Cesena FC

Today, our journey through Italian football takes us to Serie B outfit Cesena FC (@calciocesenafc). So, let’s #GetTheBadgeIn!

Nestled in the mid-northeast of Italy, a stone's throw from the Adriatic Sea and just above San Marino. They play in the very neat-looking Stadio Dino Manuzzi, which can seat 20,000. In 2011 it became the first Italian club to switch to an artificial pitch, with fans entering the pitch on the last day of the original to cut bits up and take them home.

Cesena has historically bounced between Serie A and Serie B, with a sixth-place finish in 1976 earning them their one and only UEFA Cup run. In 2014 they won the playoffs to get back into Serie A, with remarkably—only four players. Well, four players under contract; the rest of the squad was made up of loanees. As this would suggest, not all was well with the underlying finances of the club, and in 2018 it was forced to declare bankruptcy and fold. However, the same year a phoenix team emerged, acquiring the historical badge for €78,000 from creditors and under new American ownership, began its ascent from Serie D. They quickly climbed through the ranks and are now competing back in Serie B.

At the heart of Cesena FC's badge, and identity, are their two nicknames—the Cavallucci Marini (The Seahorses) and the Bianconeri (The White and Blacks), each clearly represented on their badge.

Let’s start with the seahorse. At first glance, it seems a bit tricky to trace down its roots to the city of Cesena. It doesn’t seem to appear on any prominent landmarks or crests (please shout if I have missed something obvious). The city itself is also not directly on the coast, so its maritime heritage is a bit unclear. Unclear that is, until you go back a bit in history.

Though Cesena lies inland, it historically encompassed the port town of Cesenatico for nearly five centuries. This port, surveyed by none other than Leonardo Da Vinci to fortify Cesena against attacks, now hosts a maritime museum and a vibrant fishing fleet, linking the town—and by extension, the club—to its maritime roots.

The seahorse symbol is also very common throughout the 'upper Adriatic' and appears across various regional symbols. The actual sea itself is home to two species of seahorse, both endangered.

The club's colours, and second nickname, 'the white and black', are lifted directly from Cesena's coat of arms. The coat of arms features a black and white flag under a set of fleur-de-lys and a crown. The town itself has seen some fascinating periods of history.

It was fortified by the Romans initially and made an important garrison town during the Roman Empire. Post-Roman era, Cesena found itself at the frontier of the Lombardy region, a battleground for the feuds between the Holy Roman Emperor and various Popes. In one of the city's darkest hours, the 'Cesena Bloodbath' of 1377 occurred when Cardinal Robert captured the town and ordered the massacre of thousands of its residents.

During the Renaissance, Cesena flourished as a centre of culture and intellect. The town established Europe's first civic-owned library in 1454, a testament to its progressive ethos during a time when most libraries were owned by the church or private individuals. The town can also claim to have raised three different pontiffs and is often called the 'City of Three Popes'.

World War II left an ugly mark, literally, on Cesena. It had the misfortune of comprising part of Hitler’s 'Gothic Line', the last line of defence against the Allied forces as they liberated Italy. The city underwent severe bombing by British and American forces as they forced their way through.

So, there you have it, what looks at first glance like the Grimsby or Notts County of Italy is in fact a town that has hosted Popes, Battles, Leonardo Da Vinci and been bombed to bits by the Brits. The Seahorses, sat comfortably in Serie B, with a long heritage, clear identity and sound financial backers – look set to continue their gallop up the leagues.