Carpi seal historic promotion to Serie A


Small-town club Carpi will play in Italy's Serie A for the first time next season after completing an historic rise. Five years ago the club, whose stadium has a capacity of 4,144, was playing in the Italian fifth division. They were promoted to Serie B in the 2012-13 season and will now face giants like Juventus and AC Milan in Serie A.

There are questions over where Carpi will play next season as Serie A rules require a minimum capacity of 20,000. However, special exemptions are sometimes approved.
The town of Carpi, in northern Italy, has a population of only 67,000.

The original club was founded in 1909 and although Carpi were declared bankrupt in 1999, they were re-established the following year. Carpi confirmed their place in Serie A with four games remaining of the season courtesy of a goalless draw against Bari on Tuesday night. Former players at the club include Italian 2006 World Cup winner and former Everton defender Marco Materazzi.