Serie A 08/09: Newly Promoted Sides, Part 2/3: Bologna, Thursday 03 July 2008

Bologna

Fact File

Full name

Bologna Football Club 1909 SpA

Founded

1909

Nicknames

Rossoblu (Red and blues), Felsinei

Stadium

Stadio Renato Dall'Ara

07/08 Season

Serie B Runners up

Colours

Red and blue

The Rossoblu may have notched up 7 league titles making them the 6th most successful team in Italy history, but it has been some 44 years since their last Scudetto and the club continues to live in the shadow of it's 1920s and 1930s sides. Formed in 1909, the club quickly found success working their way up through the regional divisions. Silverware was then found in between the two World Wars, becoming regional and national champions in 1925. They would go on to win the Scudetto another five times before the start of the Second World War.

After World War II, the club was less successful. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the club generally floated between 4th, 5th and 6th position in the league, until they took the title back in 1963-64. To date this remains their last Serie A championship, bringing the club's total to seven.

It wasn't all doom and gloom for the club however; in the 1970s they won the Italian Cup twice, the second of which against Palermo a game that was tense and finished 1-1 before going to a penalty shootout that Bologna won 4-3.

Come the 1980s the club would be on the slide, yo-yoing between the divisions. Two back-to-back relegations saw them fall to the depths of Serie C1. They bounced back into Serie B where they stayed for four seasons, eventually reaching the heights of Serie A once more. This was only to be a short stay, relegated back to Serie B after just 3 seasons in the top flight. And the days of C1 football were not behind them either; Bologna once again had to work their way up from the lower leagues and again quickly did so within 3 years after which they remained in Serie A for almost a decade, losing to Parma in a playoff in 2005, signalling another relegation.

Bologna were predicted to bounce back fairly quickly and despite changes in ownership, manager and a few stutters along the way they finished second just a point behind Chievo to secure a route back to the top. Whilst back in Serie A the division yo-yoing is unlikely to be over; with a small and ageing squad manager Daniele Arrigoni needs to be given money to bring in fresh blood and quality if they are to avoid the drop in their first season. They must look to the example set by other sides promoted from Serie B in recent season and see that they can once again establish themselves in the league.

Puds