Founded in 1920 by merging Football Club Empoli with Unione Sportiva Empolese, the side went through several changes before finally making its Serie B debut in 1983. Within two years they had succeeded in climbing to the top flight for the first time in their history, although their record in recent years has hardly been a model of stability. In fact, after a creditable 13th place finish in Serie A, the club slid to two consecutive relegations and was mired in the Third Division again.
The new era began with their only trophy to date – the 1995-96 Serie C Coppa Italia – and two promotions on the trot for their return to Serie A in 1997. It proved to be difficult terrain for a side that has never stayed in the Italian premier League for more than two seasons consecutively. Appointing Coach Mario Somma was a gamble that paid off after their 2004 relegation, as within 12 months he had returned them to the top flight with a record-breaking campaign that saw Empoli go unbeaten for 22 games.
After struggling to adapt to the Serie A pace in the first few months of the 2005-06 season, Somma was axed and replaced by the experienced Gigi Cagni. Cagni eased the Azzurri into mid-table and the minnows nearly stole a UEFA Cup place after the Calciopoli scandal. Despite having sold star man Francesco Tavano, wise head Cagni took them to their first ever UEFA Cup qualification by shattering club records in 2006-07.
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