Italy - Name Changes and Mergers


The changes of names of Italian football teams are essentially due to mergers, bankruptcies and sponsors: often, after some years, the teams reassume the old name.
Under fascism, teams with politically "incorrect" (e.g. Internazionale) or anglophone (e.g. Milan and Genoa) names saw them changed or italianized.
A particular case is that of Sampdoria, which has changed name more times: that’s due to the nature of Genova, composed by several little towns united to the central city only in 1926; teams of these towns unified themselves and after some years reappeared.


Ancona
1905 Foundation with the name Anconitana
1931 Merger with Bianchi Ancona in Anconitana-Bianchi
1945 Reassume the name Anconitana
1982 The name change in Ancona

Ascoli
1898 Foundation with the name Vigor
1911 Change name in Ascoli
1955 Change the name in Del Duca Ascoli
1972 Reassume the name Ascoli
	
Como
1905 Foundation with the name Como
1925 Merger with Esperia with the name Comense
1936 Reassume the name Como

Fiorentina
1926 Merger of Libertas and Club Sportivo Firenze
2002 After bankruptcy and relegation in Serie C2 change name in Florentia 1926 Viola
2003 Reassume the name Fiorentina

Foggia
1921 Foundation with the name Foggia
1957 Merger with Incedit with name Foggia Incedit
1967 Reassume the name Foggia

Genoa
1929 Assume the name Genova
1945 Reassume the name Genoa

Inter
1929 Assume the name Ambrosiana (from Ambrosius, patron of Milan)
1945 Reassume the name Internazionale

Lecco
1912 Birth of a football team of Canottieri Lecco’s association.
1931 Assume the name Lecco

Mantova
1911 Foundation with the name Mantova
1957 Assume the name Ozo Mantova (sponsor: oil)
1961 Reassume the name Mantova

Milan
1938 Assume the name Milano
1945 Reassume the name Milan

Modena
1912 Foundation with the name Mantove
1957 Assume the name Zenit Modena (sponsor: oil)
1959 Reassume the name Modena

Napoli
1904 Foundation of Naples
1912 Foundation of Internazionale
1922 Merger of Naples and Internazionale with the name Internaples
1926 Change name in Napoli

Palermo
1898 Foundation with name Palermo
1941 Merger with Juventina with the name Palermo-Juve
1943 Reassume the name of Palermo

Parma
1913 Foundation with the name Verdi (from the Parma’s great musician) 
1913 Change name in Parma
1969 Merger with Parmense with the name Parma

Perugia
1905 Merger of Fortebraccio and Libertas with the name Perugia

Pistoiese
1921 Foundation with the name Pistoiese
1937 Change name in Pistoia
1939 Reassume name Pistoiese

Roma
1912 In Lazio’s group of Italian championship start to play Roman, Pro Roma and Alba.
1913 In Lazio’s group of Italian championship starts to play Fortitudo.
1926 Merger of Alba, Fortitudo, Roman and Pro Roma with the name Roma

Sampdoria
1895 Foundation of Andrea Doria (from a big admiral of the sixteenth century)
1901 Foundation of Sampierdarenese (from the town of Sampierdarena)
1927 Merger of Andrea Doria, Sampierdarenese and Corniglianese with the name Dominante (surname of Genoa)
1930 Merger of Dominante, Sestrese and Rivarolese with the name Liguria
1931 Return to live a team called Andrea Doria
1932 Liguria reassume the name of Sampierdarenese
1937 Merger of Sampierdarenese, Corniglianese and Rivarolese : reassume the name Liguria
1945 Liguria reassume the name of Sampierdarenese
1946 Merger of Andrea Doria and Sampierdarenese with the name Sampdoria (Sampierdarenese-Doria)

Torino
1958 Assume the name Talmone Torino (sponsor: chocolate)
1959 Reassume the name Torino 

Venezia
1907 Foundation with the name Venezia
1929 Change name in Serenissima (surname of Venezia)
1934 Reassume the name Venezia
1986 Merger with the name Venezia-Mestre
1989 Reassume the name Venezia

Vicenza
1902 Foundation with the name Vicenza
1955 Assume the name Lanerossi Vicenza (sponsor: wool) 
1990 Reassume the name Vicenza
 

About this document

Prepared and maintained by David Tuci for the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation

Author: David Tuci (tuxtucis@hotmail.com)
Last updated: 6 Jun 2004

(C) Copyright David Tuci and RSSSF 2004
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