Perugia

A.C. Perugia (early years)

A.C. Perugia were founded on 9 June 1905, after the merger of U.S. Fortebraccio and Libertas. During the early 1900s, the club primarily engaged in regional competitions.

Throughout the 1930s, Perugia experienced significant growth, culminating in its inaugural promotion to Serie B in 1933. Notably, in 1937, Perugia constructed its first official stadium, Santa Giuliana. After a second promotion to Serie B in the season 1945–46, Perugia spent almost all of the 1950s in the lower divisions.

A.C. Perugia (1960s–1975)

The 1960s marked a resurgence for Perugia, under the presidency of prominent local entrepreneur Lino Spagnoli. The promotion to Serie B in the 1966–1967 season would mark the beginning of one of the club's most successful periods. Perugia spent the next eight years in Serie B before promotion to Serie A for the first time in 1975.

The society underwent profound renewal, with the arrival of Apulian entrepreneur Franco D'Attoma as president and with a new technical and managerial staff, including Ilario Castagner, a former player for the team in the early part of the previous decade, as coach, and Silvano Ramaccioni as sporting director. Several new players joined the team, including defender Pierluigi Frosio, midfielders Franco Vannini and Renato Curi, and forward Paolo Sollier. Sollier gained attention beyond football circles and was known for using a clenched fist salute on the pitch.

Perugia secured promotion to Serie A with a three-point lead over Como and a four-point lead over Verona.

A.C. Perugia (D'Attoma years)

The newly promoted Perugia, competing in the new Comunale di Pian di Massiano stadium, embarked on its inaugural Serie A campaign, retaining much of the squad from the previous season. Their debut match in Serie A was against Milan on October 5, 1975.

On May 16, 1976, Renato Curi – who played a pivotal role in Perugia's journey to Serie A – scored the decisive goal in the Perugia-Juventus match, sealing Torino's victory in the championship against Juventus. Additionally, Perugia made its debut in European competitions during that season, participating in the Mitropa Cup.

Curi's performances and goals were crucial in securing Perugia's commendable sixth-place finish in the following season, making them the highest-ranked team excluded from UEFA qualification. Tragically, the talented Curi died on October 30, 1977, from a heart attack during a home match against Juventus, leaving a lasting impact on the club and leading to the stadium's renaming in his honor.

Despite this loss, Perugia continued to excel. The following season, they made history by becoming the first team to complete a Serie A campaign undefeated, finishing runners-up in 1979 with 11 wins and 19 draws, resulting in the only unbeaten side not to win a title. Perugia's unbeaten record in the Serie A lasted for 37 matches from April 1978 until October 1979. Led by Castagner, the team's cohesive performance saw them finish second in the league standings behind AC Milan, earning widespread admiration as the "Perugia of miracles." Among the key figures in their ranks were captain Pierluigi Frosio, along with Franco Vannini, Antonio Ceccarini, and Salvatore Bagni.

Ahead of the 1979–80 season, Perugia ambitiously signed Italy national team striker Paolo Rossi from L.R. Vicenza. Also notable was President D'Attoma's pioneering commercial deal with the Ponte pasta factory, which marked the first instance of a kit sponsorship for an Italian football team, setting a precedent in the history of Italian football.

Despite Rossi's performance as a goal scorer, the team couldn't replicate their previous success, seeming overwhelmed by newfound fame. Perugia struggled in the league and their first UEFA Cup appearance ended early in the round of 16 against Aris Thessaloniki. The ongoing absence of a key midfielder like Vannini, who later retired due to injury, further hindered their season.

However, as the club appeared to have solidified its position in Italian football, an unexpected turn of events occurred. In March 1980, the Totonero scandal erupted, implicating Rossi himself and indirectly impacting Perugia's fate. The team collapsed, finishing the season in a nondescript seventh place and was penalized five points in the following season, which ultimately led to relegation in 1981.

A.C. Perugia (1980s)

The club spent the first half of the 1980s trying to get back to Serie A, nearly succeeding under the management of Aldo Agroppi in the 1984–1985 season, narrowly missing promotion back to Serie A by just one point, setting records for the fewest defeats (1) and most draws (26 out of 38 matches) in the Serie B, a sign of potential resurgence. However, the club's decline continued, culminating in a double relegation to Serie C2 in 1986 due to their involvement in the 1986 Totonero scandal, despite already facing relegation on the pitch. It was during this time that Fabrizio Ravanelli would be discovered, he would later go on to a career with Reggiana, Juventus, Middlesbrough and several other clubs before returning to Perugia.

A.C. Perugia (Gaucci years)

In 1991, the entrepreneur and sportsman Luciano Gaucci took control of the club. His impactful legacy with the team endured until 2005, characterized by notable moments, including the contentious attempt to recruit the first female footballer for a male Serie A side, an unexpected victory against championship contender Juventus in 2000, and the triumph in the Intertoto Cup in 2003.