Hellas Verona
Hellas Verona Football Club is an Italian professional football club based in Verona, Veneto, founded in 1903 by students at Liceo "Scipione Maffei". The club currently plays in Serie A and calls the Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi home, which has a capacity of 39,211. Their most notable achievement in history was winning the Serie A championship in the 1984–85 season, making them one of the few smaller clubs to claim Italy's top division title. In January 2025, the club was acquired by American private equity Presidio Investors.
History
Overview
General information about the club
Hellas Verona Football Club was founded in 1903 by a group of students at Liceo "Scipione Maffei". The club was named Hellas, the Greek word for Greece, at the request of a professor of classics. Based in Verona, Veneto, the team has experienced significant fluctuations between Italy's top divisions throughout its history, with periods of remarkable success and challenging relegations.
Most recent season and achievements
Following their return to Serie A in recent years, Hellas Verona has established itself as a competitive mid-table team. The club achieved a ninth-placed finish in the 2019–20 Serie A season, which was considered a successful campaign for a team that was expected to struggle against relegation. They followed this with another top-half finish in 10th place the following season, demonstrating consistency in Italy's top flight.
History
Early years
Founded in 1903, Hellas was one of three or four area teams playing at a municipal level while fighting against city rivals Bentegodi to become the city's premier football outfit. By the 1907–08 season, Hellas was playing against regional teams, establishing an intense rivalry with Vicenza that continues to this day. In 1911, the city helped Hellas replace early, gritty football fields with a proper venue, allowing the team to participate in its first regional tournament.
In 1919, following World War I, the team merged with city rival Verona and changed its name to Hellas Verona. When Serie A began in 1929, the still-amateur Hellas merged with two city rivals, Bentegodi and Scaligera, to form AC Verona, debuting in Serie B. After first being promoted to Serie A for one season in 1957–58, the team merged with another city rival called Hellas in 1959 and changed its name to Hellas Verona AC.
Successful period
Coached by Nils Liedholm, the team returned to Serie A in 1968 and remained in the elite league almost without interruption until 1990. A memorable moment came in the 1972–73 season with a famous 5–3 win that cost Milan the scudetto. Under Osvaldo Bagnoli, the team secured fourth place in Serie A in 1982–83 and reached multiple Coppa Italia finals, though they were defeated by Napoli in 1976, Juventus in 1983, and Roma in 1984.
The pinnacle of success came in the 1984–85 season when Hellas Verona won their only Serie A championship. The squad featured key players like Hans-Peter Briegel, Preben Elkjær, Pietro Fanna, Antonio Di Gennaro, and Giuseppe Galderisi. They finished with a 15–13–2 record and 43 points, four points ahead of Torino. This remarkable achievement came during the only season when referees were assigned to matches by random draw rather than by commission.
Crisis and recovery
Financial difficulties caught up with the club in 1991, leading to its collapse and rebirth as Verona. The team regularly moved between Serie A and Serie B for several seasons. In 1995, the name was officially returned to Hellas Verona. Their last stint in Serie A ended in 2002 despite having emerging international talents like Adrian Mutu, Mauro Camoranesi, Alberto Gilardino, and coach Alberto Malesani.
The decline continued with relegation to Serie C1 in 2007 after 64 years in the two highest divisions. Despite being considered favorites, they spent almost the entire 2007–08 season in last place under various coaches including Franco Colomba, Davide Pellegrini, and Maurizio Sarri. The club narrowly avoided relegation to Serie C2 in a dramatic final playoff.
Current period
The recovery began under Andrea Mandorlini, who brought discipline and organization to the team. Hellas Verona were promoted back to Serie B in 2011 after a 2–1 aggregate win over Salernitana. On 18 May 2013, they finished second in Serie B and returned to Serie A after an eleven-year absence.
Since their return to the top flight, the club has shown resilience despite regular player departures to bigger clubs. Key players like Sofyan Amrabat, Amir Rrahmani, Marash Kumbulla, and Mattia Zaccagni have been developed and subsequently sold to Serie A rivals. Under coaches like Ivan Jurić and Igor Tudor, the team has maintained competitiveness in Serie A, achieving notable victories against top clubs like Juventus and Lazio.
Achievements and Honors
Domestic competitions
Hellas Verona has achieved significant success in Italian domestic competitions. Their crowning achievement is winning Serie A in the 1984–85 season, making them one of the few smaller clubs to claim Italy's top division title. They have also won Serie B three times: in 1956–57, 1981–82, and 1998–99, demonstrating their ability to bounce back from relegation.
Continental and global competitions
The club made its first European appearance in the 1983–84 UEFA Cup, being knocked out in the second round by Sturm Graz. They participated in the 1985–86 European Cup following their Serie A triumph but were eliminated in the second round by Juventus after a controversial match. Their best international result came in 1988 when they reached the UEFA Cup quarterfinals with four victories and three draws before being defeated by German side Werder Bremen.
Symbols and Colors
Current logo and logo history
The Hellas Verona logo features a stylized image of two large, powerful mastiffs facing opposite directions, introduced in 1995. This design incorporates the Scala family coat of arms, referencing the Della Scala princes who ruled Verona during the 13th and 14th centuries. The logo appears on the team's jersey and represents the club's connection to the city's historical heritage.
Traditional home and away kits colors
The team's colors are yellow and blue, earning them the nickname "gialloblù" (literally "yellow-blue" in Italian). These colors represent the city itself, with Verona's emblem featuring a yellow cross on a blue shield appearing on most team apparel. Home kits are traditionally blue, sometimes navy shade, combined with yellow details and trim, although the club has occasionally used blue and yellow striped designs.
Traditional club anthem
The source material does not provide information about a traditional club anthem for Hellas Verona.
Traditional Rivals
Chievo Verona
The intercity fixtures against Chievo Verona are known as the "Derby della Scala," named after the Scaligeri or della Scala aristocratic family who ruled Verona during the Middle Ages and early Renaissance. Hellas, founded in 1903, were traditionally the main club in Verona, while Chievo, founded in 1929, historically represented a small Verona suburb.
The rivalry intensified when Chievo became tenants at the Bentegodi and began rising through the leagues. During early Serie B meetings, Hellas supporters taunted Chievo with the chant "Quando i mussi volara, faremo el derby in Serie A" – "Donkeys will fly before we'll have a derby in Serie A." When Chievo earned promotion to Serie A in 2001, their fans adopted the nickname "i Mussi Volanti" (The Flying Donkeys).
The first Serie A derby took place on 18 November 2001, with both teams ranked among the top four. Hellas won 3–2, but Chievo got revenge in the return match, winning 2–1. This made Verona the fifth city in Italy to host a cross-town derby in Serie A, after Milan, Rome, Turin, and Genoa.
Vicenza
An intense rivalry with Vicenza was born during the 1907–08 season when Hellas began playing against regional teams. This rivalry has lasted to the present day, representing one of the club's oldest competitive relationships in Italian football.
Club Traditions and Behind the Scenes
Sponsors
The source material does not provide specific information about current sponsors for Hellas Verona.
Nicknames
Hellas Verona has several nicknames reflecting their colors and historical connections. The most widely used is "gialloblù," literally meaning "yellow-blue" in Italian, referring to their team colors. Two additional nicknames are "Mastini" (the mastiffs) and "Scaligeri," both references to Mastino I della Scala of the Della Scala princes who ruled the city during the 13th and 14th centuries.
Ownership and finances
In January 2025, it was announced that Hellas Verona had been acquired by American private equity Presidio Investors. The club has historically faced financial difficulties, which led to its collapse in 1991 and subsequent rebirth. Throughout its recent history, the club has operated with modest budgets compared to Italy's larger teams, often relying on developing young talent and selling key players to maintain financial stability.
Traditions and culture
The club maintains strong connections to Verona's historical heritage through its symbols and nicknames. The Scala family coat of arms appears on jerseys and logos, connecting the team to the medieval rulers of Verona. Despite periods of decline, fan loyalty has remained strong, with attendance figures often exceeding those of some Serie A teams even during the club's time in lower divisions. Season ticket sales reached over 10,000 during their Serie C period, demonstrating the passionate support base.
Stadium
Since 1963, Hellas Verona has played at the Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi, which has a capacity of 39,211, making it the eighth-largest stadium in Italy. The stadium is named after the historic benefactor of Veronese sport, Marcantonio Bentegodi. The ground was shared with rivals Chievo Verona until 2021.
The stadium served as a venue for matches during the 1990 FIFA World Cup. Renovations prior to the tournament included an extra tier and roof coverage for all sections, improved visibility, enhanced public transport connections, and an urban motorway connecting the city center with the stadium and the Verona Nord motorway exit.