Full name | Associazione Calcio Padova (1910–1930) Associazione Fascista Calcio Padova (1930–1940) Associazione Calcio Padova (1940–1967) Calcio Padova SpA (1967–2014, 2015–) Biancoscudati Padova (2014–2015) |
---|---|
Nickname(s) |
Biancoscudati (White-Shielded), Patavini (Patavins) |
Founded | 29 January 1910 |
Ground |
Stadio Euganeo, Padua, Italy |
Capacity | 32,420 (often limited to 18,060) |
Chairman | Giuseppe Bergamin |
Manager | Oscar Brevi |
League | Lega Pro |
2015–16 | Lega Pro, 5th |
Website | www |
Calcio Padova S.p.A. is an Italian football club, based in Padua, Veneto. The club was founded in 1910. Padova played in Lega Pro, having last been in Serie A in 1996. The team's official colours are white and red.
The team (P.I. 04831550282) was refound in 2014 after the sports title was awarded to Biancoscudati Padova for 2014–15 Serie D as a phoenix club. The old holder of the title (P.I. 00681290284) was in the process of liquidation after it was expelled from 2014–15 Lega Pro. The old Padova was renamed to Football Padova in order to make way for new Padova to use the original name of the club, Calcio Padova in 2015.
Padova's golden days were the late 1950s, when the team, managed by Nereo Rocco, reached the heights of third place in 1958 thanks to the wing wizardry of Kurt Hamrin. Forwards Sergio Brighenti and Aurelio Milani would star as Padova remained a force in Serie A, before relegation in 1962. The rest of the 1960s would see the club in Serie B before going into a serious decline ahead of a 1980s revival.
The revival would see Padova return to Serie B in the early 1980s, and within a decade they would be serious promotion contenders. A play-off win over Cesena in 1994 saw the club return to Serie A after 32 years. After a dire start to 1994/95, Padova looked like fulfilling most experts' predictions of a swift return. They nonetheless found their form in the second half of the year and when they recorded a 1–0 win away to Juventus, they were six points clear of the drop zone. However, they eventually ended up in the relegation play-off against Genoa, due to a late Inter Milan goal assisted by a Rubén Sosa corner, which they won on penalties.