Ars et Labor Ferrara Calcio
Italian club refounded after 2025 liquidation in fifth tier.
Ars et Labor Ferrara is a professional football club based in Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna, Italy, founded in 1907 as Circolo Ars et Labor by the Salesian priest Pietro Acerbis. The club, formerly known as Società Polisportiva Ars et Labor and by its acronym S.P.A.L., played in Serie C during the 2024–25 season before entering liquidation in 2025. Its legacy is carried on by a new entity, Ars et Labor Ferrara, which began play in the Eccellenza Emilia-Romagna (fifth tier) for the 2025–26 season.
- founded
- 1907
- home_stadium
- Stadio Paolo Mazza (since 1928)
- best_finish
- 5th in Serie A (1959–60)
- cup_achievement
- Coppa Italia finalist (1961–62)
- notable_chairman
- Paolo Mazza (1946–1977)
- colors
- Light blue and white
Lore & Background
The club was founded in March 1907 as Circolo Ars et Labor by the Salesian priest Pietro Acerbis, initially a cultural and religious association. In 1913 it became a multi-sports company under the name Società Polisportiva Ars et Labor. The team began professional activity in 1919, competing in the second tier. Between 1939 and 1943 the club temporarily changed its name to Associazione Calcio Ferrara, wearing black and white kits. After World War II, it returned to the name SPAL and light blue and white colors.
Under chairman Paolo Mazza (1946–1977), SPAL enjoyed its golden period, winning promotion to Serie A in 1950–51 and finishing fifth in 1959–60, its best ever finish. The club also reached the Coppa Italia final in 1961–62, losing to Napoli. After Mazza's departure, the club played mostly in Serie B and Serie C through the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s. The club went bankrupt in 2005 and again in 2012, each time being refounded under Italian football regulations.
In 2013, a merger with Giacomense allowed SPAL to continue, and the club achieved back-to-back promotions from Lega Pro to Serie A by 2017. After relegation to Serie C in 2023, the club was acquired by American lawyer Joe Tacopina. In June 2025, SPAL announced it would not participate in the 2025–26 Serie C season due to financial strain, entering liquidation. A new club, Ars et Labor Ferrara, was founded for the 2025–26 season in the Eccellenza Emilia-Romagna (fifth tier).
Reader's Guide
Ars et Labor Ferrara, originally known as S.P.A.L., represents a storied Italian football institution that operated for over a century before a 2025 liquidation led to its reformation at the amateur level. The club's significance lies in its long history in Italian football, including 24 top-flight seasons and a best finish of fifth in Serie A in 1959–60. It also reached the Coppa Italia final in 1961–62. The club's identity is tied to its light blue and white colors, derived from the Salesians, and its home at Stadio Paolo Mazza since 1928. Despite multiple bankruptcies and refoundations, the club maintained a loyal following. The 2025 liquidation and subsequent rebirth as Ars et Labor Ferrara in the fifth tier marks a new chapter, preserving the legacy of a club that launched players like Fabio Capello and was chaired for decades by Paolo Mazza. The club's resilience through financial crises and its ability to return to Serie A after a 49-year absence in 2017 highlight its enduring place in Italian football culture.
Did You Know?
- The club was founded in March 1907 by Salesian priest Pietro Acerbis as a cultural and religious association.
- SPAL's best finish was fifth in Serie A in 1959–60, and they lost the 1961–62 Coppa Italia final to Napoli.
- The club's all-time top striker Mario Romani scored 130 goals in 189 games across two periods (1925–32 and 1937–38).
- After the 2025 liquidation, the club's legacy is carried on by Ars et Labor Ferrara, playing in the Eccellenza Emilia-Romagna (fifth tier).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Ars et Labor Ferrara Calcio?
Ars et Labor Ferrara Calcio is the phoenix successor to the historic S.P.A.L. club, refounded after the original entity entered liquidation in 2025. It competes in the Eccellenza Emilia-Romagna, Italy's fifth tier, beginning with the 2025–26 campaign.
How did the original S.P.A.L. club end and give rise to this phoenix?
The long-standing Società Polisportiva Ars et Labor, founded in 1907 by Salesian priest Pietro Acerbis, completed its 2024–25 season in Serie C before being placed into liquidation in 2025. A new legal entity, Ars et Labor Ferrara, was then created to carry the club's name and identity forward from the base of the Italian pyramid.
What tier does Ars et Labor Ferrara Calcio currently play in?
The phoenix club opened its first season in the Eccellenza Emilia-Romagna, which sits at the fifth level of Italian football, for the 2025–26 season. This marks a steep drop from the Serie C the predecessor was contesting just a year earlier.
What is the connection between Ars et Labor Ferrara Calcio and the legendary S.P.A.L. of the 1950s and 60s?
The new club inherits the name, the light-blue-and-white colours, and the memory of a side that reached fifth in Serie A in 1959–60 and finished as Coppa Italia runners-up in 1961–62. It also retains the Stadio Paolo Mazza as its home ground, a venue the original club has occupied since 1928.
Why do fans still follow a club starting in the fifth tier?
The phoenix exists to preserve the identity of a club with nearly 120 years of history, including the era of chairman Paolo Mazza, who led the original side from 1946 to 1977. For supporters in Ferrara, Ars et Labor Ferrara Calcio is the living continuation of that legacy rather than a replacement, offering a path back up through the professional pyramid.
More in Phoenix clubs 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record