Sicilian Football club series: Don Carlo Misilmeri
By Anthony Barbagallo
Club details
⚽ Full name: ACD Don Carlo Misilmeri
🗓️ Founded: 2005
📍 Location: Misilmeri, Province of Palermo
🏟️ Stadium: “Comunale Piano Stoppa”
🏆 Current league: Eccellenza, Group A
Sitting 15km on the outskirts of Palermo, Misilmeri is a small countryside town with incredible views of the Eleuterio Valley. This historical place also has a unique landmark - a castle called “Castello dell'Emiro” (Castle of the Emir). Misilmeri, in 1068, witnessed a battle fought between the Normans and Arabs.
Beyond the ancient ruins of Misilmeri lies a passionate footballing town. With a population just shy of 30,000, Misilmeri boasts a young football club called Don Carlo Misilmeri. This small side dons the Biancorossi colours on their jerseys and also has a drawing of the Castle of the Emir on its club logo - paying homage to the town’s unique history.
After being founded 17 years ago, Misilmeri’s rise from the Terza Categoria (ninth division) to the Sicilian Eccellenza (fifth tier) has been nothing short of impressive. The Biancorossi may have gone through some bumps along their journey, but this new club is making football noise in Sicily’s west.
Up until 2005, the town of Misilmeri lacked a football representative. While Palermitani support Palermo FC, the province’s main football club, many in the city’s nearby towns also support a second team - a lower league club that represents a particular town.
Don Carlo Misilmeri played their first football season in the Terza Categoria (Italy's ninth and lowest football division). After bouncing around the lower leagues, the Biancorossi found themselves playing ninth division football back in 2014.
In the 2014-15 season, Don Carlo Misilmeri was deeply embedded in the lowest division of Italy’s footballing pyramid. But with a balanced and solid team, the Biancorossi were able to compete with Altofonte, Baucina, Vis Solunto and Ustica. Don Carlo Misilmeri also boasted the second-best attack in Palermo’s Group B in the Terza Categoria, scoring 59 goals throughout the campaign. Danilo Barrale and Marco Sinfonia were the two star forwards that made the Biancorossi so menacing in front of goal.
At the end of the 2014-15 season, Don Carlo Misilmeri secured fifth spot in Group B, thus missing out on promotion. But due to some other higher-placed clubs that pulled out of promotion due to financial troubles, the Biancorossi were ripescato (fished out) as a replacement. With this great news, Misilmeri got a lucky break and won promotion to the Seconda Categoria (eighth division).
After jumping to Italy’s eighth football tier, Don Carlo Misilmeri proved their success story was no fluke. The Misilmeri side had an incredible campaign in the 2015-16 season - storming to the top spot in Group B and holding off close competitors Calcio Rangers 1986. With the Biancorossi finishing the season on 44 points, a second-consecutive promotion became a reality for this minnow side.
By securing promotion to the Prima Categoria in 2016, Don Carlo Misilmeri was now preparing to play its Calcio in Italy’s seventh division for the 2016-17 season. In Group H, the Biancorossi had immense competition to combat with on most matchdays. Clubs such as Gangi Calcio, Vallelunga and Oratorio S. Ciro E Giorgio were some of the difficult sides Misilmeri had to take on.
Through some impressive goalscoring and intelligent defending, Don Carlo Misilmeri was able to pull off a stunning third-place finish at the season’s end with 58 points - only missing out on direct promotion by five points. Misilmeri even qualified for the playoffs. However, they lost in the early stages to Vallelunga. But once again, the Biancorossi picked up some off-field fortune. Misilmeri was ripescato (fished out) as the next sustainable candidate to replace a higher-placed side that couldn’t afford the jump to the sixth division.
In 2017, Don Carlo Misilmeri picked up its third-consecutive promotion. For the 2017-18 season, the Biancorossi were playing in Promozione (sixth tier) - a massive step up in terms of technical quality. There were more talented sides in Group B of this competition - Geraci, Santangiolese Calcio, Bagheria, Lascari and two strong Gangi sides being some of the fierce competition on display.
Despite Don Carlo Misilmeri lacking experience in the sixth division, the Biancorossi incredibly achieved a fourth-place finish after the season. The Biancorossi may have missed out on promotion, but it was a learning experience for the coaching staff and players that would benefit the club in the following season. And just like that, in the 2018-19 campaign, Don Carlo Misilmeri pulled off the spectacular.
Misilmeri finished at the summit of Promozione’s Group A in the 2018-19 season - beating tough opponents like Oratorio S. Ciro E Giorgio, Salemi, Akragas, Casteltermini and Monreale. What even makes this particular promotion more impressive is the fact that Misilmeri finished on top of the nail-biting affair with Oratorio S. Ciro E Giorgio - just edging the latter after both sides finished on 72 points.
After some impressive back-to-back promotions and incredible grit, Don Carlo Misilmeri was about to step into the Sicilian Eccellenza (fifth division). Not only was this transition to the fifth tier going to be more technical, but it was also going to test the Biancorossi’s character. Misilmeri played the 2019-20 season in the Sicilian Eccellenza, Group A. The club’s ambition would have been to stabilise its project in this division and then try and strike a Serie D promotion in the short term. However, COVID-19 had other plans in store.
The 2019-20 season, for all amateur and semi-professional Italian football, was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, Don Carlo Misilmeri finished the 2019-20 campaign in a midtable position. Last season, the Biancorossi went one better and achieved a seventh-placed finish - missing out on the Serie D playoffs by two spots.
It looked like Don Carlo Misilmeri achieved its goal in stabilising its project in the Sicilian Eccellenza. But by playing a balanced Calcio style and boasting organised ownership, Misilmeri is currently taking this Eccellenza season by storm. The Biancorossi are currently battling for Serie D promotion in the 2021-22 season - sitting in the top-four with the likes of Canicattì, Akragas and Nissa.
One thing for sure is that Don Carlo Misilmeri has offered hope for its locals in these uncertain times. The Biancorossi may be a young and small side, but they are certainly punching above their weight in Italy’s fifth division. Don Carlo Misilmeri are primed for Serie D promotion this season, and if they achieve it, then expect red and white colours to cover the entire town of Misilmeri in 2022.