Bergamo’s finest have made some 47 appearances in the top flight and their best ever finish came in 1948 when they took fifth spot. Their trophy cabinet also contains the 1963 Coppa Italia when they beat Torino 3-1 in the Final. These were the days of Angelo Domenghini, who went on to greater fame with Inter and Italy.
Despite their regular appearances in Serie A, the team has rarely supplied players to the national team and only the likes of their great goalscorer Adriano Bassetto and Italian-Argentine Humberto Maschio have featured for the Azzurri. Their ‘golden age’ was probably at the end of the 1980s and early ‘90s when they were regulars in the top half of Serie A and the likes of Claudio Caniggia and Evair sent them into the UEFA Cup.
More recent times have seen them confirm their reputation as an ‘elevator’ club between the First and Second Divisions. Yet this could prove a turning point, as they strolled to the Serie B title in 2006 and never looked in danger of relegation last term, finishing an impressive eighth. Now it’s up to Gigi Del Neri to carry on the work of former Coach Stefano Colantuono.
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