page_title: Palermo F.C.
section_title: The Zamparini era: back to Serie A and European years (2002–2013)
hierarchical_section_title: Palermo F.C. / History / The Zamparini era: back to Serie A and European years (2002–2013)
caption_attribution_description: Fabrizio Miccoli
context_page_description: Palermo Football Club, known as Palermo F.C. or more simply Palermo, is an Italian football club based in the Sicilian city of Palermo founded on 1 November 1900. Palermo were the first football club founded in Sicily, the first in the South of Italy and also the 7th oldest extant club in the country. Unione Sportiva Città di Palermo was excluded from Serie B in 2019, due to financial irregularities, and was re-founded in Serie D.
  The team achieved its greatest sporting success in the 2000s, during which it had three 5th-placed finishes in the Serie A and also reached the 2005–06 UEFA Cup's round of 16. The club counts the Coppa Italia Serie C in 1992–1993 as a major honour in their history. With their appearances in 3 Coppa Italia finals - twice in the 1970s and again in 2011 - and their 5 Serie B titles, alongside the many trophies won in the first twenty years of the twentieth century, Palermo is often considered to be one of the most important and successful clubs of Southern Italy.
  Regarding their performances in European competition, the club has five appearances in UEFA Cup/Europa League; in 2007 it occupied 51st place in UEFA ranking.
context_section_description: In the summer of 2002, Friulian businessman and Venezia owner Maurizio Zamparini acquired the club from Franco Sensi in a €15 million bid, with the clear intention to bring Palermo back to Serie A and establish the club as a Serie A regular with aims of participations to European competitions. Palermo failed in its first attempt to reach the Serie A in 2002–03 on the final week of the season, but later managed to achieve it after a hard but successful 2003–04 campaign which saw Palermo crowned as Serie B champions and promoted to Serie A after 31 years, under head coach Francesco Guidolin, who was hired in January 2004 as replacement for dismissed Silvio Baldini.
  The 2004–05 season, the first in Serie A for the Palermo club since 1973, ended with an excellent sixth place, securing qualification for the 2005–06 UEFA Cup for the first time in its history. Luca Toni broke the Palermo Serie A scoring record by notching up 20 league goals. In the following season, despite an unimpressive eighth place in the Serie A table, Palermo reached the last 16 in the UEFA Cup as well as the Coppa Italia semi-finals. The club was however admitted to play UEFA Cup again due to the 2006 Calciopoli scandal, with Palermo players Andrea Barzagli, Cristian Zaccardo, Simone Barone and Fabio Grosso being crowned 2006 World Cup winners. A number of impressive signings were made to establish an ambitious team, and a good beginning in the 2006–07 campaign appeared initially to confirm this. An 11-game winless streak, however, forced Palermo to fall down from third to seventh place, ending the season in fifth place and ensuring another UEFA Cup qualification. The club successively established as a force in the mid-table part of the Serie A league, also winning a Campionato Nazionale Primavera national title in 2009.
  The following season started with new manager Walter Zenga, whose appointment from Sicilian arch-rivals Catania was greeted with surprise and dismay from supporters of both parties; Zenga's reign, however, lasted only 13 games, as he was dismissed on 23 November 2009 due to poor performances, ironically after a 1–1 home tie to Sicilian rivals and Zenga's former team, Catania, with former Lazio boss Delio Rossi being appointed at his place. Under the tutelage of Delio Rossi, results dramatically improved, and Palermo established a record of seven consecutive home wins, including wins against Italian giants Milan and Juventus, and emerging as serious contenders for a Champions League spot, which they ultimately lost to Sampdoria by only one point. Such season also launched new emerging stars such as midfielder Javier Pastore and goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu, who went on to become integral part of their respective international teams.
  The 2010–11 season started with Delio Rossi still in charge of the club, and also marked Palermo's return into continental football in the form of the UEFA Europa League. Palermo reached their third Coppa Italia finals after defeating Milan 4–3 on aggregate on 10 May 2011, losing 3–1 to Internazionale in the final, in what is considered one of the peak moments of Zamparini's period at the club.
caption: Former club captain Fabrizio Miccoli
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