Unione Sportiva Dilettantistica Atletico Catania is an
Italian association football club founded in 1986 and based in
Catania, Sicily. Throughout its history, the club played extensively at
Serie C1 and
Serie C2 professional level, almost gaining promotion to
Serie B on two occasions during the 1990s. The club is currently part of the regionally-organized amateur
Promozione league, following two disbandments that led Atletico Catania down to the bottom ranks of national football.
History
The club was founded by the Catanese entrepreneur Salvatore Tabita in 1986, as relocation of the amateur football club
Sporting Club Mascalucia 1969. They won their local title and were thus promoted to
Serie C2. After finishing in 10th place in their first season, they went on to change their name in 1989 to
Atletico Leonzio and move to
Lentini. The team was then acquired by Franco Proto, and won promotion into
Serie C1 in 1993.
In 1994 Dr. Proto, trying to satisfy the absence of a football club in the city of
Catania, moved the club from
Lentini. Their home games were moved to the 21,000 capacity stadium of
Stadio Angelo Massimino. This was because Catania's primary and historical club,
Calcio Catania, had been cancelled in 1993 by the
FIGC; Calcio Catania were however later entered into the Sicilian
Eccellenza due to a court decision.
The club changed their name from Atletico Leonzio to
Atletico Catania, doing a controversial move, specially in the eyes of the clubs fans from Lentini....
Read More