AC Prato

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AC Prato
logo
Basic data
Surname Associazione Calcio Prato SpA
Seat Prato
founding 1908
Colours blue White
president ItalyItaly Paolo Toccafondi
Website acprato.it
First soccer team
Head coach ItalyItaly Alessio De Petrillo
Venue Lungobisenzio stadium
Places 6800
league Series D
2017/18 19th place, series C / A
relegation
home
Away

The Associazione Calcio Prato is an Italian football club from the Tuscan city ​​of Prato , which currently plays in Serie D , the fourth Italian league.

history

Beginnings

Home stadium Stadio Lungobisenzio

In 1908, some football-loving residents of the city of Prato , in Tuscany , came up with the idea of ​​founding a football club there. This club was named Società Sportiva Emilio Lunghi . It was only three years later, in 1911, that Società Sportiva Emilio Lunghi was renamed Prato Sport Club , which is quite similar to the current name. The club colors were set to blue and white at the first club meeting, which was reflected in both the jerseys and the colors of the logo. The club kept the name Prato Sport Club until 1937, when the name Associazione Calcio Prato was given, which the club still bears today.

AC Prato took part in the league for the first time in 1913/14. In the Prima Categoria Toscana , the first Tuscan league, Prato reached 7th place. This placement could be repeated the following year. The Prima Categoria was the top division in Italian football from 1898 to 1922 . It was divided into different regions such as Tuscany or Emilia-Romagna , where the teams from these areas each played a winner, who then determined the master of the prima categoria against the other season winners. But this game system was interrupted for the time being in 1915. Due to the First World War , no league games were played from 1915 to 1919. After the forced break, AC Prato played another three years in the Prima Categoria Tuscany before relegating to the Seconde Divisione, the newly founded second division, in 1922. Two years later it even went down to the Terza Divisione. In the following years, the club always shuttled between the second division and the third division.

In 1938 a stadium for 10,000 spectators was built in Prato, which was named Stadio Lungobisenzio . It was completed three years later. In the early 1960s the Lungobisenzio became too small for the up-and-coming club and the club's management applied to the city of Prato for permission to build a 60,000-seat stadium. However, the city government did not approve this plan and did itself a great favor, because in the long term such a large stadium in Prato would never have paid for the construction costs, as the heyday of AC Prato was soon over. In 2004 AC Prato tried again to build a larger stadium for 20,000 spectators, but the city again did not approve it. A little later, the capacity of the old stadium was even reduced to almost 6,800 seats.

Second and third class

Old AC Prato logo

Even after the Second World War , by a short break in the game operation in Italy was, of AC Prato shuttled constantly between the Series B and Series C . For the first time after the war, the leap into Serie B succeeded in 1949, together with AC Fanfulla , Udinese Calcio and Catania Calcio . But relegation followed in the first season. After a short interlude in the fourth division, AC Prato only managed to move up to Serie B again in 1957. After two years it then went down again. AC Prato then continued in such short intervals. After a few years in one class, it went back to the other and then after a few years into the corresponding other division. But in the early sixties one could suspect that AC Prato would soon be playing first class. At that time, talented players like the later Inter star Roberto Boninsegna , vice world champion from 1970 , or Mario Bertini , were under contract. But when they were relegated again in 1964, these good players all left the club and went to a top Italian club. The AC Prato could not cope with these losses in the period that followed. Many years followed in Serie C and even Serie D and Serie C2 were often the AC Prato division.

Current development

Since relegation from Serie B in the 1963/64 season, AC Prato has not made it back to the second highest Italian league. Long years in the third and fourth leagues followed. Again and again in recent history, relegation games had to decide whether to stay in the C1 series . For example in 2003/04 against Pro Patria Calcio . But mostly the direct return to the C1 series succeeded immediately. For example, today's second division UC AlbinoLeffe or the former top team US Alessandria Calcio were defeated in play-off games .

In recent years the club has established itself in the C2 series, now renamed Lega Pro Seconda Divisione . 2008/09 you failed in the play-off games for promotion to Giulianova Calcio . A year later, the relegation games were only just missed with a sixth place. In the following years, however, the AC Prato developed more towards relegation battle. After relegation could only just be prevented a few times, the club finally had to accept relegation to fourth division after the end of the 2018/19 season .

Known players

Trainer

Web links