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Template:Football club infobox US Cittą di Palermo is an Italian soccer team which currently plays in Serie A, the top level of Italian football.
Originally founded in 1898 as the Anglo Panormitan Athletic and Football Club, in 1907 this soccer team from Palermo, Sicily changed its name to Palermo FBC, and the team colors were changed to pink and black. The team played in a regionally organized league until 1929, when the team was admitted to I Division League (Serie C). In 1932 it obtained the first promotion to Serie A, but in 1939 the team was cancelled by the Italian football federation because of economic problems.
The team, refounded, would return in Serie A in 1948. Until 1973, the team played only in Serie A and Serie B under the presidence of Renzo Barbera, still known today as the one of the greatest chairmen in the team's history. They also participated in two Italian Cup against Bologna and Juventus, but lost both.
After 1973, Palermo FBC only played in Serie B, except for the 1984/1985 season (Serie C). In the summer of 1986 the team was once again cancelled because of financial problems. In the fall of 1987, after a year without football in Palermo, a new club bearing the current name was created and began play in Serie C2.
The Serie B return occurred 1991, but lasted only a year. In 1993, the team again returned to Serie B for 4 more years, and concluded with a Serie C1 relegation. In 1997, the team, relegated to the Serie C2 division, was saved by the federation due to the cancellation of another team.
The team, bought by AS Roma chairman Franco Sensi, was newly promoted to Serie B in 2001. Sold to Maurizio Zamparini in summer 2002 after a quiet Serie B season, the team arrived 5th in the 2002/2003 season after having lost Serie A promotion in the last match, against Lecce. Palermo won the Serie B title in the 2003/2004 season on goal difference over Cagliari. The 2004/2005 season is the first in Serie A for the current Palermo club, and the first for any Palermo club since 1973.
On September 4, 2004, during the 2006 World Cup Qualfications' match Italy vs Norway, played in Palermo, striker Luca Toni, top team and Serie B goalscorer with 30 goals for the end of the 2003/2004 season, marked the winning goal (the match ended 2-1). It was the first goal scored by a Palermo player for the Italian national team.
The official team colours are still pink and black. The team is nicknamed rosanero (referring to the team colours) or aquile (referring to the official logo).
The US Cittą di Palermo stadium is the Renzo Barbera, formerly known as La Favorita. It has a capacity of 37,460 people.
The team's current stars include national football team players Luca Toni, Simone Barone, Andrea Barzagli and Cristian Zaccardo, plus forward Franco Brienza and midfield Eugenio Corini.
Palermo ended the Serie A season with a surprising sixth place, being so qualified for the 2005/2006 UEFA Cup for its first historical time.
Current first team squad
As of February 2005
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Links
- Official Team Site (in Italian) (http://www.ilpalermocalcio.it)
- A fan site (in Italian) (http://www.pianetarosanero.it)
- A entertainment fan site (in Italian) (http://www.palermoplanet.it)