F.C. Crotone

The club is based in the ancient Greek settlement of Kroton, one of the first Greek colonies in what is now known as modern day Italy. The club is proud of their Greek origins with their banners and slogans and regularly depicting Greek icons such as soldiers of Sparta.

The first team from Crotone, Società sportiva Crotona, was founded as soon as September 1910, but without adhering to Italian Football Federation, and the following main teams of Crotone, like Milone Crotone, did not participated before 1921-1923 in several minor leagues including Prima Divisione (which later would be known as Serie C). Following World War II, a new club, Unione Sportiva Crotone replaced the previous one, playing seven seasons in Serie C.

In 1963 the club was relegated to Serie D, but returned to the third division the following year, remaining there for fourteen consecutive seasons, missing promotion in 1977 when finishing third behind Bari and Paganese. In 1978, following the Italian football league reorganisation, Crotone was relegated to Serie C2 and the following year was declared bankrupt. A new club, Associazione Sportiva Crotone, began competing again in the Prima Categoria (eighth division).

Crotone was promoted to Serie C2 in 1984–85, but only for one season. The team's name was changed to Kroton Calcio, and the club was promoted again to C2 after the 1986–87 season, where it played until 1991. A second bankruptcy led to the foundation of Football Club Crotone Calcio with Raffaele Vrenna as chairman, starting in the Promozione (7th level). Crotone gained successive promotions to Serie C2 and C1, winning in the play-offs against Locri and Benevento, respectively.

Under Antonello Cuccureddu, Crotone first reached Serie B in 2000, returning to the second level two seasons later. Again in division two in 2004, after disposing of Viterbese in the promotion play-offs, it remained in the category until the 2006–07 season.

After being beaten by Taranto in the 2008 play-offs, Crotone returned to the second division the following season, defeating Benevento.

The team was promoted to the Italian top flight (Serie A), for the 2016–17 season for the first time in its history.[2] They finished in 17th, securing a place in the next Serie A season, by beating Lazio 3–1 on the last matchday, knocking down Empoli as they lost their match against Palermo. The following season Crotone failed to avoid relegation after their loss against Napoli in the last match of the Serie A campaign, returning to Serie B after two seasons. Following the 2019-2020 season, the club was promoted to Serie A once more.

Team colours are dark blue and white due to their Greek origins and also red.

The team's mottos are "Salutate la Magna Grecia" (Salute Greater Greece) and "Noi siamo la Magna Grecia" (We are Greater Greece).

As of 1 February 2021.[3]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  ITA Alex Cordaz (captain) 3 DF  ITA Giuseppe Cuomo 5 DF  SRB Vladimir Golemić 6 DF  ARG Lisandro Magallán (on loan from Ajax) 8 MF  ITA Luca Cigarini 10 MF  LBY Ahmad Benali 11 FW  ROU Denis Drăguș (on loan from Standard Liège) 13 DF  ITA Sebastiano Luperto (on loan from Napoli) 16 GK  ITA Marco Festa 17 MF  ITA Salvatore Molina 20 MF  CHI Luis Rojas 21 MF  ITA Niccolò Zanellato 22 GK  ITA Gian Marco Crespi 23 MF  ITA Antonio Mazzotta

No. Pos. Nation Player 25 FW  NGA Simeon Nwankwo 26 DF  CIV Koffi Djidji (on loan from Torino) 28 FW  ITA Luca Siligardi (on loan from Parma) 30 MF  BRA Junior Messias 32 DF  POR Pedro Pereira (on loan from Benfica) 33 DF  ITA Andrea Rispoli 34 DF  ITA Luca Marrone 44 MF  ITA Jacopo Petriccione 54 FW  ITA Samuel Di Carmine (on loan from Verona) 69 DF  POL Arkadiusz Reca (on loan from Atalanta) 77 MF  SRB Miloš Vulić 95 MF  BRA Eduardo (on loan from Sporting) 97 FW  MTQ Emmanuel Rivière — FW  ALG Adam Ounas (on loan from Napoli)

Other players under contract

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player — MF  VEN Aristóteles Romero

No. Pos. Nation Player

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player — GK  ITA Aniello Viscovo (at Fano) — MF  FRA Jean Lambert Evans (at Livorno) — MF  ITA Pasquale Giannotti (at Virtus Francavilla) — MF  FRA Jeremy Petris (at Pro Vercelli) — MF  ITA Francesco Rodio (at Fano) — MF  ITA Giovanni Crociata (at Empoli)

No. Pos. Nation Player — FW  ITA Giuseppe Borello (at Cesena) — FW  ITA Giovanni Bruzzaniti (at Pro Vercelli) — FW  SLE Augustus Kargbo (at Reggiana) — FW  SMR Nicola Nanni (at Cesena) — FW  ENG Zak Ruggiero (at Pro Sesto)

• Official website (in Italian and English)