History of Bologna FC 1909 in Timeline

Bologna FC 1909 is an Italian professional football club based in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna. They compete in Serie A, the highest level of Italian football. The club has a history of success, with seven Serie A titles, three Coppa Italia titles, and one UEFA Intertoto Cup victory.

October 1909: Club Formation

On October 3, 1909, Bologna was founded in the Northern Italian city of Bologna, with Carlo Sandoni as the sponsor and general manager, Louis Rauch as president, Guido Della Valle as vice-president, Enrico Penaglia as secretary, Sergio Lampronti as cashier, and Emilio Arnstein and Leone Vincenzi as councilmen.

1909: Chairmen

From 1909 until the present day, Bologna have had numerous chairmen over the course of their history.

1909: Club Foundation

In 1909, Bologna FC was founded and became a founding member of Serie A. The club won many league championships during the late 1930s.

1909: Intermediate Holding Company

In 2015, Bologna was promoted back to Serie A under the new ownership of which BFC 1909 Lux Spv S.A. of Luxemburg is an intermediate holding company

1909: Acquisition by BFC

In October 2014, the board of directors ratified the sale of the club to BFC 1909 Lux SPV

March 1910: First Ever Game

On March 20, 1910, Bologna played their first game against Virtus, winning 9–1. The first football squad featured Koch, Chiara, Pessarelli, Bragaglia, Guido Della Valle, Nanni, Donati, Rauch, Bernabeu, Mezzano, and Gradi.

1919: Semi-Finals

In 1919, Bologna reached the semi-finals of the Northern Italian competition.

1920: Managers and Trainers

From 1920 onwards, Bologna have had many managers and trainers, some seasons they have had co-managers running the team.

1923: Northern League finals

In 1923, Bologna reached the Northern League finals, losing 2–1 to Pro Vercelli.

1924: Northern and National League champions

In 1924, Bologna became Northern and National League champions for the first time, beating Genoa CFC after five final matches.

1927: Stadio Renato Dall'Ara

Since 1927, Bologna has played in the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara, which is the tenth-largest stadium by capacity in Serie A.

1928: Champions of Italy

In 1928, Bologna became champions of Italy for the second time, which was the last time the league was competed in the old system, as Serie A was instated the following year.

1935: Scudetto Win

In 1935, Bologna won the Scudetto.

1936: Scudetto Win

In 1936, Bologna won the Scudetto.

1938: Scudetto Win

In 1938, Bologna won the Scudetto.

1940: Scudetto Win

In 1940, Bologna won the Scudetto.

1963: League Title

In 1963, Bologna took the league title.

1964: UEFA Champions League berth

During the 2023-24 season, Bologna secured a UEFA Champions League berth for the first time since 1964-65.

1964: Last Serie A Championship

In 1964, Bologna won their last Serie A championship, bringing the club's total to seven.

1964: Last League Title

In 1964, Bologna won their last league title to date, after which the club ceased any league dominance.

1974: Coppa Italia Win

On May 14, 2025, Bologna won their third Coppa Italia, their first since 1974, after defeating Milan 1–0 in the final.

1981: Relegation from Serie A

Beginning in the 1981 season, Bologna was relegated from Serie A after battling for survival with Cagliari and Genoa.

1988: Return to Serie A

In 1988, Bologna returned to Serie A after four years of fighting it out in Serie B.

1991: Relegation

In 1991, Bologna was relegated.

1993: Return to Serie C1

In 1993, Bologna returned to Serie C1.

1996: Return to Serie A

In 1996, Bologna returned to Serie A.

2004: Relegation Playoff Loss

In 2004, Bologna lost to Parma in the playoffs.

2005: Team Sold

During 2005, Giuseppe Gazzoni Frascara sold the Bologna team to Alfredo Cazzola, a local entrepreneur.

2005: Poor start of season

In 2005, Bologna had a poor start to the season, causing the sacking of coach Renzo Ulivieri.

March 2006: Mandorlini Fired

On March 5, 2006, Andrea Mandorlini was fired and Renzo Ulivieri was re-appointed as team coach.

April 2007: Ulivieri Fired

On April 14, 2007, Renzo Ulivieri was fired and replaced by Luca Cecconi.

November 2008: Arrigoni Sacked

On November 3, 2008, Daniele Arrigoni was sacked and Siniša Mihajlović was appointed as the new boss after a 5-1 loss to Cagliari.

February 2009: Death of Giacomo Bulgarelli

On February 21, 2009, Giacomo Bulgarelli died, and the curva Bulgarelli stand was dedicated to him.

April 2009: Papadopulo Appointed Manager

On April 14, 2009, Giuseppe Papadopulo was appointed as the new manager and avoided relegation to Serie B.

2009: Serie A Season

In the 2009 Serie A season, Bologna escaped relegation despite financial issues under new head coach Franco Colomba.

June 2010: Club Takeover Completed

In June 2010, the club takeover was completed, with the club being sold by the Menarini family to Sergio Porcedda.

August 2010: Colomba Sacked

On August 29, 2010, Franco Colomba was sacked right before the 2010-11 season opener.

December 2010: Club Acquired by Bologna 2010

On December 23, 2010, the consortium Bologna 2010, led by Giovanni Consorte and Massimo Zanetti, acquired the club from Sergio Porcedda. Zanetti became the new club chairman, and Gianni Morandi was appointed honorary president.

2010: Shareholder of the consortium

On April 7, 2011, Albano Guaraldi became the second largest shareholder of the consortium "Bologna 2010" with the 17% of the quotas.

January 2011: Resignation of Zanetti and Baraldi

On January 21, 2011, Massimo Zanetti and Luca Baraldi resigned due to differences with financial partners. Stefano Pedrelli became the new director general, and Marco Pavignani became the chairman for 76 days.

April 2011: Guaraldi New Chairman

On April 7, 2011, Albano Guaraldi became the new chairman of Bologna after the resignation of Pavignani.

2013: Relegation to Serie B

In the 2013 season, Bologna was relegated to the Serie B.

October 2014: Sale of Club to BFC 1909 Lux SPV

On October 15, 2014, the board of directors ratified the sale of Bologna to BFC 1909 Lux SPV, and Joe Tacopina became the new club chairman.

November 2014: Saputo Succeeds Tacopina

On November 17, 2014, Joey Saputo succeeded Joe Tacopina as the new chairman of the board of directors of Bologna.

2015: Promotion Back to Serie A

In 2015, Bologna was promoted back to Serie A under the new ownership of BFC 1909 Lux Spv S.A.

2018: Serie A Season

In the 2018 Serie A season, Bologna finished in 10th position.

2021: Serie A Season

In the 2021 Serie A season, Bologna finished in 13th position.

September 2022: Thiago Motta Named Head Coach

On September 12, 2022, Thiago Motta was named as head coach of Bologna.

2023: Ninth Place Finish and New Record

In the 2023 season, Bologna concluded in 9th place, accruing 54 points, setting a new record for the team.

2024: Champions League

During the 2024-25 season, Bologna had one win, three draws and four losses in their Champions League campaign, ultimately finishing 28th out of 36 in the league phase.