I Lupi: Piacenza Calcio

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Information:

Name: Piacenza Calcio 1919
Location: Piacenza, Italy
Club Status: Professional
Nickname: II Piace
Founded: 1919 (reformed 2012, rights to the Piacenza brand regained)
League: Serie C (Lega Pro Girone A)

Chairman: Roberto Pighi
Directors: Federico Peano, Paolo Seccaspina, Davide Battistotti, Marco Polenghi
Manager: Cristiano Scazzola
Assistant Manager: Moreno Greco

Facilities

Stadium: Leonardo Garilli
Location: Piacenza, Italy
Capacity: 21,668 (10,000 used)
Built: 1969
Under Soil Heating: No
Roof: No
Surface: Grass

Corporate Facilities: Fairly Basic
Training Facilities: Good

Training Ground: Bertocchi
Location: Piacenza, Italy
Youth Stadium: Gianni Rubini, Podenzano
Junior Coaching: Average
Youth Recruitment: Adequate

Club Rivals

Derbies: Ducato Derby (vs Parma), Po Derby (vs Cremonese)
Fierce: Cremonese, Milan, AC Reggiana
Others: Vicenza, Parma, Pavia, Brescia, Napoli, Torino, Mantova

History

Trophies Won: 9
Includes: Serie BKT (1995), Anglo-Italian Cup (1986)

Last Five Seasons:
2016/17: 6th (Serie C - Lega Pro Girone A)
2017/18: 8th (Serie C - Lega Pro Girone A)
2018/19: 2nd (Serie C - Lega Pro Girone A)
2019/20: 7th (Serie C - Lega Pro Girone B )
2020/21: 12th (Serie C - Lega Pro Girone A)

Legends & Icons

Legends: Francesco Turrini, Gianpiero Piovani, Giorgio Papais, Stefano Maccoppi, Daniele Moretti, Luigi Cagni, Leonardo Garilli, Armando Madonna, Rino Gandini

Icons: Massimo Taibi, Giovanni Stroppa, Eusebio Di Francesco, Luigi Riccio, Luca Matteassi, Hugo Campagnaro, Antonio Nocerino, Simone Inzaghi, Antonio De Vitis

Others

Favoured Personnel: None

Club Records

Highest Attendance: 22,000 (vs Juventus, 24th April 1994)
Lowest Attendance: Unknown

Biggest Win: 8-0 (vs Carrarese, 30th May 1954)
Biggest Loss: 1-10 (vs Crema, 24th April 1927)

Most League Appearances: 341 (Gianpiero Piovani)
Most League Goals: 26 (Dario Sertoni, 1952/53)

Highest League Finish: 12th (Serie A (2001/02)
Lowest League Finish: 1st (Eccellenza Emilia-Rom A (2012/13)

Record Transfer: Arturo Di Napoli (€4,872,000 from Empoli, 20th July 1999)
Record Fee Received: Flavio Roma (€11,561,000 to AS Monaco, 20th July 2002)

Wahey, a ScottT story!

I remember in the early editions of the game that I bought [FM08 & FM09], Piacenza used to have a few gems that you could get cheap, and they'd go on to be worth an absolute fortune. It's going to be a long journey for you to get them back in the Serie A, but I think that you can do it.

Best of luck mate!

He's back! Can't wait for this.

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Piacenza Calcio were founded in 1919 with Giovanni Dosi appointed as President. Dosi was identified as somebody who took complete control of all matters regarding the club, including social, technical and administrative aspects.

The club spent a large amount of its formative years in the regional divisions, finally winning promotion to Serie C for the 1935/36 season. They narrowly missed out on promotion once again in 1938, losing out to Fanfulla, consequently remaining in Serie C until the aftermath of World War II.

II Lupi competed in Serie B for the first-time when football returned but suffered an ill-fated return to Serie C in 1948 after just two seasons in the second-tier. They would continue to play third-tier football until they were demoted in 1956 after the club were punished for 'illicit sportsmanship,' resulting in Piacenza having to begin the 1956/57 season in Serie D.

Demotion to Serie D was somewhat of a blow for Piacenza as this resulted in frequent yo-yoing between the third and fourth-tier. They would finally establish themselves as a Serie C club in 1964 and regain their Serie B status in 1969, twenty-one years on from their last appearance in the second-tier. At this time, the club were under the management of Tino Molina with Vincenzo Romagnoli acting as President.

However, a common theme continued for Piacenza as they failed to stabilise themselves in Serie B and would frequently yo-yo between Serie B and C. It wasn't until 1991 under the management of Gigi Cagni, that the club's fortune would change.

Regarded as a club legend in modern-Piacenza, Cagni masterminded a further promotion in 1993. This resulted in Piacenza's crowning achievement since their formation, as they would play the 1993/94 campaign as a Serie A club.

The 1993/94 campaign proved to be a rollercoaster ride for Piacenza and its fans. The club had very little expectation and perhaps used this to aid them in the early-part of the season. At one time, Piacenza were narrowly outside the European places, however, they would ultimately be drawn into a relegation scrap towards the conclusion of the season. Cagni could not stave off relegation and the season was ended with an immediate return to Serie B.

Despite this, Cagni was entrusted to lead the team forward and he remained loyal to his existing squad with very few changes over the summer. This would prove to be a wise decision as Piacenza won Serie B to mark a return to Serie A at the first-time of asking.

Piacenza won a loyal support outside of the city thanks to its all-Italian lineup and successful battles against relegation. They also continued to oversee a number of talented young players through their academy with names such as Filippo Inzaghi, Simone Inzaghi and Alberto Gilardino all coming through the Piacenza academy, all players whom would go on to represent Italy in major tournaments.

Despite suffering relegation in 2000, Piacenza returned once again to enjoy a further two years in the top-flight. They marked their highest finish as a club in the 2001/02 campaign with a 12th-place finish, albeit only finishing three points above the relegation-zone in the process, before returning to Serie B in 2003.

Unlike previous stays in Serie B, Piacenza could not find the heroics they had previously to regain promotion into the top-flight. Instead, they would head in the opposite direction. A poor 2010/11 campaign resulted in Piacenza occupying a relegation play-off spot, where they went on to lose to Albinoleffe.

Relegation would be a hammer-blow to Piacenza. With mounting financial concerns, the club were declared bankrupt by the Court of Piacenza in March 2012. By June of the same year, the club were officially disbanded.

Contingency plans were obviously in place and Piacenza would continue to live on however. Following the bankruptcy of Piacenza Calcio, regional amateur-club A.C.D LibertaSpes were renamed Lupa Piacenza. Fresh from promotion to the Eccellenza Emilia-Romagna after winning Promozione Emilia-Romagna Group A, Piacenza would successfully obtain the rights in order to continue the footballing history of Piacenza Calcio.

Since, Piacenza have gone on to win further promotions which has seen the club attain Serie C status. This is where the club have remained since promotion in 2016.

Although much of this post has been rewritten, I must credit Wikipedia for the information presented.

Replies

J_ames: I have some memories of Piacenza too. I have to admit it's the logo which draws me to them ahead of a number of other clubs at this level. There are a lot of interesting clubs currently playing in Serie C outside of Palermo, Catania and Bari who tend to get attention.

Jack: Back again! I'm looking forward to this too. It's something a little bit different given I haven't managed in Italy for a while.

There’s only one way to write a story of an Italian club - in italics

Time to revitalise the eras of Cagni! He seems to have set the bar in terms of success through the early/mid-90s and the mid 00s and as it stands, they're in a tough place in the 3rd tier. Time to sort that out!

There's one thing that Piacenza desperately needs: stability. I'm not sure who the man taking the hotseat in the dugout is yet, but I'm backing him to come in and steady the ship, with the club heading in the right direction along the way. Always intrigued by Italian saves on FM, and I really need to get around to having one at some point!

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Following a dismal start to the 2020/21 campaign, previous head-coach Vincenzo Manzo was met with the sack which made-way for Cristiano Scazzola, who has occupied the role since January 2021.

The 49-year-old oversaw an upturn in form that successfully guided Piacenza out of the relegation picture. I Lupi would finish the season in twelfth position, just three points outside of the final promotion play-off place which was occupied by Juventus U23's.

Previous to this, Piacenza had endured a dismal start to the season that left them firmly in the relegation play-off places. Manzo, who was appointed that summer following the departure of Arnaldo Franzini to Seregno Calcio, averaged less than a point per game and left the club in January with a record of just three wins from his twenty-one games in charge.

It was Cristiano Scazzola who was entrusted to turn the ship around at the Leonardo Garilli. Scazzola had been out of work for just over a year having been dismissed from his role at Alessandria, a side also playing in Lega Pro Girone A. There was some scepticism surrounding his appointment, however, he has allowed his record on the pitch to do the talking to date with nine wins from eighteen games and just five losses.

Scazzola is set to oversee his first full campaign in charge of Piacenza and has spoken openly regarding the forthcoming season. He said: "The expectations last season were greatly different to those that the board and I have discussed this term. Six months ago, I joined a club who were fighting for their lives and were in unfamiliar territory - it has been a while since this club has faced the turmoil it did at that time. However, we successfully overcame the challenges and I was very impressed with the nature of which we did.

The expectations have been elevated somewhat but we aren't under any illusions that the same challenges are still present. This is an incredibly difficult division to succeed in. There are no wildly optimistic plans. What there is, however, is a carefully documented project. It is my job to ensure everybody buys into this and that we're singing from the same hymn sheet.

I am looking forward to my first full season here. It has been a pleasure to be welcomed into the football club. I have worked hard to earn the trust of the support and I will continue to do my upmost to deliver results on the pitch."

Replies

Justice: I hope you appreciate the use of italics in this update.

Jack: Cagni is rightfully regarding as a club-legend as far as my research goes. He brought a tremendous amount of success to the club. The third-tier is incredibly difficult to get out of given the sheer number of 'big clubs' at this level and the horrendous nature of the play-offs...

J_ames: Stability is certainly the word. Welcome... your manager!

As you responded to James, Scazzola realises the necessity for throwing unrealistic objectives out of the window. It might not be the most positive things fans want to hear, but it at least aligns their expectations with someone who wants the best for the club. Only when ready should the club be looking to push itself, or else it could end up in an even worse situation as before.

The fortunate thing for Cristiano Scazzola is the fact he already has a head full (and beard full!) of grey hairs, so managing Piacenza won't add to that! Whilst the fans mightn't have been happy initially, his record is solid, and they need to be working with him: not against him.

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Cristiano Scazzola's Piacenza enjoyed a mixed-bag of results across their seven pre-season friendlies with the most noticeable result coming in a 3-1 victory against Serie A side Sampdoria at the Leonardo Garilli.

Piacenza began preparations for the upcoming season with a trio of games against fellow-Serie C outfits in the form of AC Siena, US Palermo and Fermana with varying results. Beginning with a 1-1 draw against Siena, a 2-1 loss followed against an optimistic Palermo side with ambitions of returning to Serie B.

A 2-0 victory against Fermana of Lega Pro Girone B would mark Scazzola's first victory of pre-season as Davide Munari and Yusupha Bobb netted.

A full-strength Bologna side made no mistake during their trip to the city. Marko Arnautovic would bag a brace in a convincing performance although the hosts wouldn't disgrace themselves across the ninety minutes. Defender Andrea Corbari scored with ten minutes to play to make it 2-1, however, Emanuel Vignato wrapped it up for the visitors just before stoppage-time.

Luca Castaglia has been the star of the show during pre-season for Piacenza. Having already scored twice, he would score the decisive goal in a 1-0 victory over Bari. This result would proceed the impressive 3-1 victory over Sampdoria in-front of just under 2,500 spectators.

Sampdoria would name the likes of Mikkel Damsgaard, Stefano Sensi and Antonio Candreva in the starting eleven. However, Marco Giampaolo's men were second-best to Piacenza over ninety minutes, amassing just one shot on target from six efforts on goal.

It would be a fairly underwhelming conclusion to the campaign though with a 0-0 bore-fest at Imperia.

Piacenza will now turn their attention to the Coppa Italia Lega Pro Cup as they face Virtus Verona, also of Girone A, in the first round. The league season will begin a week later on Sunday 29th August with a home-tie against Pergolettese 1932.

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There were two further additions to the existing squad. The first of these was the signing of full-back Gianluca Clemente from fellow-Girone A side Pro Vercelli. The 25-year-old defender arrives for a cut-price fee of just £10,000 having set his previous employers back £44,500 just twelve months ago.

Clemente made twenty-six appearances for Pro Vercelli last season, scoring once, and arrives to play as first-choice right-back ahead of Tino Parisi.

The other addition to the squad is Giacoma Olzer who arrives on a season-long-loan from Serie B side Brescia. The 20-year-old Italian arrived at Brescia earlier this summer from AC Milan for a fee of around £250,000 but has been shipped-out for the season to provide the creative-midfielder first-team minutes.

Although there is competition in the 'number ten' role from the vastly experienced Alessandro Cesarini, Olzer will likely be a regular influence this season given the volume of games across Piacenza's schedule this campaign.

Replies

Jack: It often seems that managers will come in and promise the world. I think that managing expectations is a sensible way to go about things, especially for a club like Piacenza who have fallen upon hard times. There will be some doubt, I would imagine, if suddenly wild expectations were to emerge from a club who finished mid-table just a few months prior.

J_ames: Haha! You're right about that. Football management tends to age a lot of managers.

Goalkeepers

Nicola Tintori | 21 y/o (25/02/2000) | GK | Italian | /
On loan from Pro Vercelli
Wage: £0 p/w | Expiry Date: 30/06/2022 |

good luck and i hope you achieve the promotion

A decent preseason, that Sampdoria result took me by surprise! That midfield of yours is gonna clean up I think, along with the fact you somehow have Nicolo Armini in the squad. For a third tier side, there's some quality there, it's about getting the most out of them.

Now, I don't want to get too far ahead of things, but after that Sampdoria result... we should be winning the Serie A by the 4th season!

As Jack said, there's some serious quality within the squad, and I quite like the look of Rillo, Gonzi (those long throws!), Suljic, Dubickas, and Raičevic. That being said, there's quite a lot of money being spent on wages (a lot of 'free' loans too though!), so I'm quite intrigued how you'll balance the books. Having watched some Italian lower league content on YouTube in the past 12-18 months, it'll be quite the juggling act for you!

Best of luck with it