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Internapoli Camaldoli S.S.D.

Internapoli Camaldoli S.S.D. (also known as Biancocelesti and Partenopei) are an Italian football club based in the Vomero area of Naples, Campania. Founded as CRAL Cirio in 1935, the club has been re-founded several times, first under the Internapoli dominion in 1964. For the 2007-08 season Internapoli will be competing in Eccellenza Campania.

The club have spent their entire history in the lower levels of Italian football, with the highest they have reached in the league being two 3rd place finishes in Serie C during the late 1960s. Internapoli have had more notable success in the cup, winning the Coppa Italia Dilettanti, the amateur variation of the Coppa Italia in 1980.

History

The club's earliest roots can be traced back to CRAL Cirio who were founded in 1935; they played in the San Giovanni a Teduccio neighborhood of Naples. They were named Cirio because of the industrialist Francesco Cirio from Turin who created the first tomato canning company (which continues on today), under this name in the Neapolitan neighbourhood. After playing in regional leagues in Campania, they were entered into a league equivalent to Serie D in 1951-52, here they finished in the top half of the table.

Cirio narrowly missed out on promotion to Serie C during the 1953-54 season, after coming runners-up in their group to Foggia by just two points. They bounced back ending the following season top of their group, however they lost the play-off game 1-0 to a club from Molfetta. In the next two seasons, they ended their group in second place to Reggina and Marsala respectively.

Finally, the club achieved promotion to Serie C during the 1957-58 season, to achieve this promotion they ended the season above clubs such as Lecce, Casertana and Avellino. In Serie C they achieved a respectable 9th place finish in their group, but the following season after ending level on points with Crotone, they lost a play-out match 1-0 and were relegated. By the end of their time as Cirio they had lost form in Serie D and were unable to register higher results.

Rebirth under the name Internapoli

On 30 June 1964, Dr. Giovanni Proto and Carlo Del Gaudio took over the club along with a group of Naples locals who worked as builders and manufacturers; renaming it Internapoli Football Club. Many of the players from the old club remained, including men such as Anglo-Italian player Giuseppe Wilson who would later go on to fame with Lazio and Italy.

The club was reborn under the name Internapoli to ensure the city of Naples would have a stable football club of some form. This was because at the time, neighbours A.C. Napoli were going through some financial difficulties, leaving their future in the balance, however; within the same week of Internapoli's founding Associazione Calcio Napoli changed their name to Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli and continued on.

Along with a new name came new colours, the green kit of Cirio was replaced by sky blue and white stripes, known in Italy as biancocelesti. Internapoli had taken control of the "Stadio Arturo Collana" in the Vomero neighbourhood, which has previously been used by SSC Napoli who had left for the considerably larger "Stadio San Paolo".

Internapoli achieved their first promotion under the new dominion in the 1966-67 season, it was a closely competed league with Internapoli beating out second place Savoia by just one point. As they were promoted into Serie C to start a four season spell in the league, Internapoli began to gather popularity gaining a fan club of 6000 strong, it was called "Amici dell'Internapoli" (Friends of Internapoli).

Brazilian Luís Vinício was manager during one season in this Serie C period, the squad of the time included a bright young striker in Giorgio Chinaglia who would later go on to fame with Lazio. Two out of the four seasons during this time in Serie C were particularly notable, in both the 1968-69 and 1969-70 seasons Internapoli finished in third place; their highest ever finish in the Italian football league.

Decline and merger with Puteolana

However, following their consecutive third place finishes some of the club's most influential players were bought by more famous clubs and Internapoli were relegated in bottom place. Down in Serie D the following season, the club were stunned when they were relegated for the second season in a row. It was a cruel relegation for the club when considering that the team who finished 9th were only three points above 16th place Internapoli.

The club had fallen back down to the regional footballing competitions for the rest of the 1970s, in leagues such as Promozione Campania. By the start of the 1980s, Internapoli were starting to come back into form; first they won the Coppa Italia Dilettanti by beating Mobilieri Ponsacco 1-0, the competition is the amateur equivalent of the Coppa Italia. Eventually, the club pulled themselves back up into Serie D (known as Campionato Interregionale at the time) for the 1981-82 season.

Because of problems with their home "Stadio Collana", Internapoli were moved to Pozzuoli and became part of the club Puteolana 1909, essential leaving Internapoli liquidized. However, many wanted to bring back the old club for their area and so a new club named Gabbiano Napoli was set up playing in 1 °Categoria. Gabbiano swiftly climbed up the Italian league tables and during the 1991-92 season, they were crowned champions of the Eccellenza Campania. This meant they were promoted into Serie D (then known as Campionato Nazionale Dilettanti), where they consistently finished in the top half of their group during the early 1990s.

Return of Internapoli

At the end of the 1995-96 season where Gabbiano finished as runners-up to Casertana, they restored the name of the club to Internapoli. This was the first time Internapoli had fully returned in full form since the split in 1982. The restoration was initiated by president Cerbone and vice-president Dr. Alinei; they chose coach Enzo Troiano to take care of the squad.

In their first season back under the Internapoli name, they almost achieved promotion, but came runners-up to Cavese, missing out by three points. In the following two seasons they were unable to equal or better this; they slipped down to 7th and in the next season they were placed in a group with many Sicilian teams, this proved to be their downfall as all the traveling proved tough and they were subsequently relegated.

Dario Pasquariello moved the club to the city of Torre Annunziata at the end of 1999, essentially leaving Internapoli in a defunct state once again. A local team Camaldoli, owned by Francesco and Massimo Di Marino made moves to change their club into Internapoli to carry on the legacy. This was achieved, Camaldoli's red and yellow colours were exchanged for the traditional sky blue and white; the club's name was changed to Internapoli Camaldoli.

Recent times

During the mid-2000s, the club gained wide spread attention in the Italian media, this was because the Italian son of Diego Maradona, named Diego Sinagra was signed by the club. Currently, they remain in Eccellenza Campania and have recently been pushing for promotion into Serie D.