A.C. Perugia (early years) A.C. Perugia were founded on 9 June 1905, after the merger of
U.S. Fortebraccio and
Libertas. During the early 1900s, the club primarily engaged in regional competitions. Throughout the 1930s, Perugia experienced significant growth, culminating in its inaugural promotion to Serie B in 1933. Notably, in 1937, Perugia constructed its first official stadium, Santa Giuliana. After a second promotion to Serie B in the season 1945–46, Perugia spent almost all of the 1950s in the lower divisions. The society underwent profound renewal, with the arrival of Apulian entrepreneur
Franco D'Attoma as president and with a new technical and managerial staff, including
Ilario Castagner, a former player for the team in the early part of the previous decade, as coach, and
Silvano Ramaccioni as sporting director. Several new players joined the team, including defender
Pierluigi Frosio, midfielders
Franco Vannini and
Renato Curi, and forward
Paolo Sollier. Sollier gained attention beyond football circles and was known for using a
clenched fist salute on the pitch. Perugia secured promotion to Serie A with a three-point lead over
Como and a four-point lead over
Verona.
A.C. Perugia (D'Attoma years) The newly promoted Perugia, competing in the new
Comunale di Pian di Massiano stadium, embarked on its inaugural Serie A campaign, retaining much of the squad from the previous season. Their debut match in Serie A was against
Milan on October 5, 1975. On May 16, 1976, Renato Curi - who played a pivotal role in Perugia's journey to Serie A - scored the decisive goal in the Perugia-Juventus match, sealing
Torino's victory in the championship against Juventus. Additionally, Perugia made its debut in European competitions during that season, participating in the
Mitropa Cup. Despite this loss, Perugia continued to excel. The following season, they made history by becoming the first team to complete a Serie A campaign undefeated, finishing runners-up in 1979 with 11 wins and 19 draws, resulting in the only unbeaten side not to win a title. Also notable was President D'Attoma's pioneering commercial deal with the Ponte pasta factory, which marked the first instance of a kit sponsorship for an Italian football team, setting a precedent in the history of Italian football. The ongoing absence of a key midfielder like Vannini, who later retired due to injury, further hindered their season. However, as the club appeared to have solidified its position in Italian football, an unexpected turn of events occurred. In March 1980, the
Totonero scandal erupted, implicating Rossi himself and indirectly impacting Perugia's fate. The team collapsed, finishing the season in a nondescript seventh place and was penalized five points in the following season, which ultimately led to relegation in 1981. However, the club's decline continued, culminating in a double relegation to Serie C2 in 1986 due to their involvement in the
1986 Totonero scandal, despite already facing relegation on the pitch. It was during this time that
Fabrizio Ravanelli would be discovered, he would later go on to a career with Reggiana, Juventus, Middlesbrough and several other clubs before returning to Perugia.
A.C. Perugia (Gaucci years) In 1991, the entrepreneur and sportsman
Luciano Gaucci took control of the club. His impactful legacy with the team endured until 2005, characterized by notable moments, including the contentious attempt to recruit the first female footballer for a male Serie A side, an unexpected victory against championship contender Juventus in 2000, and the triumph in the Intertoto Cup in 2003. Gaucci, known for his unconventional methods of dealing with players, coaches, and journalists, expressed his determination to swiftly return the Biancorossi to the top flight, a goal he achieved within five years. Despite narrowly missing promotion in the 1991–1992 season, Perugia secured promotion to Serie B the following year after defeating Acireale in a playoff match. However, the joy was short-lived as Gaucci was embroiled in a scandal involving a gift of a horse to the family of a favorable referee, leading to the denial of Serie B promotion by the Italian Football Federation. Nevertheless, the 1993–1994 season saw Perugia, led by
Ilario Castagner, dominate their group and earn promotion to Serie B, with Cornacchini clinching the top scorer title for the second consecutive year. The team's stay in Serie B lasted only two seasons, as they achieved promotion to Serie A in the 1995–1996 season under the guidance of
Giovanni Galeone. Led by captain
Federico Giunti and striker
Marco Negri, Perugia secured promotion with a dramatic victory over Verona, ultimately sealing their return to the top flight after a fifteen-year absence. Perugia started well before Gaucci's decision to replace Galeone with
Nevio Scala. The side's form subsequently declined before a late rally gave them a chance of survival- a 2–1 defeat at Piacenza in the final round ultimately determined relegation by tie-breaker rules due to finishing level on points. The next six seasons saw Perugia hold their own in Serie A with foreign imports including the Japanese international
Hidetoshi Nakata in 1998 and the Ecuadorian top goal scorer Ivan Kaviedes. The team came under scrutiny when Gaucci criticised and eventually terminated the contract of his own player,
Ahn Jung-Hwan of South Korea, for scoring the
golden goal that knocked Italy out of the
2002 FIFA World Cup, and allegedly insulting the Italian nation. Ahn's national manager
Guus Hiddink spoke out against the sacking. In the summer of 2003, Perugia signed English striker
Jay Bothroyd, and
Al-Saadi Gaddafi (the son of Libyan dictator
Muammar Gaddafi). Soon after, the club were one of three winners of the
2003 UEFA Intertoto Cup after beating
VfL Wolfsburg of Germany 3–0 on aggregate. This qualified the team to the
2003–04 UEFA Cup, in which they were eliminated in the third round by
PSV Eindhoven.
Perugia Calcio (2005–2010) The new chairman Vincenzo Silvestrini had re-established the club in 2005 as
Perugia Calcio. After a takeover, in 2009 Perugia Calcio property passed to Perugian entrepreneur and former
Pisa owner and chairman Leonardo Covarelli. On 21 May 2010 the Court of Perugia declared the bankruptcy of Perugia Calcio srl. Nobody decided to take over the society at the subsequent auction and on 30 June 2010 the club was unable to join the Italian third level championship 2010–2011. The
Italian Football Federation decided on 8 July 2010 to revoke the affiliation of the bankrupt
Perugia Calcio Srl.
A.C. Perugia Calcio (2010–present) In July 2010, a new club with the same denomination as ASD Perugia Calcio and inheriting the old side history, was entered into the
Serie D with local entrepreneur Roberto Damaschi as chairman. On 10 April 2011, Perugia became the first team of the season to get promoted from Serie D to the
Lega Pro Seconda Divisione 2011–12, after a 3–2 home victory against
Castel Rigone. The club also won the 2010–11
Coppa Italia Serie D, beating
Turris 1–0 in the final. In summer 2011 the club was renamed
Associazione Calcistica Perugia Calcio, to play in the
Lega Pro Seconda Divisione/B obtaining immediate promotion to
Lega Pro Prima Divisione. On 4 May 2014, beating Frosinone 1–0, AC Perugia won the 2013–14 Lega Pro Prima Divisione championship and gained promotion to Serie B after a 9-year absence from Italy's second highest football division. Additionally, Roman entrepreneur Massimiliano Santopadre acquired full ownership of the club's shares. On 2 May 2021, Perugia finished in first place in group B of the
2020–21 Serie C, and were promoted back to the Serie B. Their promotion came after consecutive wins in the last five games on the season, having been in third place, six points from first place. == Players ==