Wikipedia

SS Leonzio 1909

ASD SS Leonzio 1909, also commonly known as Leonzio, is an Italian football club located in Lentini.

Leonzio 1909
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Full nameAssociazione Sportiva Dilettantisica Società Sportiva Leonzio 1909
Founded1909; founded as Sport Club Leonzio
1988; refounded as Società Sportiva Atletico Leonzio
1994; refounded as Società Sportiva Leonzio 1909
2003; refounded as Associazione Calcio Sporting Leonzio 1909
2012; refounded as Associazione Sportiva Dilettantistica Atletico Leonzio
2013; refounded as Associazione Sportiva Dilettantistica Sicula Leonzio (from 2017 called Sicula Leonzio)
2020 (dissolved)
2021; refounded as Associazione Sportiva Dilettantistica F.C. Leonzio 1909
2022; refounded as Associazione Sportiva Dilettantistica S.S. Leonzio 1909
GroundSicula Trasporti Stadium–Stadio Angelino Nobile,
Lentini, Italy
Capacity3,500
ChairmanGaetano Vinci[1]
ManagerFabrizio Daghio[2]
LeagueEccellenza Sicily Group B

They will participate in the 2024–25 Eccellenza, the fifth level of the Italian football league system.

History

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Origins (1909–1980s)

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Sport Club Leonzio in 1909.

The club was founded in 1909 as Sport Club Leonzio by some students attending the Technical and Commercial Institute of Augusta. Among them, Giuseppe Messina, Angelino Nobile and Francesco Siracusano were from Lentini. They chose black and white as the club's colours.[3] In 1914, the marchioness Riso organised a four-team competition that saw the participation of US Catanese, Megara Augusta, Leonzio, and Carlentini. The award consisted of a diploma and a gold medal. Leonzio reached the final, in which they had to face Carlentini in an away match in the nearby town in what was the first derby of Leonzio's history. However, the first match was suspended because a brawl erupted. The organizers decided to replay the game in the neutral venue of Agnone Bagni. Leonzio eventually won the competition, managing to attract the first interest of Lentinesi towards football.[3]

After having participated in regional and juvenile tournaments for decades, Leonzio was admitted to the 1945–46 Serie C. At the end of the season, economic troubles, which have characterized the club throughout its history, prevented Leonzio from renewing the registration to the league.[3] After 10 additional years spent in minor regional championships, the club was admitted through a repechage to 1956–57 Promozione Sicilia, the higher tier of regional tournaments in Sicily. The permanence in this league lasted for three seasons, as Leonzio was relegated to Prima Categoria during the 1959–60 season. Leonzio had to wait until the 1968–69 season to be promoted back on the fourth tier of the Italian football league system, conquering the 1969–70 Serie D under the management of Adelmo Prenna, who was also a playing footballer of the team.[3]

Starting from the 1969–70 season, Leonzio competed for ten consecutive seasons in Serie D, achieving a second place as the best result in the 1972–73 Serie D.[3]

Atletico Leonzio era (1988–1994)

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One of the most prominent eras of the Lentinese club started in 1988, when Società Sportiva Atletico Leonzio was formed after the fusion between Società Sportiva Leonzio (which would have been relegated to the Seconda Categoria Sicilia for the 1988–89 season) and Società Sportiva Atletico Catania.[3] This new society joined the 1988–89 Serie C2.[4] In the fifth consecutive season in Serie C2, Atletico Leonzio achieved second place in Girone C,[5] being promoted to 1993–94 Serie C1.[6] However, the chairman Franco Proto decided to move the club to Catania at the end of the season.[3] The fusion with Atletico Catania was, therefore, disrupted. The old club was reformed by the name of Società Sportiva Leonzio 1909, which enrolled the 1994–95 Campionato Nazionale Dilettanti.[3]

Refoundations and return to regional leagues (1995–2013)

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At the end of the season, S.S. Leonzio 1909 were relegated to the 1995–96 Eccellenza Sicily,[3] in which they will remain for six seasons before being relegated again to Promozione at the end of the season 2000–01.[7] In the summer of 2002, the title of the freshly promoted to Serie D Misterbanco was moved to Lentini under the nomination of Associazione Calcio Lentini,[8] This new team participated in the 2002–03 Serie D, but at the end of the season it was relegated to Eccellenza after losing relegation playoffs to Nuova Vibonese.[9] In the meanwhile, S.S. Leonzio 1909 had participated in 2002–03 Promozione, being relegated to 2003–04 Prima Categoria at the end of the season.[10]

A new denomination, Associazione Calcio Sporting Leonzio 1909,[11] was given to A.C. Lentini in the 2003 summer.[12] A.C.S. Leonzio 1909 enrolled in the 2003–04 Serie D.[13] Even though the relegation was barely avoided by winning the relegation playoffs,[13] the endless financial problems of the club forced them to join the 2004–05 Eccellenza[14] instead with the name Associazione Calcio Leonzio 1909.[15] By the 2009–10 season, Leonzio, which in the meanwhile had taken the name Associazione Sportiva Dilettantistica Leonzio,[16] sank to Prima Categoria. In this season, they reached but lost promotion playoffs against Real San Cristoforo because of a tough 0–5 at home.[17] However, Leonzio was admitted to the 2010–11 Promozione through a repechage.[18]

On April 2, 2011, Leonzio was promoted to Eccellenza by winning 1–0 against Comiso.[19] Leonzio ended the 2011–12 Eccellenza at the fifteenth place with only 6 points. In August 2012, Leonzio remained without a chairman and did not enrol in any league. As a consequence, Associazione Sportiva Dilettantistica Atletico Leonzio restarted from Terza Categoria, the bottom of the Italian league system.[20]

Sicula Leonzio era and return to Serie C (2013–2017)

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On July 1, 2013, a new club, named Associazione Sportiva Dilettantistica Sicula Leonzio and formed from the title of Real Belpassese, was admitted to Promozione.[21][22][23] Sicula Leonzio achieved third place at the end of the season, but they lost the promotion playoffs against Comprensorio Normanno, missing the promotion to Eccellenza.[24] However, Sicula Leonzio achieved two promotions in a row in the following two seasons. During the 2014–15 season, the club obtained first place and was directly promoted.[25][26] During the 2015–16 season, Sicula Leonzio achieved third place and then beat 3–1 (a.e.t.) Troina in the semifinal and 1–0 Acireale in the final of the promotion playoffs.[27][28][29] As a result, the team qualified for the national playoffs for the promotion to Serie D, when they beat San Giorgio 1926 in the semi-final and Real Metapontino in the final.[30][31]

Sicula Leonzio managed to keep a clean sheet for the first six league games of the 2016–17 Serie D (Girone I), receiving attention from the national Italian media as being the only team among the 264 professional football clubs in the first four tiers of Italian football league system having not conceded a goal up to that point.[32] On November 22, 2016, Francesco Cozza was appointed as a new manager, replacing Seby Catania.[33][34] Under the new management, Sicula Leonzio achieved a record 15 winning streak,[35][36][37] and obtained the promotion – the third in a row – to the 2017–18 Serie C with three games to spare.[37] This result meant a return to the third tier of Italian football after 23 years of absence for the club of Lentini.[37] As a result, the club became a società a responsabilità limitata (S.r.l.), changing the name to Sicula Leonzio.[38] After the Poule Scudetto, in which Leonzio lost to Monza in the semi-final,[39] Cozza resigned his managerial position to become the manager of Taranto,[40] being replaced by Pino Rigoli.[41]

Serie C and dismissal (2017–2020)

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Leonzio vs Siracusa in Serie C on 6 May 2018.

After a difficult start in season 2017–18, in which Leonzio had won only three out of 16 matches, on December 5, 2017, Rigoli was replaced by Aimo Diana as manager of the club.[42] With Diana as a manager, Sicula Leonzio achieved a final tenth place, which meant participating in the promotion playoffs that the club, however, lost against Cosenza Calcio.[43]

For the new season, Leonzio appointed Paolo Bianco as a new manager starting in July 2018.[44] However, Bianco resigned in December 2018,[45] replaced by Vincenzo Torrente.[46] Torrente leaves the managerial role at the end of the season,[47] with the club finishing 13th in the league.

The 2019–20 season saw Vito Grieco appointed as manager, temporarily replaced by Giovanni Bucaro amid disappointing results.[48] Although the team managed to avoid relegation by winning the playoffs against Bisceglie,[49] the club was dismissed in August 2020 following the failure to register the team to the 2020–21 Serie C season because of judiciary issues faced by President Giuseppe Leonardi.[50][49]

The short-lived F.C. Leonzio 1909 (2021)

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In August 2021, a new club, named Associazione Sportiva Dilettantistica FC Leonzio 1909 and formed from the title of A.S.D. Siracusa, was admitted to Eccellenza.[51] After two consecutive withdrawals, Leonzio was excluded from the league by the Lega Nazionale Dilettanti.[52]

Another refoundation: S.S. Leonzio 1909 (2022–)

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In the summer of 2022, the club was once again refounded under the denomination of Associazione Sportiva Dilettantistica Società Sportiva Leonzio 1909 and the presidency of Gaetano Vinci.[1] They were admitted to the 2022–23 Eccellenza,[1] where they finished in 4th place but lost the playoff semifinal to Città di Taormina.[53] In the following season, Leonzio finished 14th, but won the playout final against Messana to avoid relegation.[2]

Colours and badge

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Sicula Leonzio's colours were black and white.

Stadium

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The Angelino Nobile's terrace

Leonzio play their home matches at the Stadio Angelino Nobile, which has a capacity of c. 3,500.[54]

From 2018 to 2020, the stadium was named Sicula Trasporti Stadium–Stadio Angelino Nobile, before July 2018 known as Stadio Angelino Nobile for sponsorship reasons.[55][56]

Honours

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Sub-national titles

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Serie C2

Serie D

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Presentata la nuova Leonzio: "Passione e spirito di sacrificio per sognare"". Siracusa Sport News (in Italian). 23 July 2022. Archived from the original on 2 August 2022. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  2. ^ a b Setti, Davide (12 May 2024). "Miracolo calcistico, Fabrizio Daghio salva il Leonzio ai playout di Eccellenza". il Resto del Carlino (in Italian). Archived from the original on 12 May 2024. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Lentini Cultura Oggi: Leonzio". LentiniOnline.it (in Italian). Retrieved 17 January 2015.
  4. ^ "Italy Championship 1988/89". RSSSF. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  5. ^ a b "Italy Championship 1992/93". RSSSF. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  6. ^ "Italy Championship 1993/94". RSSSF. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  7. ^ "Classifiche & statistiche Dilettanti Sicilia 00-01". CalciodiEccellenza.it (in Italian). Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  8. ^ "Il calcio a Misterbianco: un gigante dai piedi d'argilla". Misterbianco.com (in Italian). 12 July 2002. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  9. ^ "Italy Fifth Level (Serie D) 2002/03". RSSSF. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  10. ^ "Classifiche & statistiche Dilettanti Sicilia 02-03". CalciodiEccellenza.it (in Italian). Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  11. ^ "Cambio di denominazione sociale" (PDF). Segreteria Federale. Comunicato Ufficiale (in Italian). 2003–04 (103/A). Italian Football Federation. 24 November 2003. Retrieved 3 December 2018.
  12. ^ Siclari, Franco (7 July 2003). "Leonzio, confermato Santino Nuccio". La Sicilia (in Italian).
  13. ^ a b "Italy Fifth Level 2003/04". RSSSF. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  14. ^ "Classifiche & statistiche Dilettanti Sicilia 04-05". CalciodiEccellenza.it (in Italian). Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  15. ^ "Cambio di denominazione sociale" (PDF) (in Italian). FIGC. 2004. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
  16. ^ "Cambio di denominazione sociale" (PDF) (in Italian). FIGC. 2005. Retrieved 17 September 2015.
  17. ^ "Sorprese in Prima Categoria. Real Cristotoforo scatenata". La Sicilia. 19 April 2010.
  18. ^ "Calcio Siciliano: Ecco tutti i ripescaggi. Tutti i gironi di Eccellenza e Promozione". EnnaPress.it (in Italian). 16 August 2011. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  19. ^ "Calcio: La Leonzio vince il campionato e torna in Eccellenza". Siracusa News (in Italian). 3 April 2011. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  20. ^ "Scompare anche l'Atletico Leonzio". TUTTOmercatoWEB.com (in Italian). 24 August 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  21. ^ "La nuova Asd Sicula Leonzio si presenta". SiciliainGol.it (in Italian). 9 August 2013. Retrieved 16 September 2015.
  22. ^ F.I.G.C. – Delegazione Provinciale di Catania (6 August 2013). Comunicato Ufficiale n. 6 dell'8 agosto 2013 Stagione 2013/2014 (Report) (in Italian).
  23. ^ "Calcio: Felice ritorno, riecco la Leonzio!". SportdelGolfo.com (in Italian). 1 July 2013. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  24. ^ "Promozione: Comprensorio Normanno allo spareggio per l'Eccellenza". SiciliainGol.it (in Italian). 28 April 2014. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  25. ^ "Promozione, la Sicula Leonzio festeggia l'Eccellenza". SiciliainGol.it (in Italian). 12 April 2015. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  26. ^ "Leonzio, rieccoti nel calcio che conta". La Sicilia (in Italian). 12 April 2015.
  27. ^ "Campionato Eccellenza Sicilia 2015/2016 – Girone B". TuttoRisultati.it. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  28. ^ "Leonzio, il sogno continua. Ora è finale per acciuffare la D". La Sicilia (in Italian). 25 April 2016.
  29. ^ "Sicula Leonzio agli spareggi nazionali, D'Agosta beffa l'Acireale al 91′". Sicilia Sportiva (in Italian). 1 May 2016. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  30. ^ "Niente da fare per il San Giorgio, passa la Sicula". Ottopagine.it (in Italian). 22 May 2016. Retrieved 6 June 2016.
  31. ^ Sortino, Rosario (13 June 2016). "Festa Leonzio, è Serie D". La Sicilia (in Italian).
  32. ^ Polce, Luigi (10 October 2016). "Sicula Leonzio, che bella favola: è l'unica senza gol presi dalla A alla D". La Gazzetta dello Sport. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  33. ^ Maschio, Tommaso (22 November 2016). "UFFICIALE: Sicula Leonzio, Cozza è il nuovo allenatore". TUTTOmercatoWeb.com (in Italian). Retrieved 13 February 2017.
  34. ^ "Sicula Leonzio: esonerato Seby Catania, è Ciccio Cozza il nuovo tecnico". Mediagol.it. 22 November 2016. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
  35. ^ Fragalà, Alessandro (9 April 2017). "Serie D, Leonzio a una vittoria dalla LegaPro: quindicesimo sigillo consecutivo". BlogSicilia.it (in Italian). Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  36. ^ Schira, Nicolo (3 April 2017). "Sicula Leonzio da record: 14 vittorie di fila e Lega Pro a un passo". La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  37. ^ a b c d Sortino, Rosario (13 April 2017). "La Sicula Leonzio promossa in Lega Pro con tre giornate di anticipo". La Sicilia. Retrieved 14 April 2017.
  38. ^ "Lnd Sicilia : Comunicato Ufficiale n°17 del 31 luglio 2017". Sicilia Sport News (in Italian). 31 July 2017. Archived from the original on 22 July 2018. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  39. ^ "Scudetto Serie D, Il Monza vola in finale". Il Giorno (in Italian). 31 May 2017. Archived from the original on 3 June 2017. Retrieved 3 June 2017.
  40. ^ "Leonzio, addio Cozza: accordo con il Taranto". il Siracusano (in Italian). 2 June 2017. Archived from the original on 3 June 2017. Retrieved 3 June 2017.
  41. ^ "Calciomercato. Sicula Leonzio, ufficiale la panchina a Pino Rigoli". GianlucaDiMarzio.com (in Italian). 21 June 2017. Archived from the original on 27 June 2017. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  42. ^ "Calcio, Sicula Leonzio: Diana e' il nuovo allenatore". la Repubblica (in Italian). 6 December 2017. Archived from the original on 6 December 2017. Retrieved 6 December 2017.
  43. ^ Zaza, Francesco Davide (12 May 2008). "Video/ Cosenza Sicula Leonzio (2-1): highlights e gol della partita (Serie C playoff)". Il Sussidiario.net (in Italian). Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  44. ^ "Calcio, Paolo Bianco è il nuovo allenatore della Sicula Leonzio". Siracusa News (in Italian). 18 June 2018. Archived from the original on 6 February 2019. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
  45. ^ "Sicula Leonzio, UFFICIALE: si è dimesso Bianco". Calciomercato.com (in Italian). 10 December 2018. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
  46. ^ Alaimo, Alessio (13 December 2018). "Sicula Leonzio, Torrente è il nuovo allenatore: firma in arrivo". TUTTOmercatoWEB.com (in Italian). Retrieved 6 February 2018.
  47. ^ "ESCLUSIVA TMW - Torrente: "Alla Sicula un'esperienza che mi ha arricchito"". TUTTOmercatoWEB.com (in Italian). 6 June 2019. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
  48. ^ "La Sicula Leonzio esonera Giovanni Bucaro, la squadra affidata a Vito Grieco". Siracusa Post (in Italian). 14 January 2020. Archived from the original on 25 January 2020. Retrieved 25 January 2020.
  49. ^ a b Esposito, Manfredi (3 July 2020). "Sicula Leonzio, salvezza raggiunta. Si ragiona sul futuro". Live Sicilia (in Italian). Archived from the original on 17 August 2020. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  50. ^ Pieracci, Marco (6 August 2020). "La Sicilia: "Il Catania si iscrive alla C. La Sicula Leonzio scompare"". TuttoC.com (in Italian). Archived from the original on 17 August 2020. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  51. ^ Gennaro, Duccio (7 August 2021). "Marina Ragusa diventa Città di Siracusa. Finisce il ciclo rossoblù dopo retrocessione dalla D - Ragusa". Corriere di Ragusa (in Italian). Archived from the original on 16 August 2021. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
  52. ^ "Leonzio esclusa dal campionato, è ufficiale: i motivi". SerieD24 (in Italian). 12 December 2022. Archived from the original on 2 August 2022. Retrieved 2 August 2022.
  53. ^ Menolascina, Omar (30 April 2023). "Il Città di Taormina vince ai supplementari la semifinale playoff di Eccellenza". MessinaToday (in Italian). Archived from the original on 23 May 2023. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  54. ^ "Stadio Comunale Angelino Nobile". Soccerway. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  55. ^ Debbia, Valeria (13 July 2018). "S.Leonzio, lo stadio cambia nome: sarà Sicula Trasporti Stadium". TuttoC.com. Archived from the original on 22 July 2018. Retrieved 22 July 2018.
  56. ^ Macca, Claudio (18 December 2018). "Lentini, Lo Spettacolo. Il "Sicula Trasporti Stadium - Angelino Nobile" al terzo posto nella Serie C." Radio Una Voce Vicina (in Italian). Archived from the original on 21 December 2018. Retrieved 21 December 2018.

Further reading

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  • Cannone, Pippo (1989). S.S. LEONZIO (1909–1989) (in Italian). Syracuse: Soc. Coop. Tip. Siracusa.
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