U.S. Lecce

Unione Sportiva Lecce is an Italian football club based in Lecce in Apulia. They currently feature in the Italian Serie A and have been tossing between the Italian first division and the second division for most of their time in existence.

Lecce was formed on March 15,1908 as Sporting Club Lecce presided by Francesco Marangi. The club initially played in the regional leagues and competitions.

During the 1923-1924 the club was disbanded but made a swift return on September 16,1927 as Unione Sportiva Lecce and entered into the Italian Serie B for the 1929-1930 season but soon declined and played in the Serie C for some time.

Between 1959 and 1975, Lecce played seventeen heavily limping seasons in the Italian Serie C but finally gained promotion to the Serie A in 1985 under the management of Eugenio Fascetti. They were immediately relegated however but returned to the top flight in 1988.

Lecce finished 9h in the 1988-1999 season in the Serie A but since then have flirted with relegation to the Serie B and promotion to the Serie A.

Lecce played the 2007-2008 season in the Italian Serie B and gained promotion to the Serie A and are now a Serie A team for the 2008-2009 season.

Lecce play their home matches at the Stadio Via del Mare, which can host 36,285 people. The club bears the nicknames Giallorossi (ywllow-reds), Salentini (Salenters) and Lupi (Wolves).