Bassano Virtus 55 S.T.
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| Full name | Bassano Virtus 55 Soccer Team |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Giallorossi (yellow-reds) |
| Founded | 1920 1968 (refounded) |
| Ground |
Stadio Rino Mercante, Bassano del Grappa, Italy |
| Capacity | 2,952 |
| Owner | Renzo Rosso |
| Chairman | Stefano Rosso OTB |
| Manager | Valerio Bertotto |
| League | Lega Pro |
| 2015–16 | Lega Pro, 3nd (Group A) |
Bassano Virtus 55 Soccer Team is an Italian association football club, based in Bassano del Grappa, Veneto. The club currently plays in Lega Pro Seconda Divisione.
The team is owned by Renzo Rosso, the entrepreneur "king of the casual" and the President of OTB Group, the holding group of Maison Martin Margiela, Marni, Viktor & Rolf, Diesel and Staff International.
Bassano Virtus 55 Soccer Team was founded in 1920 as U.S. Bassano (Unione Sportiva Bassano) and merged with cross-city rivals A.C. Virtus in 1968. In 1996 the club took its current name: the number 55 stands for 1955, owner Renzo Rosso's birthyear. Nowadays, Bassano Virtus is also the only Italian professional football club to use soccer instead of football in its full name.
In the 2005–06 season the club debuted in Serie C2, but after suffering a defeat in Montichiari in the last match, they finished only 12th.
In the 2006-07 Serie C2 season the club reached the playoffs, but was defeated by Calcio Lecco 1912, which was later promoted to Serie C1.
In their third consecutive season in Serie C2 (now renamed Lega Pro Seconda Divisione), Bassano had an excellent start: the club peaked the league after 5 days and kept the position in isolation until the 23rd day, thanks to a series of eight consecutive wins. The attacking tactics of coach Ezio Gelerean led the team a step away from promotion: with only 4 matches left, the club is first, 3 points ahead of runners-up A.C. Reggiana 1919. In the end of the season Bassano Virtus was surpassed by Reggiana and later lost the promotion play-off final with Calcio Portogruaro-Summaga (2–3 in Portogruaro and 1–2 in Bassano del Grappa) also due to a penalty not granted to Bassano, that could have changed the outcame of the match. However, the club was able to win Coppa Italia Lega Pro by defeating Benevento Calcio with the overwhelming result of 5–0.
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