SS Audace Cerignola

Audace Cerignola

Full name	Società Sportiva Audace Cerignola srl
Founded	1912;114 years ago (1912)
Ground	Stadio Domenico Monterisi, Cerignola, Italy
Capacity	8,000
Chairman	Nicola Grieco
Manager	Vincenzo Maiuri
League	Serie C Group C
2024–25	Serie C Group C, 2nd of 20
Home colours Away colours Third colours

S.S. Audace Cerignola, commonly known as Audace Cerignola or simply Cerignola, is an Italian association football club from Cerignola, Apulia. They play in the Serie C Group C.

History

The club was originally founded in 1912 as Gruppo Sportivo Cerignola. They played Serie C from 1935 to 1937, after which they exclusively took part at amateur leagues.

The club voluntarily stepped out in 2013 due to financial issues, and restarted from Prima Categoria only a year later. In 2017 they returned to play Serie D, a league they had not played since the year 2000.

In 2019, Audace Cerignola ended the season in an impressive second place, behind AZ Picerno; in the following playoffs, they made it to the final, where they defeated Taranto, thus ensuring a priority slot in the Serie C repechages.

However, due to a number stadium-related issues, the Italian Football Federation denied Serie C entry to the club. ^[1] After winning a first appeal to the Italian National Olympic Committee Court, ^[2] and FIGC declining Audace Cerignola's admission due to other stadium-related technicalities, ^[3] on 5 August 2019 the CONI Court once again overturned the latter's decision, confirming Audace Cerignola's right to take part in the 2019–20 Serie C. ^[4]

Audace Cerignola were finally promoted to Serie C in the 2021–22 Serie D season, as Group H champions, under the guidance of head coach Michele Pazienza. ^[5]

Current squad

As of 2 February 2026 ^[6]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 2 DF   ITA Gianmarco Todisco(on loan from Avellino ) 3 DF   ITA Luca Russo 4 MF   ITA Gaetano Vitale 5 DF   ITA Luca Martinelli 6 DF   ARG Santiago Visentin 7 FW   GRE Athanasios Dabizas 9 FW   ITA Diego Gambale 10 MF   ITA Lorenzo Paolucci 15 DF   ITA Alessandro Ligi 17 FW   ITA Ernesto Ballabile 21 MF   ITA Leonardo Di Tommaso(on loan from Lazio ) 22 GK   ITA Giuseppe Fares 23 DF   ITA Andrea Gasbarro 24 MF   ESP Oscar Moreso

No. Pos. Nation Player 25 DF   ITA Riccardo Spaltro 31 GK   BUL Velizar-Iliya Iliev(on loan from Cagliari ) 32 GK   ITA Alessandro Russo (on loan from Sassuolo ) 33 FW   ITA Ludovico D'Orazio 45 DF   ITA Martin Cocorocchio 58 MF   ITA Carmine Cretella 71 MF   ITA Donato Ianzano 83 MF   ITA Zak Ruggiero (on loan from Trapani ) 86 DF   ITA Ruggero Labranca 99 DF   ITA Claudio Parlato — DF   ITA Alessandro Bassino(on loan from Juventus ) — MF   ITA Antonio Pio Iervolino(on loan from Salernitana ) — FW   ITA Jacopo Tarantino(on loan from Fiorentina )

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player — GK   ITA Stefano Greco (at Sciacca until 30 June 2026) — GK   ITA Alfonso Rizzuto(at Giugliano until 30 June 2026) — DF   ARG Gianfranco Giuliodori(at Reggina until 30 June 2026) — FW   ITA Nicolas Iurilli(at Fidelis Andria until 30 June 2026)

No. Pos. Nation Player — FW   NGA Jerry Okoh(at Manfredonia until 30 June 2026) — FW   ITA Antonio Sabbatani(at Sorrento until 30 June 2026) — FW   ALB Enis Tozaj(at Sestri Levante until 30 June 2026)

References

1. "Ripescaggi e Riammissioni Serie B e Serie C: le decisioni del Consiglio Federale" (in Italian). Ysport.eu. 12 July 2019. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
2. "Accolti ricorsi sia di Bisceglie che Cerignola. Girone C a 21 squadre?" (in Italian). Sporterni. 23 July 2019. Retrieved 23 July 2019.
3. "Figc: Bisceglie in C, respinto il Cerignola" (in Italian). Teleregione. 25 July 2019. Archived from the original on 25 July 2019. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
4. "Serie C: Audace Cerignola ripescata, accolto il ricorso dal Collegio di Garanzia del Coni" (in Italian). SKY Sport Italia. 5 August 2019. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
5. "Cerignola in festa: l'Audace è in Serie C" (in Italian). FoggiaToday. 24 April 2022. Retrieved 24 April 2022.
6. "Italy - USD Audace Cerignola - Soccerway". Soccerway. Retrieved 10 August 2022.

External links

• Official website