Football Club Messina

Football Club Messina was an Italian football club based in Messina, Sicily, formerly known as S.S.D. Citta di Messina and U.S.D. Camaro Messina, and disbanded in 2021.

History

Foundation

The club is the direct heir of U.S.D. Camaro Messina, an amateur football club from the Messina neighbourhood of Camaro that was founded in 1969.

Citta di Messina

In 2010 the club was renamed to S.S.D. Citta di Messina, as one of the phoenix club of F.C. Messina Peloro.

In the season 2011–12 the team was promoted from Eccellenza Sicily Group B to Serie D after playoffs.

However, they were then relegated twice, and won two straight promotion in 2017 from 2016–17 Promozione Sicily and 2018 from 2017–18 Eccellenza Sicily to find themselves back to Serie D for the 2018–19 Serie D, at the same level with the historical main team in the city, ACR Messina. The club escaped relegation in 2019 after winning a playoff against Locri.

Football Club Messina

In the summer of 2019, the club was acquired by supermarket entrepreneur Rocco Arena, who was also the owner of Spanish club CF Independiente Alicante (heir of Alicante CF).

On 13 July 2019, the Italian Football Federation approved a change name request for the club, which was renamed Football Club Messina, reminiscent of the similar denomination of "Football Club Messina Peloro" club between 1997 and 2008, when they also played at Serie A level.

In the 2020–21 Serie D season, FC Messina ended in second place, behind crosstown rivals ACR Messina. They later won the Serie D Girone I playoffs, defeating Acireale in the semifinal and Gelbison in the final, thus ensuring them the right to be admitted to Serie C in case of a league vacancy.