Why is the tricolour on Spezia's shirt?

Spezia are in their second consecutive year in Serie A and, after last incredible championship finish, this year they return to the top flight with shirts - made by Acerbis - that are stylistically different to those of last season. The design is different, the details are different, but not the tricolour on the chest. The history of that symbol with a cup inside it and the year '1944' printed in black is very special, considering that there is no shield in the Ligurian team's collection of trophies. Behind that tricolour is a story that began 78 years ago, during the Second World War.

Football was a very marginal note in a country divided in two by the Gothic Line set up after the armistice of 8 September 1943, and teams from the centre-south did not take part in any of the scheduled matches - the championship was immediately renamed the Torneo Alta Italia. The final sprint was between Torino (defending champions), Venezia and Spezia, with the Ligurian Fire Brigade team taking home the title. The Scudetto, however, was not awarded and what was a primordial Federcalcio - also pressed by Torino - decided not to reward Spezia.

It was not until 2000 that Giorgio Pagano, the mayor of La Spezia, founded a committee to formally request recognition of the 1944 Scudetto from the FIGC. After the investigation - which lasted five months - they opted for an honorary recognition to La Spezia but not the awarding of the title. Even though the mobilisation was substantial, the federal president Carraro stated that 'the victory of that tournament by a halved Italy is recognised, but this cannot be compared to the Scudetto'. All the newspapers were in favour of Spezia, because in the same historical period all the European championships were awarded - in France, Lens won, in Ireland Shamrock, in Belgium Royal Antwerp, in Germany Dresden and in Austria Vienna. After 58 years, therefore, Spezia can boast not the scudetto but the tricolour, to celebrate and honour the victory of the 1943-44 season.