The end of an era that has lasted for over a century: Historic Brescia Calsio has been declared bankrupt
The legendary club, which has had icons such as Roberto Baggio, Andrea Pirlo, Gheorghe Hagi, Pep Guardiola and Luca Toni in its ranks, has been declared bankrupt by an Italian court. After 114 years, it is over.
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Brescia Calcio is history. An Italian court declared the club bankrupt on Tuesday, and a trustee is now set to liquidate the remaining assets. The decision comes after the club was excluded from Italy’s professional leagues in 2025 due to financial irregularities and unpaid obligations. Brescia was left with debts of 20 million euros.
Thus, one of Italian football’s most iconic institutions is gone – a club that is remembered for bringing together some of the sport’s biggest and most beloved names.
Cellino’s nightmare – on his 70th birthday
The club’s owner Massimo Cellino received the devastating news on his 70th birthday – after several desperate attempts to save Brescia. Cellino tried to restore the club’s registration at the end of June, arguing that they should receive six million euros in solidarity payments after Sandro Tonali was sold from Newcastle to Tottenham. He even tried to enroll the club in amateur leagues for U16 teams.
None of the attempts were successful. The ruling from the court in Brescia is now final.
The money from the Tonali transfer will instead go to a FIFA fund. At the same time, the club’s iconic “V” crest – which traditionally adorned Brescia’s shirts – will now be available to Union Brescia, a new club that was founded in 2025 to ensure that the city would still have a team in Serie C after the historic club was penalized.
The stars who wore the blue shirt
Brescia never quite established themselves in Italy’s elite, despite several seasons in Serie A. Their biggest European achievement was qualification for the now-defunct UEFA Intertoto Cup. But the club still became home to some of football’s biggest names.
Andrea Pirlo, Roberto Baggio, Pep Guardiola – who arrived after leaving Barcelona – Gheorghe Hagi and Luca Toni all wore the famous blue shirt. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Brescia was known as the perfect destination for stars looking to revive their careers.
Other famous names who represented the club include Italian legend Alessandro Altobelli, Brazilian Branco, Romanian Florin Răducioiu, Italians Luigi Di Biagio, Marco Delvecchio and Alessio Tacchinardi, as well as Argentine Matías Almeyda. In recent times, Mario Balotelli, Marek Hamšík, Sandro Tonali and current manager Roberto De Zerbi have also played for Brescia.
A club for the purists
The passing of Brescia marks the end of one of Italian football’s most beloved clubs. Admired for its adventurous style of play at the height of the catenaccio era, it won a special place in the hearts of football purists. This was the club where Pirlo started his career – and where stars like Baggio and Guardiola found their footballing redemption.
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Now it’s over. Brescia Calcio is history. But the memories – and the stars – live on.
