	MF	ITA	Mattia Viviani (on loan from Benevento)
26	MF	POL	Mateusz Praszelik (on loan from Verona)
27	DF	ITA	Pietro Martino
30	FW	ITA	Simone Mazzocchi (on loan from Atalanta)
31	FW	ITA	Luigi Canotto (on loan from Frosinone)
34	MF	ITA	Aldo Florenzi
36	FW	AUS	Jahce Novello
42	MF	KOS	Idriz Voca
77	GK	ITA	Leonardo Marson
98	MF	ITA	Federico Zuccon (on loan from Atalanta)
99	DF	ITA	Gianluca Frabotta (on loan from Juventus)

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
—	MF	ITA	Vincenzo Spingola (at Brindisi until 30 June 2024)
—	FW	ITA	Alessandro Arioli (at Monopoli until 30 June 2024)
—	FW	ITA	Massimo Zilli (at SPAL until 30 June 2024)

• Coppa Italia Lega Pro: 2014–15
• Serie D: 1958–59

• Official website