Udinese
Calcio S.p.A is an Italian football club. Based in the town of
Udine (Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, northern Italy), the club
currently (2004) plays in Serie A. The team home kit is black
and white quartered shirt, black shorts, and white socks. The
club plays in the Stadio Friuli, which can seat 41,705.
The club was founded in 1896 as part of the Societą Udinese di
Ginnastica, the club won a regional championship in its first
season. The club played in the regional leagues until 1929 when
it joined Serie B. Never outstandingly successful, the club was
quickly relegated and did not return to that division until
1939. Promotion to the top division was first achieved in 1950,
but the club was relegated in 1955 following a nine point
deduction for irregularities, the club bounced back the next
season. The club was relegated in 1961-62 and fell all the way
to Serie C by 1964. The club remained in C for fourteen seasons
before returning to B, and then reaching A in 1979. The club
stayed in A until 1987 and then moved between the top two
divisions for a time before re-establishing themselves in A from
1995, with the club's highest finish ever coming in 1997-98 when
they were third.
The club has never had success at the top level or in European
competition. They have been Serie B champions twice (1955-56 and
1978-79), Serie C champions three times (1938-39, 1948-49, and
1977-78), they won the Anglo-Italian Cup once (1978) and the
Mitropa Cup once (1980).
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