View source for ACR Messina

{{short description|Football club in Messina, Sicily}}
{{distinguish|SSD FC Messina}}
{{Use British English|date=May 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2014}}
{{Infobox football club
| nickname = ''Giallorossi'' (Yellow-red)<br />''Biancoscudati'' (White-shield)
| ground = [[Stadio San Filippo|Stadio Comunale San Filippo-Franco Scoglio]],<br />[[Messina, Italy]]
| capacity = 38,722<ref name=ministero>[http://www.osservatoriosport.interno.it/allegati/impianti/impianti_superiori_7500.pdf Impianti superiori a 7500] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721225554/http://www.osservatoriosport.interno.it/allegati/impianti/impianti_superiori_7500.pdf |date=21 July 2011 }} osservatoriosport.interno.it</ref>
| clubname = A.C.R. Messina
| image = Logo of ACR Messina.svg
| image_size = 150px
| fullname = Associazioni Calcio Riunite Messina S.r.l.
| founded = 1900 as ''Messina F.C.''<br />2017 as ''A.C.R. Messina''
| owner = Racing City Group
| chairman = Justin Davis
| mgrtitle = Head coach
| manager = Giuseppe Romano
| league = {{Italian football updater|Messina}}
| season = {{Italian football updater|Messina2}}
| position = {{Italian football updater|Messina3}}
| website = https://acrmessina1900.it/
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'''Associazioni Calcio Riunite Messina S.r.l.''' is a [[Association football|football]] club based in [[Messina]], [[Sicily]], Italy, that competes in the [[Serie D]], the fourth tier of the [[Italian football league system]].

== History ==

=== Football in Messina ===
{{Main|History of A.C.R. Messina}}

The origins of the team go back to 1900, when '''Messina F.C.''' was founded in the city. The club has spent most of its existence in the lower [[Italian football]] leagues. They last competed in [[Serie B]] in 2007–08, which followed three consecutive seasons in [[Serie A]]. In July 2008, Messina were excluded from professional football due to financial issues, being later registered into amateur [[Serie D]].{{citation needed|date=August 2025}}

The farthest Messina has reached in the [[Coppa Italia]] is the last 16. This was achieved in the 2000s decade. In the past, they have also reached the semi-finals in the [[Coppa Italia Serie C]].<ref>[http://web.tiscali.it/Messinastory/indicecoppa/tabelle/cop9899.htm Messina Story]</ref>

Messina have appeared in the Italy's top league, Serie A, for a total of five seasons. The club's first spell in the league was in the 1960s; the second began in the 2000s decade. The highest ever position they have finished is 7th,<ref>[https://www.rsssf.org/tablesm/messina.html RSSSF.com] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070612101657/http://www.rsssf.com/tablesm/messina.html |date=12 June 2007 }}</ref>

==== From Messina F.C. to Giostra Messina (1900 to 1939) ====
Messina Football Club were officially founded on 1 December 1900<ref>[http://web.tiscali.it/messinastory/indicecampionato/tabelle/cam190001.htm Messina Story]</ref> by Marangolo with the help of [[Anglican]] reverend "[[Charles Bousfield Huleatt|Caulifield]]".<ref>[http://www.webalice.it/domy.michy/STORIA_F.C.MESSINA.htm Storia F.C. Messina]</ref>

At the college where Marangolo visited he had also made the acquaintance of Ignazio Majo Pagano who formed [[U.S. Città di Palermo|Anglo Palermitan]] (Palermo) on his return, only a month before Messina. The first Sicilian derby was held between Messina and Palermo on 18 April 1901; 1,000 fans turned out to Via Notarbartolo for the match. The game ended 3–2 to the Palermitan side.<ref>[http://web.tiscali.it/messinastory/indicecampionato/tabelle/cam1901.htm Messina Story]</ref>

[[File:Messina1910.jpeg|200px|thumb|right|Messina team photograph from 1910.]]

The earthquake of 1908, which killed 60,000 people in Messina, later affected the club in a large manner; deaths included Charles Bousfield Huleatt, players Frank John Carter, Walter Oates and financial backer George H. Peirce. Football resumed in Messina the following year, thanks largely to Arthur Barret Lascelles who used his own money to ensure football activity in the city would continue. By 1910, the funds of Barret had dried up, and the club was folded, '''Società Ginnastica Garibaldi Messina''' (''Gymnastic Society Garibaldi Messina'') briefly took its place, until it too was dissolved due to the First World War.<ref>[http://www.granmirci.it/Messinacalcio.htm Messina Calcio]</ref>

The club participated in the Italian Football Championship of [[Italian Football Championship 1921–22 (C.C.I.)|1921–22]], organised by the C.C.I., finishing third in the Sicilian group section; this was the first championship in which clubs from the island were entered. The following season the [[FIGC]] and CCI were unified. This coincided with mergers in Messina, as another side, '''Umberto I Messina''', was incorporated into US Messinese, and, therefore, the club changed its name to '''US Messinese Umberto I''' in October 1922. The following month this new side was fused again, this time with Messina Sporting Club; creating the '''Messina Football Club'''. Only two years later, in December 1924, FC Messina was melted, and the players became part of the reformed '''US Messinese'''.<ref>{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20070317201246/http://www.messinacalcio.net/storia.asp MessinaCalcio.net]}}</ref>

[[File:Messina1938.JPG|220px|thumb|right|Messina's last squad of the 1930s, while Lombardo was president]]

==== From U.S. Peloro to F.C. Messina Peloro ====

After being tipped as [[underdog (competition)|underdogs]] in [[Serie A]] for the 2004–05 season, Messina surprised doubters by producing several good results including defeating both of the Milanese clubs, beating [[A.C. Milan|AC Milan]] first at [[San Siro (stadium)|San Siro]] 2–1,<ref>[http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/sa0405/mil-mes.html Channel4.com]</ref> and then later in the season also with [[Internazionale Milano F.C.|Internazionale]], this time at home, for the first time in their history; the winning goal was struck by [[Rafael Pereira da Silva (footballer born 1980)|Rafael]] in the third minute of [[injury time]].<ref>[http://www.channel4.com/sport/football_italia/sa0405/mes-int.html Channel4.com]</ref>

==== A.C. Rinascita Messina ====
[[File:A.C.R. Messina.png|thumb|right|222px|Logo of Rinascita Messina]]

In March 2009, Rome-based entrepreneur Alfredo Di Lullo acquired '''Football Club Messina Peloro''' in a blind auction held by the Court of Messina in April 2009.<ref>{{cite web |date=27 June 2009 |title=COMUNICATO UFFICIALE N.160/A (2008–09) |url=https://istruzionemessina.it/wp-content/uploads/C_2_ContenutoGenerico_21615_StrilloComunicatoUfficiale_lstAllegati_Allegato_0_upfAllegato.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240203021331/https://istruzionemessina.it/wp-content/uploads/C_2_ContenutoGenerico_21615_StrilloComunicatoUfficiale_lstAllegati_Allegato_0_upfAllegato.pdf |archive-date=3 February 2024 |access-date=11 July 2015 |publisher=FIGC |language=it}}</ref> The club was renamed '''A.C. Rinascita Messina''' (''rinascita'' means "revived").

==== A.C. Riunite Messina ====

Since the summer of 2014, the new name of the club is '''Associazioni Calcio Riunite Messina'''.{{citation needed|date=August 2017}} In the 2014–15 season, the club was relegated to Serie D, but it was readmitted to Lega Pro for involvement in sporting fraud. Since the summer of 2015, the new owner and president is Natale Stracuzzi. The club failed to submit its surety by the 5 July 2017 deadline<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sportpiacenza.it/calcio/serie-c/serie-c-2017-2018-mantova-messina-maceratese-e-akragas-non-presentano-la-fideiussione.html|title=Serie C 2017/2018: Mantova, Messina, Maceratese e Akragas Non Presentano la Fideiussione|trans-title=Serie C 2017-18: Mantua, Messina, Maceratese and Akragas Do Not Have a Surety|website=Sport Piacenza|date=6 July 2017|language=it|access-date=2 September 2018}}</ref> and was expelled by Lega Pro.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tuttomatera.com/news/68515433990/serie-c-il-consiglio-federale-ecco-tutte-le-decisioni-prese-oggi|title=Serie C, il Consiglio Federale: Ecco Tutte le Decisioni Prese Oggi|trans-title=Series C, the Federal Council: Here are All the Decisions Made Today|last1=Chito|first1=Roberto|date=20 July 2017|website=Tutto Matera|language=it|access-date=2 September 2018}}{{dead link|date=March 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> A successor club, '''A.C.R. Messina [[Società a Responsabilità Limitata|S.s.d. a r.l.]]''' was admitted to the [[2017–18 Serie D]].<ref>{{cite press release|url=http://seried.lnd.it/it/seried-news/serie-d/24899-serie-d-2017-2018-i-gironi|title=Serie D 2017/2018: I Gironi|trans-title=Serie D 2017-18: The Groups|date=11 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180623170139/http://seried.lnd.it/it/seried-news/serie-d/24899-serie-d-2017-2018-i-gironi|archive-date=23 June 2018|access-date=2 September 2018|publisher=Serie D|language=it|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

== Ultras ==
In 1973, the first ultras firm of ACR Messina was founded: the "Fedelissimi". In 1980, "Gioventù Giallorossa" was born, revolutionizing the supporter scene in Sicily and opening sections in Rome, Milan, and Turin. In 1982, "Uragano CEP" was established. In 1983, some small firms merged into a single group called "NOCS". In 1990, the "Fracidi" were formed. In 1997, the "Lions" came into being. In 2010, "Semu Pacci" was founded. In 2024, "Area Ostile" was established. During the club's time in Serie A and Serie B, it had thousands of non-organized fans, a number that has significantly declined over the last twenty years. Messina's fanbase has reached peaks of 38,000 spectators at home and 10,000 away.<ref>{{cite web | title=La Storia del Grande Messina | url=https://www.lastoriadelgrandemessina.it/tifoseria.html }}</ref>

==Current squad==
{{updated|1 July 2025}}<ref>{{Cite web|title=Italy - ACR Messina - Soccerway|url=https://int.soccerway.com/teams/italy/fc-messina/1257/|access-date=23 September 2022|website=int.soccerway.com}}</ref>

{{Fs start}}
{{Fs player|no= 1|nat=ITA|pos=GK|name=Flavio Curtosi}}
{{Fs player|no= 4|nat=ITA|pos=MF|name=[[Vincenzo Garofalo]]}}
{{Fs player|no= 5|nat=SEN|pos=DF|name=Ndir Mame Ass}}
{{Fs player|no= 6|nat=ITA|pos=DF|name=Jacopo Gelli}}
{{Fs player|no= 7|nat=ITA|pos=DF|name=[[Damiano Lia]]}}
{{Fs player|no= 9|nat=ITA|pos=FW|name=Carmine De Sena}}
{{Fs player|no=12|nat=LTU|pos=GK|name=[[Titas Krapikas]]}}
{{Fs player|no=14|nat=GHA|pos=DF|name=[[Bright Gyamfi]]}}
{{Fs mid}}
{{Fs player|no=15|nat=ITA|pos=DF|name=[[Antonio Marino]]}}
{{Fs player|no=16|nat=ITA|pos=MF|name=[[Davide Petrucci]]}}
{{Fs player|no=18|nat=ITA|pos=FW|name=Pierluca Luciani}}
{{Fs player|no=22|nat=ITA|pos=GK|name=[[Gabriel Meli]]}}
{{Fs player|no=27|nat=ITA|pos=MF|name=Bryan Mameli}}
{{Fs player|no=31|nat=ITA|pos=MF|name=Domenico Anzelmo}}
{{Fs player|no=37|nat=LIE|pos=MF|name=[[Marcel Büchel]]}}
{{Fs end}}

===Out on loan===
{{Fs start}}
{{Fs player|no=|nat=ITA|pos=MF|name=Manuel Di Palma|other={{small|at [[ASD Nuova Igea Virtus|Nuova Igea Virtus]] until 30 June 2025}}}}
{{Fs mid}}
{{Fs player|no=|nat=ITA|pos=FW|name=Gabriel Adragna|other={{small|at [[ASD Nuova Igea Virtus|Nuova Igea Virtus]] until 30 June 2025}}}}
{{Fs end}}

== Notable players ==

* {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Salvatore Aronica]]
* {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Emanuele Curcio]]
* {{flagicon|HON}} [[Julio César de León]]
* {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Arturo Di Napoli]]
* {{flagicon|GRE}} [[Dimitrios Eleftheropoulos]]
* {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Antonio Nocerino]]
* {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Alessandro Parisi (footballer, born 1977)|Alessandro Parisi]]
* {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Igor Protti]]
* {{flagicon|IRN}} [[Rahman Rezaei]]
* {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Christian Riganò]]
* {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Salvatore Schillaci]]
* {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Marco Storari]]
* {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Salvatore Sullo]]
* {{flagicon|JPN}} [[Atsushi Yanagisawa]]
* {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Riccardo Zampagna]]
* {{flagicon|CIV}} [[Marco Zoro]]
* {{flagicon|SER}} [[Ivica Iliev]]

== Stadium ==
{{main|Stadio San Filippo}}
[[File:Curva sud contro il Torino--2007.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Stadio San Filippo]].]]
The former club '''Football Club Messina Peloro''' have played their home matches in the new Stadio Comunale San Filippo since the 2004–05 to 2008–09 season. Since the season 2009–10 plays here the current team of '''A.C. Riunite Messina 1947'''.

The capacity of the stadium is 37,895 seats. It is named after the part of the city in which it is located, but a couple of petitions aim to rename it after the former Messina manager [[Franco Scoglio]] or the Messina Saint [[Hannibal Mary Di Francia]].

The old stadium, the 11,000 seater [[Stadio Comunale Giovanni Celeste]], is now used by '''S.S.D. Città di Messina''', the second team of the city.

== Honours ==
*'''[[Serie B]]'''
**1 Champions: [[1962–63 Serie B|1962–63]]
*'''[[Serie C]]'''
**3 Champion : [[1949–50 Serie C|1949–50]], [[1985–86 Serie C1|1985–86]], [[1931-32 First Division|1931-32]]
*'''[[Serie C2]]'''
**3 Champions: 1982–83, 1999–00, 2013–14
*'''[[Serie D]]'''
**4 Champions: 1973–74 (Group I), [[1997-98 Serie D|1997-98]] (Group I), [[2012–13 Serie D|2012–13]] (Group I), [[2020–21 Serie D|2020-21]] (Group I)<ref>{{Cite web|title=Risultati e Classifiche|url=https://seried.lnd.it/it/seried/risultati-classifiche|access-date=20 July 2021|website=Lega Nazionale Dilettanti|language=it-it}}</ref>
*'''[[Sicily|Sicilian]] Championship'''
**2 Winners: 1922-23, 1924–25
*'''Whitaker Challenge Cup'''
**2 Winners: 1905, 1906

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
*[https://twitter.com/AcrMessina1900 Official twitter]
*[https://www.facebook.com/MessinaOfficialPage/ facebook]
*[https://www.instagram.com/acrmessinacalcio/ instagram]

{{Commons category|A.C.R. Messina}}

{{Serie D teamlist}}
{{Serie C}}
{{Serie B}}
{{Serie A}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Messina}}
[[Category:ACR Messina| ]]
[[Category:Football clubs in Italy]]
[[Category:Football clubs in Sicily]]
[[Category:Association football clubs established in 1900]]
[[Category:Sport in Messina]]
[[Category:Serie C clubs]]
[[Category:1900 establishments in Italy]]
[[Category:Phoenix clubs (association football)]]