Udinese Calcio S.p.A is an Italian football club. Based in the town of Udine (Friuli-Venezia Giulia region, northern Italy), the club currently (2004) plays in Serie A. The team home kit is black and white quartered shirt, black shorts, and white socks. The club plays in the Stadio Friuli , which can seat 41,705.

The club was founded in 1896 as part of the Società Udinese di Ginnastica, the club won a regional championship in its first season. The club played in the regional leagues until 1929 when it joined Serie B. Never outstandingly successful, the club was quickly relegated and did not return to that division until 1939. Promotion to the top division was first achieved in 1950, but the club was relegated in 1955 following a nine point deduction for irregularities, the club bounced back the next season. The club was relegated in 1961-62 and fell all the way to Serie C by 1964. The club remained in C for fourteen seasons before returning to B, and then reaching A in 1979. The club stayed in A until 1987 and then moved between the top two divisions for a time before re-establishing themselves in A from 1995, with the club's highest finish ever coming in 1997-98 when they were third.

The club has never had success at the top level or in European competition. They have been Serie B champions twice (1955-56 and 1978-79), Serie C champions three times (1938-39, 1948-49, and 1977-78), they won the Anglo-Italian Cup once (1978), the Mitropa Cup once (1980) and the UEFA Intertoto Cup once (2000).

Current first team squad

As of April 2005

External link

• Official site (in Italian)