AC Savoia 1908

On 21 November 1908 a group of industrialists from Torre Annunziata’s flour-milling and pasta-making sector founded Unione Sportiva Savoia in the town. Ciro Ilardi became the first president, while the founding members included Italo Moretti, Leonida Bertone and Willy Fornari, the latter also serving as the first coach. The origin of the name remains uncertain. One theory links it to the battle cry of the Savoyard troops – Avanti Savoia! – with which several of the founders had fought for the Royal House. Another hypothesis is that it is a tribute to the ruling family. A third claims the club was founded in the Savoia cinema-theatre in Torre Annunziata, whose name was then adopted.

The club joined the FIGC in 1915 and made its official debut in the 1916 Coppa Internazionale, finishing third alongside Naples, Puteoli, Bagnolese and Internazionale. During the Great War it won the Campania third-category championship. On 3 November 1919, after losing a play-off for promotion to Prima Categoria against Pro Caserta, the club entered the Promozione championship, finishing third yet gaining admission to the 1920–21 Prima Categoria following the enlargement of the leagues. During this period, Savoia merged with the town’s second team, Pro Italia, and on 13 June 1920 the Campo Oncino was inaugurated.

In its first two top-flight seasons the club failed to progress beyond the regional phase, finishing third and then second under coaches Alfredo Fornari and later Carlo Garozzo. Subsequently, under the ownership of the Voiello company, Savoia enjoyed its first and most successful golden era, winning three consecutive Campania regional titles, the championship of Central-Southern Italy and contesting the 1924 national finals against Genoa. Until then Central-Southern champions had always suffered heavy defeats against northern clubs, but after an honourable 3–1 loss in the first leg, Savoia made history in the return leg by drawing 1–1 against Genoa, becoming the first Central-Southern club to remain unbeaten in a match against a northern side. The coach during that three-year period was Raffaele Di Giorgio, assisted by Wisbar in the final two seasons. The line-up of the runners-up of Italy was: Visciano; Nebbia, Lobianco; Cassese, Gaia, Borghetto; Orsini, Ghisi I, Bobbio, Mombelli, Maltagliati.

Financial difficulties subsequently forced president Teodoro Voiello to relinquish control, effectively suspending the club’s national activity. After the 1926–27 Seconda Divisione, lost only in a play-off against Terni, the club was nevertheless promoted to Prima Divisione by the Direttorio Divisioni Superiori for sporting merit following the enlargement of the leagues. The financial crisis worsened after an attempted match-fixing incident against Fiorentina, for which the FIGC imposed a 4,500-lire fine that led to bankruptcy and a further one-year hiatus, compounded by the closure of the historic Campo Oncino. Following these events, the Campo Formisano was inaugurated in 1929.

From the 1930s – during the first half of which the club was known as Fascio Sportivo Savoia – the team competed regularly in Serie C until the post-war period, except for the two-year spell of 1936–38 when it was renamed first Associazione Calcio Torre Annunziata and then Spolettificio Torre Annunziata. Effectively a military side composed mainly of players undertaking national service at the local barracks, it dominated its league, winning fourteen matches and drawing one in sixteen games to regain Serie C. The signing of Enrico Colombari, who ended his playing career in Torre Annunziata and started his coaching career there, helped the team earn second place in 1938–39 behind Fulvio Bernardini’s MATER; then, under coach Osvaldo Sacchi, the club achieved its best-ever Coppa Italia result, reaching the round of 32 in 1939; later, with Ruggero Zanolla, it finished fifth in 1940–41 and third in 1942–43.

In 1944, for political reasons, the club abandoned both the Savoy coat of arms and the name Savoia, becoming first Ilva Torrese and then Unione Sportiva Torrese. During the final years of World War II it participated in the 1944 Coppa della Liberazione and the 1945 Campionato Campano, finishing second and ninth respectively. When league football resumed, Torrese placed fourth in 1945–46 and, thanks to the withdrawals of Benevento and Gladiator, earned its first-ever promotion to Serie B. Under president Carotenuto, coach Dario Compiani and the attacking trio of Calleri, Ghezzi and Rossi, the team finished sixth in 1946–47, still the highest position achieved by the white-shielded club since the introduction of the round-robin tournament. With the reduction of the leagues, twelfth place in 1948 meant relegation to Serie C. From that year the club began to weaken, entering a slow decline that saw four relegations against just one promotion, culminating in bankruptcy in 1955, the same year the Campo Formisano – home to the whites for roughly a quarter of a century – was closed.

After the 1955 refounding the club reverted to its former name Unione Sportiva Savoia, but the lack of a home ground and chronic shortage of funds ushered in a dark decade without significant successes. After years playing on fields across the province of Naples, the municipal stadium was finally inaugurated on 25 January 1962 and, two years later, the club was renamed the Associazione Polisportiva Savoia. Under coach Bruno Pesaola in the first year and the duo Spartano–Lopez in the second, the club won two consecutive championships and returned to Serie C in 1965. It failed to stay up, however, despite a respectable campaign that left it one point above the relegation zone with six matches remaining, only for six straight defeats to wipe out the advantage. Relegation followed after a 2–0 play-off loss to Nardò.

Relegated again to Serie D, Savoia played four highly competitive seasons, finishing second twice – in 1967 a point behind Giuseppe Wilson’s Internapoli and in 1968 behind Matera – before winning the league in 1970 at the expense of historic rivals Turris. After a solid first year back in Serie C, new financial problems triggered a double relegation; only D’Amelio’s intervention saved the club from bankruptcy. With Gioacchino Coppola as president, the team promptly returned to Serie D. Under businessman Franco Immobile the club enjoyed both economic stability and consistent results, culminating in a 1978 play-off for the newly created Serie C2. Despite the defeat, the FIGC readmitted the Oplontini due to their sporting merit, returning them to professional football. That year the club added the foundation year to its name, becoming Associazione Calcio Savoia 1908. After two excellent fifth- and fourth-place finishes and one mid-table result, the team was relegated to the Interregionale in 1982, remaining there for eight consecutive seasons, six of which were under President Michele Gallo.

The acquisition by the Farinelli family laid the foundations for a new successful cycle that lasted until the new millennium. In 1989, under president Pasquale Farinelli, Savoia won promotion to Serie C2 after a season-long battle with Stabia, the first promotion in fifteen years. An inconsistent 1993 campaign forced another play-out, this time against Licata. The Sicilians – who had reached the play-out after a draw with Monopoli later revealed to involve sporting fraud – won, but in the summer the Campanians were readmitted to professional football due to a series of bankruptcies in C1 and C2. The club retained its status until 1995. With the Farinellis’ departure and limited resources, new president Viglione entrusted the technical area to a young Luigi De Canio, who secured the team's safety in his first year before winning promotion to Serie C1 in 1995, defeating Matera 2–1 in the play-off final at Foggia’s Zaccheria.

At the end of that season businessman Mario Moxedano purchased the club from Franco Salvatore and cleared its debts. The ambitious president invested heavily in the transfer market, bringing to Torre Annunziata players such as Carruezzo, De Rosa, Porchia, Marasco and Veronese, and succeeded in returning the club to Serie B after more than half a century. Promotion was narrowly missed in 1997 when Savoia lost the play-off final 1–0 to Ancona. It was achieved in 1999: having qualified for the play-offs from the last available spot and starting as underdogs, Osvaldo Jaconi’s side first eliminated Palermo in a double-legged semi-final and then local rivals Juve Stabia 2–0 in the final at Avellino’s Partenio.

Despite Ghirardello’s 16 goals, the Serie B season was difficult, although it remains one of the most important post-war chapters in the club’s history: Savoia finished 19th and were relegated, yet recorded notable results such as home wins against Empoli and Sampdoria (both 1–0), an away victory (3–1) against Salernitana and draws against Napoli at the San Paolo and Brescia at the Rigamonti. The following year in C1 Savoia again attempted to reach the second division but, after an explosive start and a historic 5–1 home win over an eventually promoted Palermo, missed the promotion play-offs only on head-to-head record against Ascoli.

At the end of the 2000–01 season president Moxedano announced the sale of the club to Sorrento businessman Antonino Pane, who quickly committed numerous financial irregularities, preventing registration for Serie C1 and causing bankruptcy. For these events Pane was later sentenced to six years in prison.

Restarting from Eccellenza after merging with historic local club Internapoli and taking the temporary name Intersavoia for one season, the club climbed back to Serie D, spending eight consecutive seasons there and losing three play-off finals between 2003 and 2007.

Relegated to Eccellenza in the club’s centenary year, Savoia collapsed financially and withdrew mid-season, suffering a second relegation in two years.

Refounded on 19 June 2010 by the directors of fellow city club Atletico Savoia (then competing in Promozione), with the approval of the mayor and the ultras, the club took the name Associazione Sportiva Dilettantistica Calcio Savoia and enrolled in the Promozione Campania for 2010–11.

On 17 February 2011 the club purchased at auction, held at the Court of Torre Annunziata, the historic trademark Associazione Calcio Savoia 1908, which had been deposited after the 2001 bankruptcy.

By winning back-to-back Promozione and Eccellenza titles, as well as a regional Coppa Italia title, the club returned to Serie D in 2012.

A new ownership group led by Avellino businessmen headed by Sergio Contino took over; after a mid-table season they sold their 70% stake to entrepreneur Lazzaro Luce, who later acquired the remaining 30%. On 17 April 2014 Savoia returned to the professional ranks after a thirteen-year absence.

On 3 October 2014 the Luce family sold the club to the Consorzio Stabile Segesta led by Quirico Manca, who first led the team to on-field relegation and then to a new bankruptcy, caused in part by exorbitant wages – never paid – to the 46 registered players, resulting in expulsion from the national leagues.

Refounded through a merger between Campania and Futsal Oplonti, A.S.D. Oplonti Pro Savoia was formed, inheriting the white-shielded sporting tradition and enrolling in the 2015-2016 Eccellenza Campania.

Under president Antonio Nuzzo, on 30 August 2017 the club adopted the name A.S.D. Savoia 1908 and won a second regional Coppa Italia, setting the club record for goals scored in a single season (130) and earning promotion to Serie D.

In July 2018 the club passed to Alfonso Mazzamauro and reverted to the historic name U.S. Savoia 1908. On 21 November of the same year the 110th anniversary was celebrated. After two high-placed finishes (second and third), in July 2021 Mazzamauro transferred the sporting title elsewhere, causing the club to lose its right to compete in Serie D. It restarted in Eccellenza thanks to the sporting title held by new president Pellerone, who on 1 November 2022 transferred it free of charge to the supporters, who in turn handed it to new president Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy. On 9 November he presented the Casa Reale Holding SpA project, listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange, through which he acquired the club and became president on 23 November.

In the summer of 2024 the club acquired the sporting title of A.S.D. Portici 1906 and thus registered for Serie D without sporting merit.