There are no clubs in Italy who ‘deserve’ to be playing at the highest level of the pyramid, but a very strong case could be made for Catania FC.

Catania’s recent history has been tumultuous, to say the least: Serie A football for eight successive seasons, which included moments of brilliance from Beppe Mascara, Francesco Lodi, Papu Gomez and the goals of Maxi Lopez and Gionatha Spinesi, ended in 2014.

But football’s gravitational pull can be brutal to clubs lacking stability, with the Elefanti suffering successive relegations to Serie C. Within the space of two short years, Catania went from welcoming heavyweights like Juventus, Inter and Milan to the Stadio Angelo Massimino to slugging it out with Paganese, Akragas and Melfi.

They remained in the third tier of the Italian game until they were forced to declare bankruptcy in late 2021. With debts spiralling, Catania were allowed to remain in Serie C until two rounds from the end of the season, but when no buyer came forward, expulsion followed.

Suddenly, the Massimino was witnessing the depths of Serie D football, with the club forced to start from scratch. However, a new ownership group – The Pelligra Group – achieved promotion on the first attempt in 2023, and silverware followed shortly after – the Coppa Italia Serie C.

Clearly, a lot can happen in a decade.

In 2024-25, this is now the Rossazzurri’s second season back in Serie C, and promotion to Serie B is the next step for the ambitious football-loving city.

While not exactly rising like the proverbial phoenix, Catania is slowly getting on its feet. The will of the people is being heard, and the Pelligra Group making attempts to buy back the club’s old name – lost in the bankruptcy proceedings in early 2022.

Moreover, Rosario Pelligra, the Italo-Australian who bought Catania in June 2022, is in negotiations to buy back the old Torre del Grifo training centre. 

Catania has a passionate, almost rabid, fanbase, and, in truth, the club is simply too big to linger in the lower echelons of the Italian game. The vibrant colour the Catanesi bring to the Massimino is sorely missed in Serie A.

Despite Catania fan’s impatience, the ambition is there from the club’s owner, in addition to vice-president Vince Grella and shareholder Mark Bresciano — both of whom played in Serie A in the 2000s — to bring the club back to the summit of Italian football, albeit in a financially secure way.

At one time, Sicily had three sides in Serie A. In 2025,, there are none, and there hasn’t been one since Palermo’s relegation in 2017.

This needs to be rectified, not just for the island but for southern representation within Italy’s top two tiers. With Sicily a major tourist attraction, having Serie A football available would cap off a fantastic trip for any would-be visitor.

Famous for its seafood, Granita Siciliana, views of the Mediterranean and, of course, Mount Etna, a weekend in Catania should also include football.

Catania’s average attendance this season is over 16,000, huge by Serie B standards, gargantuan for Serie C.

To put this into perspective, their Serie C attendance is higher than that of the five current Serie A sides.

It’s a reminder of the massive potential of the club, and while “deserve” has no place in football, Catania pushes that notion very close.