U.S.D. Atletico Catania

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....
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