Hellas Verona

The Mastiffs of Verona: Italy's unlikeliest champions.

Hellas Verona Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Hellas Verona (Italian: [ˈɛllaz veˈroːna]), is an Italian professional football club based in Verona, Veneto. The club will compete in Serie B, following relegation from Serie A. Hellas have been crowned Italian champions once, in the 1984–85 season, and is the only team from a city that is not a regional capital to have won the top-flight championship since the founding of modern Serie A in 1929. They have also won the second-tier Serie B on three occasions.

Quick Facts

Rivalry type: Historical Competitive Fixture
Notable venue: Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi
Significance: Frequent decider for Scudetto or European spots

Lore & Background

Founded in 1903 as Associazione Calcio Hellas, the club was a founder member of the Serie B in 1929–30. Hellas won their first promotion to the Serie A in 1957. The 1980s were the most successful period in the club's history, during which it also reached the Coppa Italia final twice consecutively (out of three total appearances) and played several matches in European competitions, including one appearance in the European Cup and two in the UEFA Cup. Hellas's colours, yellow and blue, are based on the city's coat of arms, which are actually gold and azure. The team's nicknames are "the Mastiffs" and "the Scaligeri", referring to the Della Scala family that ruled Verona between the 13th and 14th centuries. The Scaligeri coat of arms is reflected in the club's badge as a stylized image of two mastiffs facing in opposite directions. The club has been associated with politically far-right ultras since at least the 1970s, and has repeatedly had racist incidents occur in the stands over the decades. In January 2025, it was announced that the club was acquired by American private equity Presidio Investors.

Reader's Guide

Hellas Verona's home matches are played at the Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi in Verona. The club's traditional rivals include Vicenza, with whom they share a long-standing rivalry. The team's most famous achievement is winning the Serie A title in the 1984–85 season, a feat that remains unique for a club from a non-regional capital city since 1929.