US Città di Pontedera

Not to be confused with Pontevedra CF.

Pontedera

Full name	Unione Sportiva Città di Pontedera
Nickname(s)	Granata
Founded	1912
Ground	Stadio Ettore Mannucci, Pontedera, Italy
Capacity	5,014
Chairman	Gianfranco Donnini
Manager	Ivan Maraia
League	Serie C Group B
2023–24	Serie C Group B, 9th of 20
Website	https://www.uspontedera.it/
Home colours Away colours

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.

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 summer 2006, The Gunther Corporation purchased Pontedera. It was reported in The Guardian newspaper on 17 May 2007 that the owner of Pontedera is a dog named Gunther IV, who inherited it from Gunther III who in turn inherited it from his owner Countess Libenstein.

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 30 January 2020 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	Edoardo Sarri
2	DF	ITA	Edoardo Pavan (on loan from Verona)
3	DF	ITA	Paolo Ropolo
4	MF	ITA	Jacopo Giuliani (on loan from Spezia)
5	DF	ITA	Giacomo Risaliti
6	MF	ITA	Francesco Benassai
7	MF	ITA	Francesco Mezzoni (on loan from Napoli)
8	MF	ITA	Andrea Caponi
9	FW	BRA	Caio De Cenco
10	MF	ITA	Gianluca Barba (on loan from Monza)
11	FW	ITA	Christian Tommasini

No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
13	DF	ITA	Matteo Salvi (on loan from Atalanta)
14	MF	ITA	Mariano Bernardini
15	DF	ITA	Emanuele Cigagna (on loan from Venezia)
16	MF	ITA	Lorenzo Bardini
17	MF	ITA	Filippo Serena (on loan from Venezia)
18	DF	ITA	Luca Piana
20	MF	ITA	Michele Bruzzo
21	DF	ITA	Mauro Semprini
22	GK	ITA	Daniele Cardelli
23	DF	ITA	Pietro Visconti
24	DF	ITA	Federico Balloni

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
—	DF	ITA	Giorgio Cavalli (at Sangiovannese)
—	DF	ITA	Federico Marseglia (at Tuttocuoio)
—	MF	ITA	Gianmarco Manetti (at Tuttocuoio)

No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
—	FW	ITA	Riccardo Benedetti (at Tau)
—	FW	ITA	Diego De Carlo (at Tuttocuoio)

Notable former managers

• Marcello Lippi

External links

• (in Italian) Official website