Italy - List of FGNI Champions

In the early period of Italian football, most of football teams played for the FGNI (Italian Federation of Gymnastics) instead of FIF events (or indifferently for both federations). FGNI organised annual Concorsi Federali di Calcio (official Italian championships) sometimes inserting that events in the three-yearly Concorsi Nazionali FGNI, a sort of national Convention of all sports (like Olympic games). The necessity to perform a lot of different sports was the reason for their seasonal placing (summer or early autumn) in order to have dry fields to play. FIF Championships were rather played in winter time.

In the FGNI Championships there were also some different rules like half-times of 30 minutes and extra-times of ten; a strange rule stated that the Referee did decide the winner, in a tie-match, awarding the more fair-playing team.
The FGNI decision to organize an Italian Football Championship was taken in 1900 (November, 3rd) during the 13th Federal Council in Vicenza. They decided to organize national football games and also national Championships of Tamburello (a sort of Italian "pelota") and Palla a Sfratto. In 1903 (May, 6th) the Commissione Giuochi adopted the British official football rules. In 1904 (June, 2nd) in Firenze there was the first Italian Football FGNI Championship.

See here for the list of FIF/FIGC champions.

Palmares

Year     Champions               Runners-Up
Torneo Interprovinciale Ginnastico
1896     S Udine GS      2-0     PG Ferrara             [in Treviso] 
FGNI Football Championships
NB: years in bold refer to a Concorso Nazionale FGNI (held every three
    years) in which national championships in various sports were
    organised; all other years refer to football-only events (Concorso 
    Federale Nazionale Football FGNI).
1897     SG Torinese                                    [in Torino]
1898</b>     SG Torinese             PG Ferrara             [in Torino]
1901     SG Mediolanum   3-1     SG Ferrara             [in Bologna]
1902     CFBC Milan      0-0 aet SG Andrea Doria        [in Milano; final May 31; title shared]
1904     CFBC Milan      3-2     SG Andrea Doria        [in Firenze; final Jun 3]
1905     CFBC Milan      1-0 aet SGS Padova             [in Venezia]
1906     CFBC Milan      5-0     SG Vicenza             [in Vicenza; final Sep 9]
1907     CFBC Milan      3-1     SG Vicenza             [in Venezia; final May 9]
1908     FBC Venezia     2-0     SG Pro Vercelli        [in Piacenza; final Sep 5]
1910     SG Andrea Doria         SG Giuseppe Garibaldi  [in Genova]
1911     AC Hellas       3-0     SG Andrea Doria        [in Genova; final May 11]
1912     SG Andrea Doria         Verona                 [in Roma; final Jun ?]               
1913     SG Andrea Doria 2-1     SG Raffaele Rubattino  [final Oct 19]

Notes:

abbreviations:
PG Ferrara   = Palestra Ginnastica Ferrara
S Udinese GS = Società Udinese di Ginnastica e Scherma 

home towns of various teams:

SG Andrea Doria       - Genova
SG Giuseppe Garibaldi - Genova
AC Hellas             - Verona
SG Mediolanum         - Milano
SG Raffaele Rubattino - Genova

1896 additional data

Semifinal
S Udine GS   3-1 Turazza Treviso 
PG Ferrara   bye

Final [Sep 9]
S Udine GS   2-0 PG Ferrara   [in Treviso]

1898 additional data

Start: Aug 15
 
3 participating teams:

 1.Società Ginnastica di Torino
 2.Palestra Ginnastica Ferrara
 3.Società Udinese di Ginnastica e Scherma

1901 additional data

6 participating teams:
   Società Ginnastica Andrea Doria Genova
   Palestra Ginnastica Ferrara
   Società per l'Educazione Fisica Mediolanum
   Società Ginnastica Partenopea Napoli
   Società Ginnastica Forza e Libertà Rieti
   Società Ginnastica di Torino

Final
Mediolanum   3-1 Ferrara      [in Bologna]

1902 additional data

4 participating teams:
   Società Ginnastica Andrea Doria Genova
   Società per l'Educazione Fisica Mediolanum
   Milan Football & Cricket Club [aka CFBC Milan]
   Associazione del Calcio in Vicenza
 
Semifinals [May 29]
CFBC Milan   3-1 Vicenza      
Mediolanum   0-2 Andrea Doria        
 
Final [May 31]
CFBC Milan   0-0 Andrea Doria [aet]  [in Milano]

NB: title shared.

1904 additional data

Participants: 
CFBC Milan, SG Mediolanum, FC Sempione Milano, SG Andrea Doria,
SG Reyer Venezia and SG Vicenza Sez. Calcio.

Qualifying Lombardia [May 22]
Milan        2-1 Sempione
Mediolanum withdrew
Qualifiying Liguria
Andrea Doria only participants
Qualifiying Veneto [May 15]
Vicenza      2-2 Reyer        [aet; at 10 am]
Vicenza      4-2 Reyer        [at 5 pm]

Final Tournament (in Firenze)

Semifinal [Jun 3]
Andrea Doria 5-0 Vicenza
Milan        bye

Final [Jun 3]
Milan        3-2 Andrea Doria

Champions: CFBC Milan.

1905 additional data

Participants: 
CFBC Milan, SGS Padova, SG Reyer Venezia

Qualifying Lombardia
CFBC Milan only participants
Qualifying Veneto [Jun 11, Padova]
Padova       2-0 Reyer 

Final (in Venezia) 
Milan        1-0 Padova       [aet]

In addition, there was a Concorso Nazionale Straordinario in this year:

         Champions               Runners-Up
1905     SG Pro Vercelli         US Milanese

1907 additional data

Known Participants: 
CFBC Milan, SG Andrea Doria, Virtus Juventusque Livorno,
SGS Padova, GP Marziale Mestre, SG Reyer Venezia, SG Vicenza

Qualifying Veneto [all matches Apr 7]
semifinals
Marziale     3-2 Reyer
Vicenza      5-4 Padova       [aet]
final
Vicenza      4-1 Marziale 

Final Tournament (in Venezia)

Semifinals [May 9]
Milan        w/o Andrea Doria
Vicenza      2-0 Livorno      [Livorno withdrew after 8 minutes]

Final [May 9]
Milan        3-1 Vicenza

1908 additional data

Known Participants: 
SG Pro Vercelli, FBC Roma, SG Amsicora Cagliari,
SGS Padova, FBC Venezia, SG Vicenza

Qualifying Veneto [Aug 23 in Venezia]
semifinal
Vicenza      w/o Padova
final
Venezia      2-0 Vicenza

Final Tournament (in Piacenza)

Semifinals [Sep 5]
Pro Vercelli bt  Cagliari
Venezia      w/o Roma

Final [Sep 5]
Venezia      2-0 Pro Vercelli

1911 additional data

6 participating teams:
Palestra Ginnastica Ferrara
Società Ginnastica Pro Lissone
Società Ginnastica Andrea Doria Genova
Società Ginnastica Ancona  [retired before start]
Società Ginnastica Amsicora di Cagliari
Associazione Calcio Hellas [sezione autonoma della Istituzione comunale Marcantonio Bentegodi]
 
Elimination Round [May 11]
Andrea Doria 5-0 Ferrara
Hellas       4-0 Pro Lissone
 
Semifinal [May 11]
Hellas       4-0 Amsicora
 
Final [May 11]
Hellas       3-0 Andrea Doria

About this document

Thanks to Hans Schöggl for additional data

Prepared and maintained by Enrico Acerbi and Davide Rota for the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation

Authors: Enrico Acerbi and Davide Rota
Last updated: 10 Nov 2021

(C) Copyright Enrico Acerbi, Davide Rota and RSSSF 2004/21
You are free to copy this document in whole or part provided that proper acknowledgement is given to the authors. All rights reserved.