"Spezia Calcio" summer football training camp in Val Gardena

The tradition-steeped Italian football club "Spezia Calcio" is returning to Val Gardena after the positive experiences of the 2011/2012, 2015/2016, 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons and will be holding their summer training in S. Cristina for almost two weeks. The "Aquile" will prepare from 18 July until 01 August 2024 at the Mulin da Coi sports centre in S. Cristina.

Spezia Calcio is an Italian football club from the Ligurian city of La Spezia. Other names are Aquilotti ("Eagles") and Bianconeri ("White and Black"). The training sessions are daily (with isolated exceptions) from 10.00 a.m. to 12.00 p.m. and from 5.00 p.m. to 6.30 p.m.. The trainings are open for all fans and spectators and free of charge.

Friendly matches:

Spezia Calcio - Arminia Bielefeld 1:1
Saturday, 20.07.2024 - 5 p.m. - Mulin da Coi - S. Cristina
Re-Watch the match on the livestream

FC Gherdëina - Spezia Calcio 0:7
Monday, 29.07.2024 - 5 p.m. - Mulin da Coi - S. Cristina

You can find lots of interesting videos from the training camp on Spezia Calcio's official YouTube channel.

The optimal altitude in S. Cristina (1,300 - 1,400 m above sea level) offers ideal conditions for the preparations for a successful playing season and the breathtaking mountain scenery becomes a unique backdrop for the training camp of this top team.The football pitch in the Sportzone Mulin da Coi in S. Cristina is therefore the ideal training ground for this Serie B football team.

The training camp will also include friendly matches with local football clubs, which are expected to be open to all and free of charge.

In the past, numerous other national as well as international football clubs have chosen Val Gardena for their training camp. Among others, Lazio, Torino Calcio, Cagliari, Lecce, Hellas Verona, Ternana, Gallipoli and the English team Leeds United.

On 10 October 1906, the Swiss merchant Hermann Hurny founded the football section of the Sport Club Spezia together with other Swiss. The club subsequently played mostly on the Piazza d'Armi against sailors whose ships were currently moored in the port of La Spezia. On 20 November 1911, Spezia FC was founded and Francesco Corio was elected as its first president.

Spezia Calcio wins the "Scudetto"

In the 1943/44 season, despite all the turmoil of war, an Italian football championship was held. However, due to the war, only teams from northern Italy could take part. After an intense season, Spezia showed all their class in the last match, winning 5:2 against Venice. The surprise was perfect, Spezia were the new Italian champions.

One day after Spezia's surprising victory, the Italian Football Federation declared that this tournament was not a regular championship and that Spezia had therefore not won the Scudetto, but only the war championship. This was despite the fact that before and during the championship the tournament had been designated as the official Italian championship. After many years of Spezia demanding recognition of the Scudetto, on 22 January 2002 the FIGC awarded Spezia an honorary title for winning the 1943/44 championship with the possibility of wearing the title on their jerseys and crest forever. Something that is otherwise only allowed to teams with at least 10 scudetti.

Thiago Motta & Luca Gotti

Since the summer of 2021, former Brazilian-Italian footballer Thiago Motta (who also played many games for the Italian national team and played for clubs such as Paris Saint-Germain, Barcellona and Inter) was the head coach at Spezia Calcio. In the past 2021/22 season, he finished 16th in the Italian Serie A with his team obtaining with one day in advance the mathematical certainty of playing in Serie A again next season. Nevertheless, Motta was not reconfirmed and Luca Gotti (head coach of Udinese Calcio and vice coach at Chelsea) was given the confidence as head coach.

By a whisker, unfortunately, Spezia Calcio failed to remain in Serie A after the 2022/23 championship, so much so that the very last decisive match against Hellas Verona was lost, which consequently decreed the team's relegation to Serie B.