Venice is widely considered to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world, with the city being known for its medieval architecture and stunning waterways. But did you know that the city is also home to one of the most charismatic soccer clubs in Italy?
Originally founded in 1907, Venezia FC has remained a prominent part of the city’s history for decades and is best known for winning the Coppa Italia in the 1940-41 season.
Today, we will be taking a look at all things Venezia FC. Down below, we have compiled an informative guide to the history of this fascinating club, covering everything from its humble beginnings, home grounds, kit, logo and much more.
We have also included a detailed timeline tracking the history of the soccer club from its inception in 1927 to its current status as a 1st league. Like many soccer clubs, Venezia FC has seen its fair share of ups and downs over its 114 years, and you can learn all about them in the following guide.
As you can imagine, there is a lot of history and information to cover. After all, the soccer club is over a century old! But we will also be taking a look at the current members and staff so that you can familiarize yourself with the club in its modern iteration.
Everything you need to know about Venezia FC can be found below, so let’s not waste any more time and get the ball rolling!
Basic Facts
Before we can take an in-depth look at the history of Venezia FC, we thought we should outline some basic facts first:
- Venezia FC was first established in 1907 during the merger of two Venetian sports clubs – The Martial Gymnastics Society and Constantino Reyer.
- Their home ground, the Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo, was first opened in 1913 and can host 7,450 people.
- Venezia FC is best known for winning the Coppa Italia during the 1940-41 season.
- The current head coach of Venezia FC is Paolo Zanetti.
Home Grounds
The home ground of Venezia FC is the Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo, which is located on the beautiful island of Sant’Elena in Venice, Italy. The stadium was first constructed in 1913 and is still the largest sports facility in the city.
Measuring 105 m (length) x 68 m (wide) the stadium also features a grass field and can host 7,450 people. However, the largest number of spectators the stadium has ever seen was in 1966, when over 26,000 people attended a match between Venezia and Milan.
On September 11 1970, the stadium was severely damaged by a tornado but was only partially reinstated due to the decline of the soccer club’s reputation. It was during this time that the stadium’s capacity was briefly reduced to only 5,000 spectators.
In 2021, it was announced that the stadium would be redeveloped, following the success of Venezia FC and their promotion to Serie A. Unlike other stadiums found across the world, the Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo is notable for being accessible by boat.
Main Trophies
In its 114 years of existence, Venezia FC is still best known for winning the Coppa Italia during the 1940-41 season. A period in the club’s history that is sometimes referred to as ‘The Golden Era’.
However, this does not mean that the soccer club has not won any other trophies, as Venezia FC has also been the recipient of the Serie B (twice), the Serie D (once) and the Coppa Italia Serie C (once).
Venezia FC has also been a runner-up in Serie A (twice), Serie B (3 times) and the Coppa Italia (once).
Club History
Venezia FC was originally founded in 1907 as the result of a merger between the soccer sections of two Venetian sports clubs – the Martial Gymnastics Society and Constantino Reyer.
During this merger, the soccer club was famously formed in a restaurant near Campo San Bortolomio called ‘De Nane in Corte dell Orso’.
Venezia FC was originally established by twenty soccer enthusiasts, with the founding members including Davide Fano (the first president), Walter Aemisseger (the first coach and captain) and the various players: Guido Battisti, Antonio Borella, Gerardo Bortoletti, Aldo Federici, Pietro Golzio, Silvio Lorenzetti, Pietro Piccoli, Primo Pitteri, Alessandro Santi, Marcella Santi, Luigi Vianello, Pietro Visintin and Mario Vivante.
During its early years, the soccer club did not have a stadium or home ground, which left the club to play its matches among the forests of the island Sant’Elena.
Some of the first games that the club played were against the Veneto teams of Padova, Verona and Vicenza, as well as the various crews of ships docking in the ports of Venice.
On December 22 1907, Venezia FC would play its first match against Vicenza, with the final score being a moderate 1-1.
It wasn’t until September 7 1913 that the soccer club would receive its stadium, in the form of the recently opened Campo Sportivo Comunale di Sant’Elena, which would later be renamed as the Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo.
During this time, Venezia would sadly lose its inaugural match against Genoa, with the final score being 0-7.
In 1938-39, Venezia FC would receive its first promotion to Serie A, after the club defeated Atalanta with a score of 0-1. The historical winning goal was scored by Francesco Pernigo, who remains the Venezia club’s all-time leading scorer with 70 goals to his name.
The soccer club’s promotion to Serie A prompted a new renovation of the Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo, with the expansion increasing the stadium’s capacity to withstand 22,000 spectators.
Following its promotion to Serie A, Venezia FC would return from a 12-year absence with a host of new players, which included notable figures such as Luigi Busidoni, Silvio Di Gennaro, Sergio Stefanini and, most importantly, Valentino Mazzola.
After the arrival of these new members, the soccer club would place 10th in the 1939-40 Serie A season, which saw the club slowly moving into the two most successful seasons in its history.
The year 1940 was a period of change for Venezia FC, as it saw the arrival of two new members who helped to further strengthen the team.
These members were Giovanni Battista Rebuffo, a manager, and Ezio Loik, a former member of A.C. Milan who would go on to form a famous partnership with Valentino Mazzola. During this time, Venezia FC would finish 12th in the 1940-41 Serie A season but would go on to receive the Coppa Italia – the club’s first major win.
Following this success, the soccer club would once again rise to new heights during the 1941-42 Serie A season. It was during this time that Venezia FC would find itself finishing in third place, which is to date the best result the club has seen in Serie A.
However, it seems this period of success was short-lived, as the following years would see the soccer club enter the darkest time in its history.
After the end of the second world war and the reinstatement of Serie A, Venezia FC would find itself demoted to Serie B, with Arnaldo Bennati leaving the role of president.
Although the soccer club was able to promote itself back to Serie A in 1948-49, a lack of finances saw the club once again being demoted to Serie B.
In 1951-52, Venezia FC would suffer yet another blow by being relegated to Serie C, where it would remain for four seasons before returning to Serie B in 1956-57.
Throughout the late 1950s and early 1960s, Venezia FC would see its Serie status changing almost every season, with the club usually fluctuating between Serie A and Serie B.
During the 1966-67 Serie A season, the club would again find itself demoted to Serie B, before finally being degraded to Serie C for most of the 1980s.
It wasn’t until 1997-98, under the management of Walter Novellino, that the club would once again find itself in Serie A after 31 years of absence.
Although the soccer club would continue to see moderate success over the intervening years, in 2004-05, the club was relegated to bankruptcy and would continue to be demoted until it was finally admitted to Serie D during the 2011-12 season.
The following year, the soccer club would go bankrupt for the third time in 10 years.
After being saved from bankruptcy by American investors in 2015, Venezia FC would begin to see a rise in its success, with the club being promoted to Serie B for the first time in 12 years.
Following the suspension of the 2019-20 Serie B season due to the Coronavirus outbreak, Venezia FC would return to the field in 2021, where it managed to once again promote itself to Serie A, the first time in 19 years.
Club Timeline
- 1907 – Venezia FC is established as the result of a merger between the soccer sections of two Venetian sports clubs.
- 1910/1911 – Venezia FC is a runner-up in Serie A.
- 1911/12 – Venezia FC is a runner-up in Serie A.
- 1913 – The Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo opens on the island of Sant’Elena, giving the soccer club its home ground.
- 1927/28 – Venezia FC is promoted to Serie B for the first time in the soccer club’s history.
- 1938/39 – Venezia FC is promoted to Serie A for the first time in the soccer club’s history.
- 1940/41 – Venezia FC wins the Coppa Italia – the club’s first major trophy.
- 1942/43 – Venezia FC is a runner-up in the Cotta Italia.
- 1948/49 – Venezia FC is a runner-up in Serie B.
- 1960/61 – Venezia FC wins Serie B for the first time.
- 1965/66 – Venezia FC wins Serie B for the second time.
- 1970 – A tornado causes extensive damage to the stadium, leading to its capacity being reduced to 5,000 spectators.
- 1997/1998 – Venezia FC is a runner-up in Serie B
- 2005-06 – Venezia FC wins Serie C2 for the first time.
- 2011/12 – Venezia FC wins the Serie D for the first time.
- 2015 – Venezia FC soccer club is saved from bankruptcy by American investors led by Joe Tacopina.
- 2015/16 – Venezia FC promoted to Serie B for the first time in 12 years.
- 2016/17 – Venezia FC wins the Coppa Italia Serie C for the first time.
- 2019/20 – Serie B season postponed due to Coronavirus outbreak.
- 2021 – Venezia FC was promoted to Serie A for the first time in 19 years.
Club Net Worth
Because Venezia FC is considered a small and lesser-known soccer club, there is no given figure for the club’s overall net worth.
However, some reports state that the soccer club has a market value of 44.36 million euros, which rounds up to about 52.19 million dollars overall.
Stadium
The Venezia FC stadium was originally opened in 1913 on the island of Sant’Elena in Venice. Although it is now commonly known as the Stadio Piere Luigi Penzo, when it first opened it was called the Campo Sportivo Comunale di Sant’Elena.
During its early years, the stadium was capable of hosting 10,000 spectators, which was later expanded to 22,000 in 1939, following the success of Venezia FC and the club’s promotion to Serie A.
However, in 1970 the stadium suffered severe damage due to extreme weather conditions, which left it with an overall capacity of 5,000 spectators. This was later expanded to 7,450 and has remained the same ever since.
In 2021, following Venezia’s promotion to Serie A, it was announced that the stadium would be redeveloped, with construction expected to take place during the summer of the same year.
Owners
Since September 2015, Venezia FC has been owned and operated by Joe Tacopina, an American attorney from Connecticut who invested in the club to save it from bankruptcy.
Following this purchase, Tacopino also assumed the role of president and saw the club strengthen under his leadership, promoting it from Serie D to Serie B in only a small period of time.
However, in 2020 Tacopina was removed from the role of president, with the title being assumed by Duncan Niederauer, an American businessman who previously worked as a chief executive officer for the New York Stock Exchange.
Best Players
Although Venezia FC has seen many talented and charismatic players in its 114 years, many people believe that some of the best players can be found in the club’s golden era, which saw the most successful period in the club’s history.
During this time players such as Valentina Mazzola and Ezio Loik joined the club, with the two players even forming a partnership which saw Venezia some of its greatest successes, such as the winning of the Coppa Italia and the 1941-42 Serie A season.
In terms of the modern club (2021), particular standouts also include players such as Dennis Johnsen, Franceso Forte and Mattia Aramu.
All-Time Top Scorer
To date, the all-time top scorer for Venezia FC was Francesco Pernigo, who played for the club between 1938-1947. During his time as a member, Pernigo is said to have scored a total of 70 goals, the largest number of anybody on the team.
In terms of the modern club, Franceso Forte is considered to be one of the top-scoring players currently associated with Venezia FC, with a current total of 37 goals to his name.
Captain
As of 2021, the Venezia FC soccer club is captained by Marco Modolo, who also plays for the team in a centre-back position. He began his career by playing for the soccer club Pro Sesto, before eventually leaving and joining Venezia FC in 2009.
Since then he has also played for clubs such as Pro Vercelli, Parma FC and Gorica. In 2015, after a brief time playing for Carpri, Modolo returned to Venezia FC and has captained the club ever since.
Goalkeepers
- Luca Lezzerini
- Joined: July 19th 2018
- Nationality: Italian
- Niki Maenpaa
- Joined: February 15th 2021
- Nationality: Finnish
- Bruno Bertinato
- Joined: January 31st 2019
- Nationality: Italian/Bazilian
- Riccardo Pigozzo
- Joined: July 1 2018
- Nationality: Italian
Defenders
- Mattia Caldra
- Position: Centre-back
- Joined: August 9 2021
- Nationality: Italian
- Pietro Ceccaroni
- Position: Centre-back
- Joined: September 1st 2020
- Nationality: Italian
- Michael Svoboda
- Position: Centre-back
- Joined: September 1st 2020
- Nationality: Austrian
- Marco Modolo (Captain)
- Position: Centre-back
- Joined: August 24th 2015
- Nationality: Italian
- David Schnegg
- Position: Left-back
- Joined: July 1st 2021
- Nationality: Austrian
- Gian Filippo Felicoli
- Position: Left-back
- Joined: July 18th 2019
- Nationality: Italian
- Cristian Molinaro
- Position: Left-back
- Joined: January 15th 2020
- Nationality: Italian
- Pasquale Mazzocchi
- Position: Right-back
- Joined: September 23rd 2020
- Nationality: Italian
- Tyronne Ebuehi
- Position: Right-back
- Joined: July 1 2021
- Nationality: Nigerian/Dutch
Strikers
- Denis Johnsen
- Position: Left winger
- Joined: August 25th 2020
- Nationality: Norwegian
- Francesco Di Mariano
- Position: Left winger
- Joined: July 11 2018
- Nationality: Italian
- Bjarki Steinn Bjarkason
- Position: Left winger
- Joined: September 1st 2020
- Nationality: Icelandic
- Nicolas Galazzi
- Position: Right winger
- Joined: February 1st 2021
- Nationality: Italian
- David Okereke
- Position: Centre-forward
- Joined: August 12th 2021
- Nationality: Nigerian
- Francesco Forte
- Position: Centre-forward
- Joined: September 23 2020
- Nationality: Italian
- Riccardo Bocalon
- Position: Centre-forward
- Joined: January 31st 2019
- Nationality: Italian
- Gianmarco Zigoni
- Position: Centre-forward
- Joined: July 1 2018
- Nationality: Italian
- Ottar Magnus Karlsson
- Position: Centre-forward
- Joined: September 25th 2020
- Nationality: Icelandic
Managers
- Paolo Zanetti
- Status: Manager
- Appointed: August 14th 2020
- Nationality: Italian
- Alberto Bertolini
- Status: Assistant Manager
- Appointed: August 14th 2020
- Nationality: Italian
Coaches
- Massimo Lotti
- Status: Goalkeeping Coach
- Appointed: October 22nd 2014
- Nationality: Italian
- Nicola Beati
- Status: Technical Coach
- Appointed: July 13th 2021
- Nationality: Italian
- Fabio Trentin
- Status: Athletic coach
- Appointed: August 14th 2020
- Nationality: Italian
Home Kit
Since its establishment in 1907, Venezia FC has seen numerous home kits that all varied in color and design. The first kits were blue and red, however, they would later change green and black in 1908 – with that particular combination remaining popular to this day.
These days, the home kit is still black and green, but now it also features accents of orange and gold, which also feature as the colors on the club’s logo.
Away Kit
In an interesting subversion of the home kit, the Venezia FC away kit is completely white but also features patterns made up of the club’s iconic combination of green, black and orange.
Logo
Since 1930, the logo of Venezia FC has featured the winged lion of Saint Mark, a mythical creature that is closely associated with the province of Venice.
If you were to visit the city, you would notice that the winged lion features in various artwork and architecture, with the most notable statue of the lion being located in Piazza San Marco.
Club Academy
The Venezia club academy is a training programme that offers open days and training sessions to young players, allowing them to showcase their athletic abilities and talent.
The academy holds numerous trials throughout the year and has yielded notable soccer players such as Tomasso Rocchi, Paolo Poggi and Matteo Centurioni.
League Titles
Coppa Italia
- Winners: 1940-41 season
Serie B
- Champions: 1960-61, 1965-66
- Runners-up: 1938-39, 1948-49. 1997-98
- Promoted: 2000-01, 2020-21
Serie C
- Champions: 1935-36, 1955-56, 2016-17
- Runners-up: 1990-91
Coppa Italia Lega Pro
- Winners: 2016-17
Serie C2
- Champions: 2005-06
- Runners-up: 1987-88
Serie D
- Champions: 1982-83, 2011-12
- Runners-up: 1978-79
Fun Facts
- Members of Venezia FC are often referred to as ‘Leoni alati’ which means ‘winged lions’ in Italian. Of course, this is a reference to the winged lion of Saint Mark which is emblazoned on their club logo.
- Many tourists believe that the club’s logo is a gryphon, as the winged lion is a figure only found in Venetian culture.
- Because Venice is situated on the Venetian lagoon, members of Venezia FC are also commonly referred to as ‘lagunari’ which means ‘lagoonal ones’ in Italian.