Venezia FC: The floating club rising to the top of Italian football

Whenever a club get a title, they celebrate it on an open-top bus. In Venice, the scenario is a bit different. They do it on a gondola, a kind of a boat.

Venice is renowned globally for its history, culture, architectural grandeur and obviously distinct waterways. This city is not normally associated with its football club.

They got three bankruptcies in 10 years and each led to readmittance to Italian football's fourth tier - that could all be about to change.

And after 19-year of absence, the club is promoted back to Serie A. Venezia FC are on the rise after a difficult period in the club's history.

They played with 10 men in last season's play-off final second-leg against Cittadella, before a 93rd-minute goal sealed the victory. That triggered scenes of jubilation among the players and staff at the Pier Luigi Penzo Stadium. The stadium is closer to the city's iconic Piazza San Marco.

Those scenes were upstaged somewhat as the players, joined by a parade of boats and waved on from the bridges as supporters showed their gratitude on both land and water, took to the city's canals in a unique celebration of their achievement.

"This is the way the club always celebrated," Venezia's technical director and former striker Paolo Poggi told in an interview.

"To see the happiness in the eyes of the players, the staff and the owners and to enjoy it with all the supporters on the bridges - for me it was like a dream, it was a dream come true."

Poggi started his career here and ended here as well. He added: "If I think of that moment I feel so happy, especially after a difficult year with Covid.

"In the past 12 years, the club had a lot of problems, big problems. We lost an entire generation of supporters, we lost the soul of the club. It was not easy.

"Luckily we are still here but it could have been different."

The unique celebrations in the streets and waterways that followed Venezia's promotion depict a passionately supported club - but it is one which could all too easily have faded from existence.

The 1941 Coppa Italia winners were relegated from Serie A in 2002 following their third top-flight campaign in four years, and a period of relative stability unraveled overnight as then-owner Maurizio Zamparini sold up and took 12 players - plus the manager - with him to Palermo.

The club started their journey again in the fourth tier in 2005, 2009 and 2015 as it teetered on the brink of financial ruin.

Yet, following the third bankruptcy in a decade, its rebirth as Venezia FC in October 2015 would pave the way for three promotions in six seasons.

The club was rescued by an ambitious American investor Joe Tacopina. He appointed former AC Milan boss Filippo Inzaghi as manager and secured successive promotions to Serie B. The club completed its recovery under the guidance of current president Duncan Niederauer. He used to be the former New York Stock Exchange chief. 

The club rewarded Coach Paolo Zanetti with a new contract until 2025. Venezia hope for a more certain future.

"I never had the chance to play with the club in Serie A so to be part of it now means a lot to me," said Poggi, who was born close to the stadium and would watch training and matches every week before his own career began.

"Our goal now is to bring the club to be known as the city is known around the world," he added.

"We play in the second oldest stadium in Italy, on an island - it is something that is unique in the world.

"We want our supporters to feel proud of our football club because they deserve to have a strong club in this city.

"I think now everything is possible. The most important thing is to be in Serie A every season, of course. It is a very crucial season and if we can stay in Serie A I think the future will be bright."

The Pier Luigi Penzo Stadium, the home venue of Venezia, alludes to the difficult journey the club has endured reaching Serie A.

It's in Venice's main island, it has a capacity of 7,400 people. Yes, the capacity will be the smallest in the division by some distance.

But, surrounded by water on two sides and accessible only by boat or a walk through the famous city. And that attracts around 25 million tourists during a normal year.

Indeed, there is no greater example of the club's growing appeal than its latest collection of stylish home and away kits selling out within hours of their release.

"The games are very different in the sense that we have to get a boat to the stadium," said the Scottish forward Harvey St Clair. He joined the club in 2018 following 12 years at Chelsea.

The 22-year-old added: "It's a very unique place to play our matches and the stadium has a lot of character.

"All but one player lives on the mainland, so we park our cars up and get a big team boat all the way around Venice to the Penzo."

Venezia will begin their Serie A campaign away to Napoli on Sunday, 22 August. They need to wait until 19 September to welcome back top-flight football, against Spezia.

"I am so curious to see how it will be, to know how the fans will be, how the new pitch will be, but for me, the most important thing is that we will play in our home," Poggi said.

"The walk to the stadium is the unique thing when you come to see a match here. There are plans to build a new stadium and in the future maybe this will be possible but, at the moment, the stadium we have is something that deserves to be seen.

"If the supporters are as excited as we are I think it will be a great big party. I hope for a result, of course."