U.S. Internazionale Napoli
Unione Sportiva Internazionale Napoli was an Italian football club from Naples. They were founded in 1912 and competed until their merger with Naples FBC to form what is today known as S.S.C. Napoli in 1922.
| Full name | Unione Sportiva Internazionale Napoli | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1912 | ||
| Dissolved | 1922 (due to merger) | ||
| Ground | Bagnoli, Naples | ||
| Capacity | unknown | ||
| 1921-22 | Prima Divisione CCI - Campania, 3rd | ||
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History
The club split off from Naples FBC, when the foreign contingent of the club had a falling out with their Italian team-mates. Mr. Bayon (an English founding member of Naples FBC) and Mr. Steinnegger thus decided to splinter off from that club to found US Internazionale Napoli.
They played their home games at Bagnoli in Naples, just off Via di Pozzuoli. Their debut came against Roman FC from Rome on 27 October 1912; Internazionale Napoli won the match 3-2.
Prima Categoria Championship
The club competed in the top level footballing competition; the Prima Categoria Championship for the first time in 1912-13. Within the Campania section they competed against Naples FBC over two legs; they lost 5-3 going out of the competition. The same season in the Lipton Challenge Cup they finished runners-up to Palermo FBC.
During the following season they fared better in the Italian Championship, beating Naples 3-2 to qualify for the second round. However, they met a strong Lazio side and were knocked out of the competition with ease.
Internazionale faced off against their local rivals once more in their third Prima Categoria season, but after defeating them over two legs FIGC ordered that the games be replayed due to irregularities. They competed in the first leg, winning 3-0 but before the second one could be played the competition was called off because of World War I.
Post-war activity
Unlike many clubs, Internazionale Napoli survived the war. They were placed into the Italian Championship of 1919-20. The Campania group now had five teams competing in it; Internazionale came top of their group beating out Puteolana by a single point. In the semi-finals, they competed against Audace Roma and eventual finalists Livorno. They failed to gain a single point and went out of the competition.
In 1920-21 they lost they reached the final round of the growing Campania section, but lost out to Naples FBC and Bagnolese. As the Italian Championship split into FIGC and CCI leagues, Internazionale competed in the CCI variation, however, they lost out on qualification to Puteolana and Savoia this would prove to be their last season in the league.
Merger
During 1922 the two rival Neapolitan clubs; Naples FBC and US Internazionale Napoli merged into one due to financial pressures. They first took the name Foot-Ball Club Internazionale-Naples, commonly referred to as FBC Internaples. Internazionale Napoli gave to the club the famous "N" crest and the white shorts; this was coupled with the light blue featured on the Naples FBC shirts.
This club would become AC Napoli in 1926 and eventually S.S.C. Napoli, the current club.
