Udinese Calcio
Italian football club based in Udine, founded in 1896.
Udinese Calcio is a professional football club based in Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy, currently competing in Serie A. Founded on 30 November 1896 as a sports club and on 5 July 1911 as a football club, it traditionally wears a black and white striped home kit. The club has a substantial fan base in Friuli and surrounding areas.
Quick Facts
- Clubname
- Udinese
- Fullname
- Udinese Calcio S.p.A.
- Nickname
- I Bianconeri (The White and Blacks)
- I Friulani (The Friulians)
- Le Zebrette (The Little Zebras)
- Ground
- Bluenergy Stadium - Stadio Friuli
- Capacity
- 25,132
- Owner
- Giampaolo Pozzo
- Chrtitle
- President
- Chairman
- Franco Soldati
Facts from the source article.
History
Udinese originated in 1896 as part of the Società Udinese di Ginnastica e Scherma, winning the Torneo FNGI in Treviso that year by defeating Ferrara 2–0, though this title is not officially recognized. On 5 July 1911, gymnasts led by Luigi Dal Dan established A.C. Udinese, which joined the FIGC and won its debut friendly against Juventus 6–0. The club first entered an official FIGC championship in 1912–13, competing in the Campionato Veneto di Promozione alongside Petrarca and Padova; after two wins over Padova, Udinese finished second and earned promotion to the Prima Categoria, where it repeatedly failed to advance past the Eliminatoria Veneta. The 1920–21 season marked the debut of Gino Bellotto, who would spend 17 seasons with the club, the most of any player. In 1922, Udinese reached the Coppa Italia final, losing 1–0 to Vado after extra time. The following season ended in relegation to the second division, and the club faced financial collapse in 1923; President Alessandro Del Torso sold some of his paintings to pay debts, allowing Udinese to continue in the Second Division, where it placed fourth. The 1924–25 season saw Udinese, Vicenza, and Olympia River tied atop Group F of the Second Division, requiring playoffs to determine the finalist.
Colors and symbols
Udinese's official colors are white and black, matching the municipal coat of arms and present since the club's beginnings. In the late 19th century, the Società Udinese di Ginnastica e Scherma wore a completely black shirt with a white five-pointed star pinned at the chest. During the 1910s, the shirt was split vertically in half between the two colors; later, white became dominant, with black used as decoration. Since the 1930s, a black and white striped shirt has been the norm, usually paired with black shorts and socks or white shorts and black socks. In the 1980s, the club experimented with white shirts featuring a black central bar and black shirts with a large white stripe. From the 1990s, designs returned to simpler styles, though curved stripes appeared in the mid-2000s. Away uniforms vary annually in solid colors such as blue, yellow, orange, sky blue, pink, or black and white. The club's crests have historically incorporated the colors and heraldry of Friuli; a photo from around 1896 shows the city coat of arms on the chest, but it is uncertain whether this was used officially or continuously, as later early-20th-century photos show no emblem.
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