Carpi promoted to Serie A: Minnows celebrate as remarkable rise through the divisions continues

The tiny club were in the fifth tier just five years ago

Carpi celebrate promotion to Serie A (GETTY IMAGES)

After Bournemouth’s rise from the foot of League Two to the Premier League inside six years, there is an even more remarkable underdog story in Italy. The tiny club of Carpi, who were playing fifth division football only five seasons ago, confirmed their promotion to Serie A on Tuesday night with four matches to spare.

Carpi is a small town of 67,000 – you could fit the entire population in San Siro – in northern Italy between Parma and Bologna.

They play in the Sandro Cabassi stadium, which holds just 4,144 spectators – though Serie A rules stipulate clubs must play in stadia with at least 20,000 seats.

“It’s been an extraordinary journey and I’m delighted with this promotion,” said coach Fabrizio Castori, who took over at the start of the season. “This team has improved step by step and these lads have a great future.”

A goalless draw at home to Bari was enough to confirm their promotion. A point from their remaining fixtures will make them champions ahead of Frosinone and Bologna.

Carpi were declared bankrupt in 1999 and were only re-established the following year. Their rise began in the 2009-10 season, when they were promoted out of Serie D, then the fifth tier. They also won promotion in two of the next three seasons.

Their rise has already upset the old order of Italian football. In February, Lazio president Claudio Lotito caused consternation in a telephone call in which he said that Carpi’s promotion would be a financial disaster for Serie A.

“If Carpi come up... if teams come up who are not worth lira, in two or three years we won’t have a penny,” he said.