OUR STORY, OUR COLOURS

1900
THE ENGLISH ARRIVE

1910
THE LIPTON CUP

1930
A NEW HOME

1940
THE GRIP OF WARS

1950
RAIMONDO LANZA DI TRABIA

1960
THE SWING EFFECT

1970
RENZO BARBERA

1980
A NEW REBIRTH

1990
PALERMO AND ITS “PICCIOTTI”

2000
THE ZAMPARINI ERA

2010
THE PEAK AND THE FALL

2020
THE NEW COURSE AND THE CITY FOOTBALL GROUP ERA

1900 THE ENGLISH ARRIVE

Footbal arrives in Palermo from the sea, thanks to the influence of some English people: consulate officials, diplomats and professionals landed in the city to follow the works of the shipyards. Anglo Palermitan Athletic & FootBall club is in fact the name of the first Palermitan football club, set up under the auspice of the British Consulate. Viceconsul Edward De Garston was its first president. George Blake, reader of Holy Scriptures, manager of the Sailor Rest and among the founders of Genoa in 1893, was the first captain and coach. The first Palermo made its debut with a white and red jersey, a homage to the Union Jack. Norman Olsen scored the first goal in a friendly match played on New Year’s Day in 1901. Red and blue colours followed in 1907, and in that same year the pink and black “rosanero” bicolour jersey appeared for the first time. Among the first matches, the friendly ones against the crew of the Erin ship, owned by Sir Thomas Lipton. Those matches were held on the pitch of via Notarbartolo, and in the big area of the old Villa Sperlinga.

1910 THE LIPTON CUP

The year 1909 saw the beginning of the most epic era in the southern football of the pioneers age: the Lipton Cup. Seven editions were played, up to 1915, always having Palermo as the main pitch of the final phase. Until 1913 the matches were held in via Notarbartolo, then moved to Ranchibile, the first proper stadium deserving such definition, built following the urban expansion of the city towards North. Among the main protagonists, such phenoms as Turner and Wood, or goalkeeper Ribolla. Of the seven editions of the trophy, five went to Palermo and two to Naples. The trophy, which later disappeared in mysterious circumstances, was a sumptuous cup, almost one metre high, made in silver with the stylized outline of Lipton holding a football. Furthermore, in 1910 Palermo also won the Trofeo dei Mille by beating Lazio in the final match.

1930 A NEW HOME

The Thirties brought, at least at the beginning, a phase of relative serenity. Palermo experienced several mergers (Racing, Us Leoni, Libertas, Vigor) and a complex restart after the Great War. In 1932 the rosanero had a new home, the “Littorio” stadium, inaugurated on January 24th with the match Palermo VS Atalanta 5-1. Designed by architect Giovan Battista Santangelo, and completed in 1948, it underwent renovations in 1984 (with the construction of the second ring) and in 1988-90 (in order to host the World Cup matches and the expansion of the second ring). The stadium – which would change its name several times, Michele Marrone, Favorita, Renzo Barbera – was the scene of Palermo’s first promotion to Serie A, in 1932.

1940 THE GRIP OF WARS

A decade that began in yellow and red hues: these were (and still are) the municipal colors, which the regime had imposed to replace pink (considered unmanly), as part of an autarkic reformation of Italian football. Then in ’41 the crash: Palermo was excluded from the federal ranks. Another city club emerged, General D’Arle’s Juventina, with blue-white colors, which merged with what remained of Palermo and with the name Juventina Palermo (later Palermo Juve) won the I Division championship in ’42. The supporters clamored for a return to the rosanero colours and the restoration of the name Palermo, but on the twenty-ninth match day of the 1942-43 Serie B championship, the bombs once again stopped the ball.

1950 RAIMONDO LANZA DI TRABIA

With Raimondo Lanza di Trabia – inventor of the transfer market – people dreamt: Palermo seemed destined for a place among the greats. The Rosanero favorites were, among others, Sukru, Martegani, Di Maso, De Grandi, but above all the Danish Helge Bronée, a former Nancy player for whom 40 million lire were paid out. Purchases which were often debated… even in duel: the epic one between Lanza di Trabia himself and Baron Alù, also immortalized on a front page of La Domenica del Corriere. In 1959 a new leap into Serie A, with Vycpalek newcomer coach and Vernazza top scorer (19 goals) to inflame the Favorita and write pages of history that have remained indelible.

1960 THE SWING EFFECT

The swing effect times began, with dizzying peaks. In 1962 Palermo beat Juventus (in Turin) 4-2: Prato, a brace from Fernando and one goal scored by Burgnich. Only a year later, black once again prevailed over pink: in 1962-63 a new relegation, with the secretary and rosanero factotum Salvatore Vilardo disqualified for life for attempted corruption against the Syracusan referee Lo Bello. A storm ensued, with changes from management to management and the team surviving in Serie B. An acute and a hope occurred at the end of the decade: on 14 December 1969 Gigi Riva’s Cagliari, who at the end of that championship was crowned champion of Italy, paid duty in Palermo. The pinks won 1-0, goal by Troja.

1970 RENZO BARBERA

In the ’70, Renzo Barbera became president of Palermo. Only one Serie A, in 1972-73, but twice from Serie B the rosanero challenged the big Serie A football teams. Palermo came close to winning the Italian Cup twice, losing it the first time in Rome on penalties against Bologna in ’74, the second time in Naples against Juventus in extra time. Vito Chimenti, unforgotten striker, scored in the opening minutes: even faster than the Rai broadcast which didn’t make it for the goal of the momentary pink advantage but managed to broadcast only the exultation. In 1977-78, on the other hand, a return to Serie A was dreamed of, but vanished in the last few match days: a goal for which the fans would still have to wait. During his presidency, Renzo Barbera formed a deep and eternal bond with the Rosanero people: a path that would lead to the naming of the stadium in his memory.

1980 A NEW REBIRTH

The city hoped for a return to Serie A with Renna’s Palermo and striker De Rosa (top scorer with 19 goals and winner of the Chevron trophy in 1981-82). These were only the premises, however, of a long suffering, also marked by the two football scandals of 1980 and 1986. In 1984 Palermo was relegated to Serie C1, in 1985 president Roberto Parisi was assassinated by the mafia. In 1986 Palermo was even disbarred: according to the FIGC, the minimum conditions for the entry of the rosanero squad in C2 were lacking. Despite Palermo’s absence from football, in a survey launched by Domenica Sportiva Palermo (which did not exist that year) was talked about as «the most loved team in Italy». The refoundation happened in 1987. The sporting club started again from Serie C2 with the name Unione Sportiva Palermo.

1990 PALERMO AND ITS “PICCIOTTI”

In the 1990s, Palermo found its home again, the “Favorita” stadium renovated for Italia ’90, after two years of forced exile in Trapani. In 1991, after three years in Serie C1, Palermo returned to Serie B. But it was again the “swing effect”, in 1992 the team was relegated again. Just a year later, in 1992-93, Palermo achieved a historic brace, with the promotion to Serie B and winning the Serie C Coppa Italia by beating Como in the final. Finally a trophy arrived, after even the Serie C Coppa Italia had vanished in the final for three times in the past (1988, 1990, 1991). In 1995, with Ignazio Arcoleo as the coach, Italy met the Palermo of the “picciotti”, who beat Parma, which lined up stars like Zola and Stoichkov, in the Coppa Italia.

2000 THE ZAMPARINI ERA

The decade of the double corporate turning point: in 2000, Giovanni Ferrara was followed by Franco Sensi, owner of Roma. With Sergio D’Antoni as president, the rosanero returned to B in 2001. In the summer of 2002, the Zamparini era began. The early years were memorable: with goals from Luca Toni (50 in two championships) Palermo returned to Serie A in 2004, after 32 years. The city experienced days of euphoria. A year later, Palermo even won a UEFA placement, unthinkable up to a few years earlier. All the big names were defeated in the Barbera stadium, for some days of the 2006-2007 championship Palermo was even thought of as a potential championship winner. In the Italian national team who won the world cup in Germany in 2006, there were four players from Palermo: Grosso, Barzagli, Zaccardo and Barone.

2010 THE PEAK AND THE FALL

The highest point in Palermo’s history was reached between 2010 and 2011. First, the team came close to qualifying for the Champions League, then the Coppa Italia final against Inter in Rome: although Palermo lost 3-1, the images of the 40,000 Palermitans at the Stadio Olimpico and the city of Rome invaded by Rosanero fans remained memorable. Later something changed and the descending phase of the Zamparini management began. The relieves of coaches were becoming more and more frequent. In 2013 the team returned to Serie B, for one season only. Another acute in 2014-15, in Serie A, with Dybala, Belotti, Vazquez. Then the relegation of 2017, two seasons in Serie B and the bankruptcy in the summer of 2019.

2020 THE NEW COURSE AND THE CITY FOOTBALL GROUP ERA

The new course of Palermo started again from Serie D, with Dario Mirri as president. Roots and wings: identity and aspirations, a “pact” with both city and supporters to face the challenges of the future. The new Palermo summoned the Palermitans and set a historical record for the Serie D Championship in Italy, 10,446 season ticket subscribed. In 2020 the season was interrupted due to the Covid-19 emergency, but the Serie D championship was won by Palermo. A first year in Serie C, with the difficulties created by the pandemic and the closed stadiums. But in 2022 an impressive, unimaginable comeback led the rosanero to winning the playoffs in the final match against Padova and return in Serie B. In the same days, the club entered the City Football Group galaxy, thus projecting itself towards an important long-term development project. In 2023 the team began training in the new sports center in Torretta, the Palermo City Football Academy, unveiled on 7 April 2024.

OUR HISTORY ON OUR CHEST

Scroll down to see how our crets has changed over the years

1920

A blue-and-white shield with a diagonal band inside which beared the inscription “Palermo Fbc”. Below, an enigmatic caption: «Established in 1898». The logo design was conceived in 1920 by the president of the time, Valentino Colombo. White and blue were the colors of Racing Fbc.

1921

It was Colombo himself who in 1921 changed the colors of the crest, from white and blue to pink and black – the color of the Palermo jersey since 1907 – while maintaining the same structure of the logo, which is always the two-tone shield with the wording Palermo Fbc and the inscription «Established in 1898».

1932

In July 1929 Palermo had changed president, with Baron Luigi Bordonaro di Gebbiarossa at the top, who entrusted Giuseppe Rizzo, a futurist painter from Corleone in great esteem at the time, with the creation of the new brand, a pink and black rhombus with a stylized ball.

1947

On the occasion of the first season in Serie A in the history of Palermo, the two-tone rosanero shield of the early days returned, with a significant addition. The golden eagle, the municipal emblem of the city of Palermo since the time of William I, made its appearance for the first time.

1979

It was the moment for the crowned eagle. This brand was desired by Baron Stefano La Motta, who was not even thirty when he took over the presidency of Palermo. Conceived after the fall of fascism, it “lowers” its wings with respect to the previous one and rests on a base inside which the initials SPQP are inscribed.

1987

One of the most successful symbols, created at the same time as the Pouchain jersey, had won over the hearts of the fans. It was a stylized black eagle with a pink collar, looking to the right, inscribed in a green rhombus. Official emblem for the team since 1982.

1991

With the re-foundation, inevitably, a new symbol was created for the newborn Unione Sportiva Palermo. Salvino Lagumina opted for the shield. Inside, a stylized white eagle which, compared to all the previous ones, looks to the left. The eagle is inserted in a pink and black diagonal two-tone band.

1998

The Ferrara-Polizzi management duo decided to change again. A trademark was created consisting of an eagle with spread wings, about to take flight, which rested on a shield with pink and black vertical stripes. Below the inscription Us Palermo which completed a pink and black circle.

2000

New logo, due to a new sponsorship agreement with the Municipality of Palermo. The eagle was no longer the one with spread wings, but the municipal effigy. The shield with vertical rosanero stripes on which it rested remained, even if it took on a more elongated shape than the previous one.

2019

It is the symbol with which Zamparini’s Palermo returned to Serie A, it climbed positions in football that counted until it became known in Europe, but which was created by Ferruccio Barbera under the management of Sensi and D’Antoni. It was a golden eagle depicted in profile while landing.