Cagliari Calcio

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Cagliari Calcio, commonly referred to as Cagliari (Script error: No such module "IPA".), is a professional Italian football club based in Cagliari, Sardinia, that plays in Serie A, the first tier of Italian football. The club currently plays home matches at the 16,416-seat Unipol Domus.

Founded in 1920, they won their first and only Scudetto in 1969–70, when they were led by the Italian national team's all-time leading scorer, Gigi Riva. The triumph was also the first by a club from south of Rome. The club's best European performance was in the 1993–94 UEFA Cup, reaching the semi-finals before losing to eventual winners Internazionale.

As with the flag of its city, Cagliari's main colours are blue and red. The club badge incorporates the flag of Sardinia.

History

Before Serie A

File:1930–31 Club Sportivo Cagliari.jpg
1930–31 Club Sportivo Cagliari

Cagliari became the first ever out-right champions of Serie C during the 1951–52 season; prior to that in the league, the championship was shared amongst more than one team. They spent the 1950s from then on in Serie B, losing a promotion play-off in 1954. After descending to Serie C in the early 1960s, Cagliari's rise would be meteoric, eventually achieving promotion to Serie A in 1964.

First Serie A adventure: 1964–1976

The squad for the Rossoblu's debut season in Serie A featured players like defender Mario Martiradonna, midfielders Pierluigi Cera, Nené and Ricciotti Greatti, and forward Gigi Riva. A poor first half of the season, however, saw Cagliari in last place with nine points at the halfway mark. An astonishing second half of the season saw Cagliari defeat the likes of Juventus and Milan and finish in seventh place with 34 points. Two seasons later, Riva finished as Serie A's top scorer for the first time while Cagliari finished with the league's best defensive record.

File:Gigi Riva - US Cagliari (1970) - CROPPED.jpg
Forward Gigi Riva led Cagliari to their first Serie A title in 1969–70.

During the summer of 1967, Cagliari played a season in North America as part of a fledgling league called the United Soccer Association. This league included teams from Europe and South America set to play in American and Canadian cities, with each club bearing a local name. Cagliari played as the Chicago Mustangs, and finished joint second in the league's Western Division with 13 points, two behind the division champion and eventual league champion Los Angeles Wolves. The league's leading scorer was Chicago/Cagliari's Roberto Boninsegna, who scored ten goals while playing in 9 of the team's 12 games.

Cagliari first emerged as serious Serie A title contenders in 1968–69 with a three-horse race involving them, Fiorentina and Milan. Fiorentina would win the league, but the following season would bring ultimate glory. With Angelo Domenghini joining the side, Cagliari would win the title in 1970 with only two games lost, 11 goals conceded (the fewest in any major European league to date) and Riva as league top scorer once more. Players like Albertosi, Niccolai, Boninsegna, Gori, Cera, Domenghini and Riva played in Italy's 1970 World Cup final team.

The 1970s would see a gradual decline (though were title contenders two years after their one and only Scudetto win). Cagliari were finally relegated in 1976, with Riva's career having effectively ended during that season.

Up and down again: 1976–87

After relegation, Cagliari lost a play-off for promotion the following season and would return to Serie A in 1979. Players like Franco Selvaggi, Mario Brugnera (a survivor of the 1970 team) and Alberto Marchetti ensured a respectable four-year stay in the top flight before a second relegation in 1983. The 1980s would then prove to be a darker time compared to the previous two decades with relegation to Serie C1 in 1987.

There and back: 1987–2000

Cagliari spent two seasons in Serie C1. In the first one it barely avoided relegation in Serie C2. In 1988, Claudio Ranieri was appointed coach, and led the team to two successive promotions, to Serie B in 1989 and to Serie A in 1990. The first two seasons back in Serie A saw Cagliari fight relegation, with safety being achieved by excellent second half runs. But the 1992–93 season would see Cagliari fight for a European place and succeed under the management of Carlo Mazzone. The following season saw a best-ever run to the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup, taking out Juventus in the quarter-finals before being eliminated 5–3 on aggregate by compatriots Internazionale, having won the first leg 3–2 at home.[1]

The next few years would see Cagliari return to mid-table anonymity, before a struggle in 1996–97 saw Cagliari relegated after losing a play-off to Piacenza. Once more they bounced back after just one year, but their next stay in Serie A lasted just two seasons.

Once and again: 2000 onwards

Cagliari spent the next four seasons in Serie B, until in 2003–04 with Sardinian-born veteran striker Gianfranco Zola, the team won promotion.[2] In 2005–06, the first season without Zola, the team changed their manager three times before Nedo Sonetti, appointed in November, was able to save the team from relegation, especially thanks to the excellent goal contribution from Honduran striker David Suazo.

Apart from finishing 9th in 2008–09 season, Cagliari regularly finished in the bottom half of Serie A under a sequence of managers, before being relegated in 2014–15.[3] They gained promotion back the following season as champions of Serie B.[4]

In 2014, the company passed, after 22 years of Massimo Cellino's presidency, into the hands of Tommaso Giulini, president and owner of Fluorsid, a multinational in the chemical sector. Relegation took place in the first season, but the team won the Serie B championship in 2016, returning permanently to the top division, albeit always finishing in the second half of the table. Cagliari was relegated at the end of the 2021–22 season. They reappointed Claudio Ranieri halfway through the 2022–23 season with the club in fourteenth place. Under Ranieri's management, Cagliari won the 2022–23 Serie B playoffs.

Stadium

File:Stadio Sant'Elia -Cagliari -Italy-23Oct2008 crop.jpg
Cagliari played at the Stadio Sant'Elia from 1970 to 2017.

Cagliari moved from the Stadio Amsicora to the Stadio Sant'Elia in 1970, after winning their only league title. It was renovated for Italy's hosting of the 1990 FIFA World Cup where it hosted all of England's group games, ostensibly to confine the team's notorious hooligans to an island.[5]

Disputes with the city council over renovation of the publicly owned stadium meant that Cagliari played their final home games of 2011–12 at the Stadio Nereo Rocco in Trieste on the Italian mainland.[6] For most of the following season, the club played at the Stadio Is Arenas in the neighbouring municipality of Quartu Sant'Elena. It was deemed unsafe by the league, forcing them to play behind closed doors before leaving the ground in April 2013.[7] The Sant'Elia was demolished for a new stadium in 2017, and the club moved to the temporary Unipol Domus next to it.[8]

Colours, badge and nicknames

File:Flag of Sardinia, Italy.svg
Cagliari's badge incorporates the flag of Sardinia.

The official red and blue colours of Cagliari mirror those featured on the stemma of Cagliari.[9] The red parts of the stemma are a reference to the coat of arms of the House of Savoy, a family which was previously the monarchy of Italy and more relevantly to Cagliari in particular, the Kingdom of Sardinia.[9] The blue part of the stemma features the sky and the sea, also a castle; this is because the old historic centre of Cagliari is walled and called the Castello.[9] Due to the use of these colours on their shirt in halves, the club is commonly nicknamed rossoblu.[10]

Cagliari have had several different logo designs during their history, all of which feature the flag of Sardinia.[11] Usually the badge also features the club colours; if there is a change, the main difference has been the colour of the border or the shape.[11] Since June 2015, the badge features an "Old French"-shaped escutcheon with red and blue halves, with the club's name written in white just above the flag of Sardinia. The Moors' heads have, for the first time, been turned to the right as of 2015 so as to match the Sardinian flag after it was updated in 1992.[12]

Because Cagliari are the main club from the island of Sardinia, they are nicknamed the "Isolani" ("Islanders").[13]

Kit sponsors

Period Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor (main) Shirt sponsor (secondary) Shirt sponsor (back) Shirt sponsor (sleeve) Shirt sponsor (shorts)
1920–75 In-house None None None None None
1975–76 Umbro
1976–78 In-house
1978–81 Fabra
1981–83 Ariostea
1983–84 Ennerre Overseas Travel Center
1984–86 Formaggi Ovini Sardi
1986–89 Latas
1989–90 Ennerre
1990–92 Umbro
1992–93 Pecorino Sardo
1993–96 Erreà
1996–98 Reebok
1998–2000 Biemme
2000–01 Uhlsport
2001–02 Terra Sarda
2002–05 A-Line
2005–06 Asics Sky
2006–07 Tiscali
2007–08 Umbro
2008–09 Macron
2009–11 Dahlia TV Sardegna
2011–12 Kappa Sardegna None
2012–14 Tirrenia
2014–15 Sardegna (Matchday 1–14) / VariousTemplate:Refn Tiscali Intesa Sanpaolo
2015–16 VariousTemplate:Refn / ISOLA (Matchday 22–42) EPH VariousTemplate:Refn / Eva Arredamenti (Matchday 22–42) Energit
2016–17 Macron ISOLA Ichnusa Eva Arredamenti None
2017–18 Nieddittas / Azimut (in cup matches)
2018–19 Nieddittas / VariousTemplate:Refn Io tifo positivo (Matchday 1–14) / Fluorsid (15–38)
2019–20 Nieddittas Latte Arborea
2020–21 Adidas Tiscali
2021–22 Tiscali Ichnusa
2022–23 EYE Sport Sardegna Fondazione Mont'e Prama BlueShark
2023–24 Moby Lines None
2024–25 Sardegna / AeroItalia (in cup matches) Doppio Malto
2025– Sardegna / inX.aero (in cup matches) Doppio Malto Banco di Sardegna Bet365 Scores

Honours

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Divisional movements

Series Years Last Promotions Relegations
A 43 2023–24 - Decrease 6 (1976, 1983, 1997, 2000, 2015, 2022)
B 30 2022–23 Increase 7 (1964, 1979, 1990, 1998, 2004, 2016, 2023) Decrease 4 (1935✟, 1948, 1960, 1987)
C 13 1988–89 Increase 4 (1931, 1952, 1962, 1989) Decrease 1 (1940)
86 out of 92 years of professional football in Italy since 1929
Sardinia 6 1946–47 Increase 2 (1937, 1947√) never

Players

Current squad

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<templatestyles src="Template:Football squad player/styles.css" /> Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK Template:Fba/core Elia Caprile
2 DF Template:Fba/core Marco Palestra (on loan from Atalanta)
3 DF Template:Fba/core Riyad Idrissi
4 MF Template:Fba/core Luca Mazzitelli (on loan from Como)
6 DF Template:Fba/core Sebastiano Luperto
8 MF Template:Fba/core Michel Adopo
9 FW Template:Fba/core Semih Kılıçsoy (on loan from Beşiktaş)
10 MF Template:Fba/core Gianluca Gaetano
14 MF Template:Fba/core Alessandro Deiola (vice-captain)
15 DF Template:Fba/core Juan Rodríguez
16 MF Template:Fba/core Matteo Prati
17 FW Template:Fba/core Mattia Felici
18 DF Template:Fba/core Alessandro Di Pardo
19 FW Template:Fba/core Andrea Belotti
No. Pos. Nation Player
20 MF Template:Fba/core Marko Rog
21 MF Template:Fba/core Nicolò Cavuoti
23 DF Template:Fba/core Nicola Pintus
24 GK Template:Fba/core Giuseppe Ciocci
26 DF Template:Fba/core Yerry Mina
28 DF Template:Fba/core Gabriele Zappa (2nd vice-captain)
29 FW Template:Fba/core Gennaro Borrelli
30 FW Template:Fba/core Leonardo Pavoletti (captain)
31 GK Template:Fba/core Boris Radunović
32 DF Template:Fba/core Zé Pedro
33 DF Template:Fba/core Adam Obert
77 FW Template:Fba/core Zito Luvumbo
90 MF Template:Fba/core Michael Folorunsho (on loan from Napoli)
94 FW Template:Fba/core Sebastiano Esposito (on loan from Inter Milan)

Cagliari Primavera

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<templatestyles src="Template:Football squad player/styles.css" /> Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
27 MF Template:Fba/core Joseph Liteta
34 GK Template:Fba/core Vincenzo Sarno
No. Pos. Nation Player
35 DF Template:Fba/core Antoni Franke
36 MF Template:Fba/core Nicola Grandu

Out on loan

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<templatestyles src="Template:Football squad player/styles.css" /> Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
— GK Template:Fba/core Velizar-Iliya Iliev (at Cerignola until 30 June 2026)
— GK Template:Fba/core Alen Sherri (at Frosinone until 30 June 2026)
— DF Template:Fba/core Davide Veroli (at Palermo until 30 June 2026)
— DF Template:Fba/core Mateusz Wieteska (at Kocaelispor until 30 June 2026)
No. Pos. Nation Player
— FW Template:Fba/core Kingstone Mutandwa (at SV Ried until 30 June 2026)
— FW Template:Fba/core Nik Prelec (at Oxford United until 30 June 2026)
— FW Template:Fba/core Alessandro Vinciguerra (at Pescara until 30 June 2026)

Retired numbers

Script error: No such module "Labelled list hatnote". 11 – Template:Flagicon Gigi Riva, Forward (1963–78)
13 – Template:Flagicon Davide Astori, Defender (2008–14) – posthumous honour[26]

Notable former players

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Cagliari have a long history of Uruguayan players,[27][28] numbering 16 as of 2014; the most utilised of them was Diego López with 314 games, while others include Enzo Francescoli, José Herrera, Fabián O'Neill, Darío Silva, Nahitan Nandez, and Diego Godin.[29] In addition, Uruguayan Óscar Tabárez managed the team from 1994 to 1995.[30]

Presidential history

Cagliari have had numerous presidents over the course of their history, some of which have been the owners of the club, others have been honorary presidents, here is a complete list of them:[31] Script error: No such module "Template wrapper".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".

Management staff

Position Staff
Head coach Template:Flagicon Fabio Pisacane
Assistant coach Template:Flagicon Giacomo Murelli
Technical assistant Template:Flagicon Alberto Gallego
Goalkeeper coach Template:Flagicon Luca Bucci
Template:Flagicon Christian Berretta
Match analyst Template:Flagicon Matteo Battilana
Template:Flagicon Davide Marfella
Athletic coach Template:Flagicon Mauro Baldus
Template:Flagicon Fabio Figus
Template:Flagicon Francesco Fois
Tactical shooting Template:Flagicon Giovanni Venturella
Head of medical Template:Flagicon Marco Scorcu
Physiotherapist Template:Flagicon Salvatore Congiu
Template:Flagicon Simone Ruggiu
Nutritionist Template:Flagicon Giovanna Ghiani

Managerial history

Cagliari have had many managers and trainers, some seasons they have had co-managers running the team, here is a chronological list of them from when they founded in 1920 onwards.[32] Script error: No such module "Template wrapper".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".

In Europe

UEFA Champions League

Season Round Club Home Away Aggregate Reference
1970–71 First Round Template:Flagicon Saint-Étienne 3–0 0–1 3–1 [34]
Second Round Template:Flagicon Atlético Madrid 2–1 0–3 2–4

UEFA Cup

Season Round Club Home Away Aggregate Reference
1972–73 First Round Template:Flagicon Olympiacos 0–1 1–2 1–3 [35]
1993–94 First Round Template:Flagicon Dinamo București 2–0 2–3 4–3 [36]
Second Round Template:Flagicon Trabzonspor 0–0 1–1 1–1 (a)
Third Round Template:Flagicon Mechelen 2–0 3–1 5–1
Quarter-Final Template:Flagicon Juventus 1–0 2–1 3–1
Semi-Final Template:Flagicon Internazionale 3–2 0–3 3–5

Inter-Cities Fairs Cup

Season Round Club Home Away Aggregate Reference
1969–70 First Round Template:Flagicon Aris Thessaloniki 3–0 1–1 4–1 [37]
Second Round Template:Flagicon Carl Zeiss Jena 0–1 0–2 0–3


Supporters

In the 1970s, the ultras movement developed, as in Italy. The first group was founded in 1977 with the name of Brigate Rossoblù, which was joined by Fossa Ultrà, with the latter progressing in the early 1980s to follow the team also on the "Continent" and to meet with other opposing fans. However, the phenomenon also waned due to the team's downward trajectory in that decade after the glories of the Scudetto. However, the Commando Ultrà Young Supporters was born and later merged with the Ultrà Cagliari. In February 1987 some of the members of these groups gave rise to the Sconvolts who were joined by an already existing group, the Eagles. Two years later, in 1989, Furiosi were also born. These two groups monopolized the hottest support throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, never bonding as happened with the previous groups and indeed leading to an internal struggle which led to the dissolution of the Furiosi in 2004 and led the Sconvolts group to still be the only ultras fringe remaining in the Curva Nord of the various stadiums that have taken place in recent years.

Friendships and Rivalries

The Sconvolts the historical group of the Cagliari maintain relationships of friendship and respect with Olbia, Atalanta, Parma, U.S. Lecce.

Friendships from the past that no longer exist: Foggia, Sampdoria, Inter FC

The main rivalries are with the Torres with which it is the Sardinia Derby and Napoli. Other rivalries: Palermo,S.S.C. Bari, Hellas Verona, A.C.Milan, Juventus FC, Inter FC, Catania, Genoa, Brescia, Venezia FC, Lazio, ACF Fiorentina, Salernitana 1919, Ancona, Pogoń Szczecin.

References

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  6. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  7. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  8. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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  10. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  11. ↑ a b Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  12. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  13. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  14. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  15. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  16. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  17. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  18. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  19. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  20. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  21. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  22. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  23. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  24. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  25. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  26. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  27. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  28. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  29. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  30. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  31. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  32. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  33. ↑ In regional championships during the wartime period: (page 3) it.
  34. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  35. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  36. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
  37. ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".

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External links

Template:Sister project

Template:Cagliari Calcio Template:Cagliari Calcio seasons Script error: No such module "navbox". Script error: No such module "navbox".

Template:Serie C teamlist

Template:Authority control

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