The club was founded in 1914 as "Società Sportiva Fortitudo"[2] (the year 1914 is a reference to the first historic match played by the club on 23 February 1914) and enjoyed a long time in the professional leagues, spending several years in the Serie B. They also won the Anglo-Italian Cup in 1983. In 2003, Cosenza 1914 was expelled from professional league.[3]
In 2003 an illegitimate phoenix club was found as A.S. Cosenza F.C.. In 2004, old Cosenza won the appeal and was admitted to 2004–05 Serie D. Thus that season there was a derby. In 2005 new Cosenza switched its denomination into A.S. Cosenza Calcio,[4] after the fall of old Cosenza.
In 2007, A.S. Cosenza Calcio gave up its Serie D membership, but all the team players later joined new club Fortitudo Cosenza, born as relocation of Rende Calcio, a team from the neighbouring city of Rende which was relegated to Serie Din2006–07 season and moved to Cosenza soon after. The new club quickly managed to win the Serie D/Girone I championship in 2007–08, ensuring a place back into the Lega Pro Seconda Divisione (the renamed Serie C2) for the 2008–09 season.
Following this, the new club renamed itself, taking the old historical denomination of Cosenza Calcio 1914 S.r.l. with the aim to rise up the Italian football pyramid. In 2008–09, their first season in the Lega Pro, Cosenza showed all of their intentions by winning the Lega Pro Seconda Divisione/Girone C championship. The team played the 2009–10 season in the Lega Pro Prima Divisione/Girone B, finishing 11th in the table.
During the professional seasons, former chairman Damiano Paletta was suspended in June 2009 for 6 months for irregularities in administration.[6] The ban was reduced after an appeal.[7]
For the bankruptcy of Cosenza Calcio 1914 S.r.l., former managers Eugenio Funari, Paolo Pagliuso (former chairman) and his son Luca Pagliuso, Giuseppe Citrigno and Francesco Iannucci were banned from football for 2 years to 5 years. due to irregularities in management.[8]
In 2013 the membership of Cosenza Calcio 1914 S.r.l. was finally revoked.[9]
In mid-2011 the club was refounded as Nuova Cosenza Calcio and restarted from Serie D[10][11] After a mediocre start, they sacked coach Enzo Patania and hired Tommaso Napoli.[12] They won nine and drew seven without a loss to finish the regular season in second place to HinterReggio in Group I and entered in the promotion playoffs.[13] They won six in a row to become champions of the playoffs.[14] The club won the promotion playoffs by beating SandonàJesoloCalcio 3–2 in the final, but not being automatically promoted shall remain still in Serie D.
On 5 August 2013, the team announced that it was promoted to the professional league, Lega Pro Seconda Divisione.[15] Circa 2013 the club refer itself simply as Cosenza Calcio,[16] a name change in Italian Chamber of Commerce was done some time later.
^"Comunicato Ufficiale N°19/A (2011–12)"(PDF). Consiglio Federale (Press release) (in Italian). Rome: Italian Football Federation (FIGC). 18 July 2011. Archived(PDF) from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
^"C.U. N°52/CGF (2009–10)"(PDF). Corte di Giustizia Federale (CGF) (Press release) (in Italian). FIGC. 23 October 2009. Archived(PDF) from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 13 August 2015.
^"C.U. N°35/CDN (2013–14)"(PDF). CDN (Press release) (in Italian). FIGC. 19 November 2013. Archived(PDF) from the original on 16 February 2017. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
^"C.U. N°72/A (2013–14)"(PDF). Presidente Federale (Press release) (in Italian). FIGC. 11 September 2013. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2 November 2013. Retrieved 30 October 2017.
Current season
William Viali
