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[FM11] Torino F.C. - They Will Rise Again


sbrysonuk

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History

Foot-Ball Club Torino was founded on 3 December 1906 after a meeting at the Voigt brewery in Via Pietro Micca near the center of Turin. Its foundation involved some Juventus dissidents led by Alfredo Dick, who had left the bianconeri after some at the club wanted to move Juventus out of Turin. As well as Alfredo Dick, other prominent founders included the Swiss businessman Hans Schoenbrod (first chairman), and Vittorio Pozzo (later manager of Italy). The first ground for FBC Torino would be Velodromo Umberto I in the La Crocetta neighbourhood, for which Dick owned the lease. Torino lured some players from other clubs, including FBC Torinese who became defunct as a result. The fact that Torino's split from Juve was not amicable, saw the rise of a heated local known as the Derby della Mole.

Italian Football Championship

Torino F.C. took part in the world's first international tournament, Torneo Internazionale Stampa Sportiva 1908 which was hosted in Turin itself organised by the Italian magazine La Stampa Sportiva. Torino lost in the final 3–1 to Swiss side Servette. In 1909 it was succeeded by the Sir Thomas Lipton Trophy, in which a Torino XI composed of Juve and Torino players participated but did not make it to the final. After the early years, Torino were denied their first championship attempt by the outbreak of World War I, and their first title was revoked in 1926/27 due to an irregularity in the match against Juventus. Torino won its first Scudetto, the Italian Serie A league Championship, the following 1927/28 season and, between 1942/43 and 1948/49, the "Grande Torino" (Great Torino), widely considered the best ever team in Italian football history, won five other straight scudetti, led by its captain, Valentino Mazzola. On 4 May 1949, all but one player (who was out for an injury) of Grande Torino were killed when their plane crashed into the hills of Superga, on the outskirts of Turin. The club never recovered, and after a decade of mediocre seasons, they were relegated to Serie B in 1958/59, although they returned to Serie A the following season. By the early 1960s and until the late 1980s, Torino had good results in Serie A, including another Scudetto in the 1975/76 season. Since the end of the 1980s, the club went up and down between Serie A and Serie B, the top two divisions with little success, except a Coppa Italia in 1992/93 and a Mitropa Cup win in 1990/91. Among the best results ever achieved in the club's history, it reached the UEFA Cup Final in 1991/92 only to lose it in two aggregate matches to Ajax Amsterdam without being defeated.

Torino finished 3rd in Serie B and, after winning the playoffs, was promoted back in Serie A. However, the FIGC, the governing body of Italian football, expelled both Torino Calcio and F.C. Messina from Serie A, due to both clubs' financial problems. However, while Messina was re-admitted by a civil court of appeal, Torino was not and it was cancelled from the Italian sport panorama. The club has lost players likes Gaby Mudingayi, Gianluca Comotto, Andrea Mantovani, Federico Balzaretti, Robert Acquafresca, Gianluca Comotto, Diego De Ascentis, Massimo Marazzina, Fabio Quagliarella and Federico Marchetti who all became regular players for other teams in the Serie A.

Thanks to the 'Lodo Petrucci' (Italian law which allows a sport club that is the direct heir of a cancelled one to be re-admitted one division below the previous one), a new club was founded under the current name Torino F.C. and was admitted to play the next season, again in Serie B. Bought by entrepreneur Urbano Cairo, Torino FC ended its 2005/2006 Serie B campaign in third place, being therefore qualified for the promotion play-offs. Torino subsequently defeated Mantova in the final to earn promotion to Serie A. Even in its worst seasons, Torino has often achieved good results in epic matches (the so-called "derbies") against the other Turin team, Juventus. From 1990 to 2006 the club played in the 69,040 capacity Stadio Delle Alpi, shared with Juventus. Prior to 1990 the clubs shared the Stadio Comunale for thirty years, Torino moving there from the glorious Stadio Filadelfia, home of Grande Torino. Starting from the 2006/07 season Torino moved into a new, smaller ground of its own, the Stadio Olimpico di Torino (which is the renewed former stadio comunale), which Juventus currently share, which will be renamed the Stadio Grande Torino when Juventus return to the Stadio Delle Alpi. Actually the Stadio delle Alpi (that is of Juventus Turin propriety) is closed for a future rebuilt: after that maybe Torino will still use it for a number of high profile matches. When playing at home Torino wears a claret top and white shorts (sometimes is full claret) but when playing else where the team wears all white. When practicing Torino wears red and white or red and black.

Rivalries

Torino's traditional rivals are their crosstown neighbours Juventus, with whom they contest the Derby della Mole. While Juventus has a more widespread support internationally, Torino's fan base tends to be more localized. The derby between Torino and Juventus do not have the international standing of the Rome and Milan's derbies, but is strongly felt in Turin and Italy. Juventus is the team with more supporters in the Bel Paese, but Torino is Turin's area first team. The mixture is explosive, and in the years when the teams meet, the atmosphere is always hot with frequent riots. They did not contest the derby during the 2009–10 season due to Torino's relegation the previous season.

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BREAKING NEWS

Torino have hired relatively unknown Scotsman Stewart Bryson as their new manager. The 25 year old is reportedly delighted to have been given the opportunity to hones his management skills at Olimpico and the Toro supporters will certainly be hoping that Bryson can take their team to new heights. He has signed a contract to 2012 and given the task of getting the Turin club back to the heights of Serie A by chairman Urbano Cairo, aligned with a modest £2.6m transfer kitty.

Torino have a squad which should be capable of competing for Serie B title but thinks the team needs improved in certain areas of the team, mainly a Right Back, Centre Back and a Right Midfielder. The team could do with an extra midfielder or two to give more strength in the middle of the park. Goalkeeper Rubinho is one of the best players in the team along with Striker and Cluvb Captain Rolando Bianchi, defender Angelo Ogbonna and midfielder Christian Obodo who is on loan from Udinese.

First order of business for Bryson to contend with is the widely speculated rumour that Vice-Captain Angelo Ogbonna will leave the club with Parma, Udinese, Blackburn, Birmingham, Bolton and Cagliari all keen admirers in the 22 year-old former Italian youth international. Bryson is adamant that the defender will stay will the club until the end of the season at least with the club actively seeking promotion.

That task has been further intensified with Ogbanna having requested to be placed on the transfer list as he attempts to engineer a move away from the Olimpico stadium. Bryson was quick to reject the request stating that he will not be held ransom by a key player who he sees as instrumental in the club’s push for promotion. Bryson has further enhanced his squad with two signings coming in the form of Bulgarian Right-Midfielder Tom from Bulgarian side Litek for a fee of £250k. Tom will be joined at the club by 17 year old Czech Republic Striker Vaclav Kadlec from Sparta Prague for £1.2m. It is widely rumoured that the two signings will be the only new arrivals at Olimpico as Bryson looks to work with his current set of players.

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