SSD Savoia 1908 FC

From foundation to the post-war years On 21 November 1908 a group of industrialists from Torre Annunziata’s flour-milling and pasta-making sector founded Unione Sportiva Savoia in the town. Ciro Ilardi became the first president, while the founding members included Italo Moretti, Leonida Bertone and Willy Fornari, the latter also serving as the first coach. The origin of the name remains uncertain. One theory links it to the battle cry of the Savoyard troops – Avanti Savoia! – with which several of the founders had fought for the Royal House. Another hypothesis is that it is a tribute to the ruling family. During the Great War it won the Campania third-category championship. On 3 November 1919, after losing a play-off for promotion to Prima Categoria against Pro Caserta, the club entered the Promozione championship, finishing third yet gaining admission to the 1920–21 Prima Categoria following the enlargement of the leagues. During this period, Savoia merged with the town’s second team, Pro Italia, and on 13 June 1920 the Campo Oncino was inaugurated. the championship of Central-Southern Italy and contesting the 1924 national finals against Genoa. Until then Central-Southern champions had always suffered heavy defeats against northern clubs, but after an honourable 3–1 loss in the first leg, Savoia made history in the return leg by drawing 1–1 against Genoa, becoming the first Central-Southern club to remain unbeaten in a match against a northern side. The coach during that three-year period was Raffaele Di Giorgio, assisted by Wisbar in the final two seasons. The line-up of the runners-up of Italy was: Visciano; Nebbia, Lobianco; Cassese, Gaia, Borghetto; Orsini, Ghisi I, Bobbio, Mombelli, Maltagliati. Financial difficulties subsequently forced president Teodoro Voiello to relinquish control, effectively suspending the club’s national activity. After the 1926–27 Seconda Divisione, lost only in a play-off against Terni, the club was nevertheless promoted to Prima Divisione by the Direttorio Divisioni Superiori for sporting merit following the enlargement of the leagues. The financial crisis worsened after an attempted match-fixing incident against Fiorentina, for which the FIGC imposed a 4,500-lire fine that led to bankruptcy and a further one-year hiatus, compounded by the closure of the historic Campo Oncino. Following these events, the Campo Formisano was inaugurated in 1929. From the 1930s – during the first half of which the club was known as Fascio Sportivo Savoia – the team competed regularly in Serie C until the post-war period, except for the two-year spell of 1936–38 when it was renamed first Associazione Calcio Torre Annunziata and then Spolettificio Torre Annunziata. Effectively a military side The signing of Enrico Colombari, who ended his playing career in Torre Annunziata and started his coaching career there, helped the team earn second place in 1938–39 behind Fulvio Bernardini’s MATER; then, under coach Osvaldo Sacchi, the club achieved its best-ever Coppa Italia result, reaching the round of 32 in 1939; later, with Ruggero Zanolla, it finished fifth in 1940–41 and third in 1942–43. In 1944, for political reasons, the club abandoned both the Savoy coat of arms and the name Savoia, becoming first Ilva Torrese and then Unione Sportiva Torrese. During the final years of World War II it participated in the 1944 Coppa della Liberazione and the 1945 Campionato Campano, When league football resumed, Torrese placed fourth in 1945–46 and, thanks to the withdrawals of Benevento and Gladiator, earned its first-ever promotion to Serie B. Under president Carotenuto, coach Dario Compiani and the attacking trio of Calleri, Ghezzi and Rossi, the team finished sixth in 1946–47, still the highest position achieved by the white-shielded club since the introduction of the round-robin tournament. With the reduction of the leagues, twelfth place in 1948 meant relegation to Serie C. From that year the club began to weaken, entering a slow decline that saw four relegations against just one promotion, culminating in bankruptcy in 1955, the same year the Campo Formisano – home to the whites for roughly a quarter of a century – was closed. 1955–2000 After the 1955 refounding the club reverted to its former name Unione Sportiva Savoia, but the lack of a home ground and chronic shortage of funds ushered in a dark decade without significant successes. After years playing on fields across the province of Naples, the municipal stadium was finally inaugurated on 25 January 1962 and, two years later, the club was renamed the Associazione Polisportiva Savoia. Under coach Bruno Pesaola in the first year and the duo Spartano–Lopez in the second, the club won two consecutive championships and returned to Serie C in 1965. It failed to stay up, however, despite a respectable campaign that left it one point above the relegation zone with six matches remaining, only for six straight defeats to wipe out the advantage. Relegation followed after a 2–0 play-off loss to Nardò. Relegated again to Serie D, Savoia played four highly competitive seasons, finishing second twice – in 1967 a point behind Giuseppe Wilson’s Internapoli and in 1968 behind Matera – before winning the league in 1970 at the expense of historic rivals Turris. After a solid first year back in Serie C, new financial problems triggered a double relegation; only D’Amelio’s intervention saved the club from bankruptcy. With Gioacchino Coppola as president, the team promptly returned to Serie D. Under businessman Franco Immobile the club enjoyed both economic stability and consistent results, culminating in a 1978 play-off for the newly created Serie C2. Despite the defeat, the FIGC readmitted the Oplontini due to their sporting merit, returning them to professional football. That year the club added the foundation year to its name, becoming Associazione Calcio Savoia 1908. After two excellent fifth- and fourth-place finishes and one mid-table result, the team was relegated to the Interregionale in 1982, remaining there for eight consecutive seasons, six of which were under President Michele Gallo. The acquisition by the Farinelli family laid the foundations for a new successful cycle that lasted until the new millennium. In 1989, under president Pasquale Farinelli, Savoia won promotion to Serie C2 after a season-long battle with Stabia, the first promotion in fifteen years. An inconsistent 1993 campaign forced another play-out, this time against Licata. The Sicilians – who had reached the play-out after a draw with Monopoli later revealed to involve sporting fraud – won, but in the summer the Campanians were readmitted to professional football due to a series of bankruptcies in C1 and C2. The club retained its status until 1995. With the Farinellis’ departure and limited resources, new president Viglione entrusted the technical area to a young Luigi De Canio, who secured the team's safety in his first year before winning promotion to Serie C1 in 1995, defeating Matera 2–1 in the play-off final at Foggia’s Zaccheria. At the end of that season businessman Mario Moxedano purchased the club from Franco Salvatore and cleared its debts. The ambitious president invested heavily in the transfer market, bringing to Torre Annunziata players such as Carruezzo, De Rosa, Porchia, Marasco and Veronese, and succeeded in returning the club to Serie B after more than half a century. Promotion was narrowly missed in 1997 when Savoia lost the play-off final 1–0 to Ancona. It was achieved in 1999: having qualified for the play-offs from the last available spot and starting as underdogs, Osvaldo Jaconi’s side first eliminated Palermo in a double-legged semi-final and then local rivals Juve Stabia 2–0 in the final at Avellino’s Partenio. Despite Ghirardello’s 16 goals, the Serie B season was difficult, although it remains one of the most important post-war chapters in the club’s history: Savoia finished 19th and were relegated, yet recorded notable results such as home wins against Empoli and Sampdoria (both 1–0), an away victory (3–1) against Salernitana and draws against Napoli at the San Paolo and Brescia at the Rigamonti. The following year in C1 Savoia again attempted to reach the second division but, after an explosive start and a historic 5–1 home win over an eventually promoted Palermo, missed the promotion play-offs only on head-to-head record against Ascoli. 21st century At the end of the 2000–01 season president Moxedano announced the sale of the club to Sorrento businessman Antonino Pane, who quickly committed numerous financial irregularities, preventing registration for Serie C1 and causing bankruptcy. For these events Pane was later sentenced to six years in prison. Restarting from Eccellenza after merging with historic local club Internapoli and taking the temporary name Intersavoia for one season, the club climbed back to Serie D, spending eight consecutive seasons there and losing three play-off finals between 2003 and 2007. Relegated to Eccellenza in the club’s centenary year, Savoia collapsed financially and withdrew mid-season, suffering a second relegation in two years. Refounded on 19 June 2010 by the directors of fellow city club Atletico Savoia (then competing in Promozione), with the approval of the mayor and the ultras, the club took the name Associazione Sportiva Dilettantistica Calcio Savoia and enrolled in the Promozione Campania for 2010–11. On 17 February 2011 the club purchased at auction, held at the Court of Torre Annunziata, the historic trademark Associazione Calcio Savoia 1908, which had been deposited after the 2001 bankruptcy. By winning back-to-back Promozione and Eccellenza titles, as well as a regional Coppa Italia title, the club returned to Serie D in 2012. who later acquired the remaining 30%. On 17 April 2014 Savoia returned to the professional ranks after a thirteen-year absence. On 3 October 2014 the Luce family sold the club to the Consorzio Stabile Segesta led by Quirico Manca, who first led the team to on-field relegation and then to a new bankruptcy, caused in part by exorbitant wages – never paid – to the 46 registered players, resulting in expulsion from the national leagues. Refounded through a merger between Campania and Futsal Oplonti, A.S.D. Oplonti Pro Savoia was formed, inheriting the white-shielded sporting tradition and enrolling in the 2015-2016 Eccellenza Campania. Under president Antonio Nuzzo, on 30 August 2017 the club adopted the name A.S.D. Savoia 1908 and won a second regional Coppa Italia, setting the club record for goals scored in a single season (130) and earning promotion to Serie D. In July 2018 the club passed to Alfonso Mazzamauro and reverted to the historic name U.S. Savoia 1908. On 21 November of the same year the 110th anniversary was celebrated. After two high-placed finishes (second and third), in July 2021 Mazzamauro transferred the sporting title elsewhere, causing the club to lose its right to compete in Serie D. It restarted in Eccellenza thanks to the sporting title held by new president Pellerone, who on 1 November 2022 transferred it free of charge to the supporters, who in turn handed it to new president Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy. On 9 November he presented the Casa Reale Holding SpA project, listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange, through which he acquired the club and became president on 23 November. In the summer of 2024 the club acquired the sporting title of A.S.D. Portici 1906 and thus registered for Serie D without sporting merit. == Timeline ==

Below is a brief timeline of Savoia 1908. == Colours and symbols ==

Colours When U.S. Savoia was founded in 1908, the club colors were chosen to reflect Torre Annunziata’s economy, which was dominated by flour mills and pasta factories. White was chosen because it is the color of flour, the primary raw material. White returned soon after, only to disappear again nearly twenty years later. During the 1937–38 Prima Divisione, the team played in light blue because the club had changed its name to Spolettificio Torre Annunziata. At the end of the season, the white colors and the name U.S. Savoia were restored. The last time the club colors deviated from white was in the 1945 Campionato Campano, when light blue was worn again. Although white is the official color, black shorts and/or socks have frequently been used and have alternated over the years. Official symbols Crest The club’s first symbol was the coat of arms of the House of Savoy, used from the foundation in 1908 until 1930. From that year (after the name change to Fascio Sportivo Savoia) until 1936 it was accompanied by the fasces and enclosed in a blue oval. In the 1937–38 Prima Divisione season the club was called Spolettificio Torre Annunziata (being composed of soldiers from the local Royal Arms Factory) and adopted the artillery insignia as its crest. The following year the Savoy coat of arms returned, only to be abandoned in 1944 for historical-political reasons, All trace of the anthem had been lost until 2010, when it was rediscovered in an old newspaper article; with the original music and lyrics, it was rearranged and re-recorded. == Facilities ==

Stadium The first playing field used by Savoia was called Campo Montagnelle. It measured fifty meters in length and almost thirty meters in width, with a surface that turned into quicksand on rainy days. It effectively replaced the Campo Montagnelle. Savoia plays its home matches at the Stadio Alfredo Giraud, inaugurated in 1962 as the Comunale. With a capacity of 12,750, in 1982 it was named after Alfredo Giraud – father of former players Raffaele, Michele and Giovanni and vice-president of the 1924 runners-up of Italy. Modernised in 1999 for the club’s Serie B promotion, it was renovated again in 2010 with the installation of latest-generation artificial turf. Training ground Savoia trains at the facilities of the Stadio Alfredo Giraud in Torre Annunziata. == Organization ==

Savoia is an association comprising a president, an honorary president, a vice-president, a secretary, a treasurer and ten directors. It was established in the summer of 2011. The club's headquarters are located on Corso Umberto I. The following is a list of the official headquarters used by Savoia throughout its history: Sponsors Below are the chronologies of the club’s official and technical sponsors: Social commitment The club is a member of the Oplontis Onlus non-profit consortium, which operates in the territory of the city of Torre Annunziata with the aim of protecting minors and the most vulnerable sections of society. On 2 October 2013, represented by its president Lazzaro Luce, the club joined the awareness campaign against violence towards women organised by the "Ferma il Femminicidio" group of Torre Annunziata. Youth sector The Juniores team became Italian champions in the 2004–05 season. The Savoia youth sector comprises the Allievi, Giovanissimi, Esordienti, Pulcini and Primi calci teams, which compete in their respective regional championships. All youth teams play their home matches at the Stadio Alfredo Giraud in Torre Annunziata. have paid tribute to the club for its sporting achievements. == Presence in popular culture ==

During the 1923–24 season, Savoia became the first team from central-southern Italy to avoid defeat against a northern side. In 2003, after the Savoia family returned to Italy, news emerged that the Royal House wished to purchase the Savoyard coat of arms of the bankrupt A.C. Savoia 1908, which was held by the Torre Annunziata court and was up for sale for euros. In 2015, club officials met Prince Emanuele Filiberto in Milan and presented him with the club's jersey. That same year, the club's players attracted national attention when they chose to train in the public square in front of the Giraud stadium after several months of unpaid wages. In autumn 2022, Naples' Direzione Investigativa Antimafia revealed that the club had been forced to pay a pizzo of €130,000 to local Camorra clans in order to continue its sporting activities undisturbed. == Managers and presidents ==

''Below are the chronological lists of managers and presidents since the club's foundation:'' == Players ==

In over 100 years of history, more than 800 players, mostly Italian, have worn the Savoia jersey. Captains Below is a list of Savoia captains: • Alfredo Fornari (1920–1921) • Giovanni Nebbia (1922–1923) • Raffaele Giraud (1935–1936) • Enrico Colombari (1938–1939) • Gennaro Uliano (1957–1958) • Vincenzo De Luca (1958–1959) • Giovanni Biemmi (1962–1963) • Franco Palumbo (1963–1966) • Enzo Bertossi (1966–1968) • Domenico Busiello (1968–1970) • Pacifico Cuman (1970–1971) • Francesco Scarpa (1971–1972) • Renato Poggiali (1972–1973) • Domenico Busiello (1974–1975) • Raffaele Riso (1975–1976) • Carlo De Amicis (1976 rov–1977) • Fausto Montresor (1977–1978) • Ivan Gregori (1978–1979) • Giuseppe Cafaro (1979–1980) • Giorgio Cantelli (1980–1981) • Giuseppe Cafaro (1981–1982) • Giovanni Bacchiocchi (1982–1983) • Giuseppe Vianello (1983–1984) • Antonio Cinquegrana (1984–1985) • Giorgio Vesce (1985–1986) • Stefano Francioni (1986–1987) • Giuseppe Cimmaruta (1987–1988) • Pellegrino Gaito (1988–1989) • Francesco Esposito (1989–1991) • Massimo Assante (1991–1992) • Salvatore Amura (1992–1993) • Ciro Raimondo (1993–1994) • Salvatore Amura (1994–1995) • Pietro Mariani (1995–1996) • Antonio Marasco (1996–1998) • Aldo Monza (1998–1999) • Stefano Ghirardello (1999–2000) • Diego Pellegrini (2000–2001) • Giovanni Cacace (2001–2002) • Antonio Rogazzo (2002–2003) • Ciro Ferrara (2003–2004) • Pasquale Ottobre (2004–2005) • Alberto Savino (2005) • Antonio Marasco (2006) • Giorgio Scognamiglio (2007–2008) • Francesco Pinto (2008–2009) • Luigi Caravano (2010–2011) • Pasquale Ottobre (2011–2012) • Antonio Guarro (2012–2013) • Francesco Scarpa (2013–2015) • Antonio Guarro (2015–2017) • Dino Fava Passaro (2017–2018) • Crescenzo Liccardo (2018) • Ciro Poziello (2018–2021) • Francesco Scarpa (2021–2023) • Michele Girardi (2023) • Mariano Petricciuolo (2023–2024) • Giacomo Mengoli (2024) • Riccardo Maniero (2024–2025) Contributions to national teams The following players were capped by their respective national teams while playing for Savoia: • Generoso Rossi for the Italy under-20 team in 1999; • Giacomo Mazzi for the Italy under-20 team in 1999; • Daniele De Vezze for the Italy under-20 team in 2000; • Christian Kanyengele for the DR Congo national team in 2000. == Honours ==

Interregional competitions • Central-Southern Italy Championship: 1 : 1923–24 • Serie D: 4 : 1964–65, 1969–70, 1989–90, 2013–14 Regional competitions • Giordano Cup: 1 : 1920–21 • Campanian Championship: 5 : 1922–23, 1923–24, 1924–25, 1929–30, 1974–75 • Terza Divisione: 1 : 1929–30 • Prima Divisione: 1 : 1937–38 • Campania Cup: 1 : 1937–38 • Teodoro Capocci Trophy: 1 : 1937–38 • Promozione: 3 : 1953–54, 1974–75, 2010–11 • Prima Categoria: 1 : 1963–64 • Eccellenza: 3 (record) : 2001–02, 2011–12, 2017–18 • Coppa Italia Dilettanti Campania: 2 : 2011–12, 2017–18 Other placements • Promozione : Promotion: 1 (1919–20) • Central-Southern Italy Championship : Runners-up (1922–23) • Prima Divisione : Runners-up (1923–24) • Prima Divisione : Promotion: 1 (1934–35) • Serie C : Promotion: 1 (1945–46) • Serie D : Promotion: 1 (1977–78) • Serie C2 : Promotion: 1 (1994–95) • Serie C1 : Promotion: 1 (1998–99) : Third place: 1996–97 (Group B) Youth competitions • Under-19 National Junior Championship: 1 : 2004–05 Awards == Statistics and records ==

Team statistics Savoia made their debut in the Italian top flight, then known as Prima Categoria, on 28 November 1920 in the Campania Group A: Savoia–Puteolana 1–1. Their last appearance at that level came on 24 May 1925 in Lazio–Savoia 1–1. In the top tier, Savoia contested five championships (all before the introduction of the single-group format), earning 95 points from 67 matches, with 41 wins, 13 draws and 13 defeats. They scored 148 goals and conceded 70, giving a points-per-game average of 1.42 – second only to Pro Vercelli in the all-time ranking of the pre-single-group era. Their best finish was second place in the 1923–24 season. == Supporters ==

History Given the relatively small population of its catchment area, the club's supporters are renowned for their consistently impressive attendance numbers. During the 1964 promotion play-offs to Serie D against Boys Caivanese, a crowd of 23,000 was recorded. On 18 January 2012, the Coppa Italia Dilettanti semi-final against Gladiator drew 6,000 spectators – a figure rarely seen at that level of amateur football. A distinctive tradition among Savoia fans is the chant known as “bianchi alè”, performed for many years at the end of every match, with the team gathering beneath the curva to join the ultras in song. Vecchi Supporters 1986, Bronx 2004, Rione Carminiello 2004, and UCS (Ultras Cani Sciolti). More recent additions include Black Lions (formed in 2022). Past groups include Gioventù Torrese, The very first organised group remains Savoia Club Fedelissimi A. Bellomo, founded in 1975. Twinnings and rivalries Savoia fans are twinned with supporters of Acireale and Ebolitana – the latter dates back to 1985, making it the oldest bond of its kind. Friendly relations exist with the supporters of Paganese (both groups share a rivalry with Nocerina), Sarnese and Catania (established in 2001). In recent years a friendship has also developed with German club Arminia Bielefeld. The twenty-year twinning with Benevento ended in 2016. The fiercest rivalries are with Turris (due to geographical proximity; clashes reached a peak on 18 January 1998) and Nocerina (during clashes in 1995 gunshots were fired). The animosity with Nocerina is sometimes traced back to the famous brawl between Pompeian and Nocerian gladiators in the Amphitheatre of Pompeii in AD 59. Strong rivalries also exist with Avellino (intensified since 2000), Portici, Cavese, Siracusa, Ischia and Casertana (where a Savoia player was attacked in 2004). Less intense rivalries exist with Juve Stabia (the twinning partnership, which lasted around 20 years, soured after Savoia began rivaling Stabia’s historical allies, Siracusa), Potenza, Battipagliese, Matera, Foggia, Fidelis Andria, Perugia and Vicenza. ;Derbies Four city derbies have been played in Torre Annunziata. In the distant 1919–20 Promozione (the forerunner of today’s Serie B), Savoia twice defeated local rivals Pro Italia 1–0 and 3–0; and 4–3 in Savoia’s favour. Other notable derbies involve historic clubs from the wider Naples metropolitan area and the rest of Campania. The most contested fixture for Savoia supporters is the so-called derby of the two towers against Turris – a reference to the two neighbouring coastal towns of Torre Annunziata and Torre del Greco. Other highly charged encounters include those with Juve Stabia (from nearby Castellammare di Stabia), Nocerina, Cavese and Avellino, all of which are regularly monitored by the Osservatorio Nazionale sulle Manifestazioni Sportive. == See also ==