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For other uses of the word "Lucchese", see Lucchese

Lucchese

Full name	Associazione Sportiva Lucchese Libertas 1905
Nickname(s)	Rossoneri (Red-Blacks)
Founded	1905 2008 (refounded)
Ground	Stadio Porta Elisa, Lucca, Italy (Capacity: 7,400)
Chairman	Giuliano Giuliani
Manager	Giancarlo Favarin
League	Lega Pro Seconda Divisione B
2008-09	Serie D/E, 1st
Home colours Away colours

Associazione Sportiva Lucchese Libertas 1905 is an Italian football club, based in Lucca, Tuscany. The club was founded in 1905. Lucchese currently plays in Lega Pro Seconda Divisione, having last been in Serie A in 1952. The club also spent many years in Serie B. The team's colors are red and black.

[edit] History

The club was founded on 25 May 1905, giving the town of Lucca its first football team. Originally named Lucca Football Club the club was founded by the Vittorio brothers and Guido Mensini. The first large achievement by the club was winning the Goblet of the King during the 1919/20 season, not long after the tournaments foundation. The same season Lucca won the Regional cup of Tuscany.

[edit] Early years: 1920s and 1930s

In 1924 the club merged with another local team and changed its name to Unione Sportiva Lucchese-Libertas. During the 1920s, notable players at the club included Ernesto Bonino and Giovanni Moscardini.

The 1930s saw the club been promoted to Serie B, and then in 1936, Lucchese won promotion to Serie A the top league in Italy, they stayed there for three seasons. The club were relegated to Serie B as World War II started. Prior to the war players such as Egri Erbstein, Aldo Olivieri and Antonio Perduca were fan's favorites.

[edit] Recent times

Logo of Sporting Lucchese used during the 2008–09 season

The club successively spent several seasons in Serie B and Serie C1, being also coached by Luigi Simoni, UEFA Cup-winning coach with Inter Milan.

In 2008 the club folded due to financial issues, and a new franchise called Società Sportiva Dilettantistica Sporting Lucchese was admitted to Serie D to represent the city of Lucca, while the old Lucchese-Libertas team was admitted in the Italian bottom division Terza Categoria before being declared bankrupt in December 2008.

In its first season of existence, Sporting Lucchese promptly won the Girone E round of Serie D, thus acquiring the right to take part to the 2009–10 Lega Pro Seconda Divisione. The club has also taken the old denomination of Associazione Sportiva Lucchese Libertas 1905 starting with the new season, after the Sporting Lucchese owner acquired the naming and logo rights of the old franchise in a public auction.

[edit] Notable former players

See Also: Category:A.S. Lucchese-Libertas players

• Luis Oliveira
• Aldo Olivieri
• Corrado Grabbi
• Salvatore Tedesco
• Francesco Cozza
• Eusebio Di Francesco
• Pierre Wome

An early Lucchese squad picture.

[edit] Honours

Serie B:

• Champions: 1935–36, 1946–47

Serie C:

• Champions: 1960–61
• Runners-up: 1945–46, 1977–78

Serie C1:

• Runners-up: 1989–90

Serie C2:

• Champions: 1985–86

Serie D:

• Champions: 1968–69, 2008–09

Tuscany League Division 1:

• Champions: 1929–30, 1932–33, 1933–34

Promozione:

• Champions: 1919–20

Coppa Italia Serie C

• Champions: 1989–90

[edit] External links

• Official site