AS Livorno LogoLivorno’s football club, AS Livorno, was founded in 1904 when the game was introduced to the city by the son of the British viceconsul who is said to have learned the rules by watching British sailors play on the docks.

Fans of Livorno are well-known for their exuberant and sometimes unruly behaviour. They  went wild in 2004 when the team was promoted to Serie A for the first time in more than fifty years. The team’s top striker at the time, Cristiano Lucarelli (who has now left the team - see separate article), is a local player who famously gave up a top player’s salary to stay with his home team. This is what he said about his decision: