San Donato
San Donato Tavarnelle: The Football Team of Two Tuscan Municipalities
The San Donato Tavarnelle is a football team that represents the locations of San Donato in Poggio and Tavarnelle Val di Pesa, two hamlets of the municipality of Barberino Tavarnelle, in the metropolitan city of Florence. The club was born in 2006 from the merger of A.C. San Donato and A.C. Libertas Tavarnelle. Initially, the team's activity was limited to participation in amateur championships, but over the years, it gradually consolidated until it reached professionalism. In fact, in the 2021-2022 Serie D season, it won its group and was promoted to Serie C. Now, San Donato Tavarnelle plays in the third division of Italian football, the 2022-2023 Serie C.
Roots and History of the Club
The roots of the club go back to 1927, the year of the founding of the Associazione Calcio Libertas Tavarnelle, which initially played in a field near the hospital in the Borghetto area. In the 1950s, the club joined the Second Division and, although it had alternating seasons, it managed to achieve success in the 1971-72 championship, thus entering Serie D. However, Libertas was unable to maintain its position in Serie D due to two consecutive relegations and thus dropped to the First Category. In the following years, there were several promotions and relegations between the First and Second Categories.
The other progenitor team, Associazione Calcio San Donato, was founded in 1962 and soon managed to reach promotion in the 1965-66 championship. However, immediate relegation caused the club to sink to the lowest level of Italian football until the 1983-84 season. In 2000-01, San Donato rose to Eccellenza and in 2004-05 won the regional phase of Coppa Italia Dilettanti. In 2006, the two societies, San Donato and Libertas Tavarnelle, merged to form San Donato Tavarnelle.
The New Course with San Donato Tavarnelle
In 2006, San Donato Tavarnelle was born from the merger of the two companies, San Donato and Libertas Tavarnelle. The team's president is Leonardo Pianigiani, assisted by shareholders Fabrizio Fusi, Andrea Bacci, Luciano Santucci, Marcello Brogi, Luigi Rodani, Gino Capacci, Francesco Cellesi, Fabio Ermini, and Romano La Rocca. After a season in Eccellenza, which ended in safety, in 2007-08 the club achieved fourth place in its group and qualification for promotion play-offs. Despite the ensuing defeat, the team remained competitive in the following championships, taking advantage of the opportunity to expand its presence in the territory thanks to the merger with Libertas Tavarnelle.
After the 2020-2021 season, San Donato Tavarnelle decided to rely on experienced Giacomo Filippi, who led the team to promotion in Serie C thanks to the result of the Serie D group. Now, the team is preparing for the 2022-2023 season in the third tier of Italian football.
The Company and the Fans
San Donato Tavarnelle enjoys a great deal of attention and popularity in the surrounding area, thanks to the presence of numerous fans and enthusiasts. The company has a strong focus on the territory and its values, so much so that the youth formations are considered the lifeblood of the club. The various initiatives put in place by the company to involve young people and citizens are also highly appreciated.
The fans are varied and develop mainly in the hamlets of San Donato in Poggio and Tavarnelle Val di Pesa. The passion for the club and the team is palpable in the city, and the push of the fans represents a real force for San Donato Tavarnelle.
Conclusions
San Donato Tavarnelle is a football team that represents the municipalities of San Donato in Poggio and Tavarnelle Val di Pesa, in the metropolitan city of Florence. The club was born in 2006 from the merger of A.C. San Donato and A.C. Libertas Tavarnelle and has had a path filled with promotions and relegations. However, in the 2021-2022 Serie D season, the team won its group and was promoted to Serie C. Thanks to the attention to the territory and its traditions, the club continues to thrive and involve more and more fans, increasing its presence in the third tier of Italian football.
