With the news today that Catania have gone bankrupt, now seems like the perfect time to remember the recent highlights of the Sicilian side.

It’s impossible to discuss Catania without mentioning local hero Giuseppe Mascara, who spent seven seasons with his home town club from 2003 to 2011. The Italian striker made 238 appearances for the club in this period, scoring 60 goals. His most famous was in the Sicilian derby against Palermo in March 2009, when his floating volley from 55 metres out beat Marco Amelia to send the fans into jubilation.

Current Bologna coach Sinisa Mihajlovic was appointed Catania coach in December 2009 and he oversaw a historic 2-1 win over Juventus in Turin, a match that will never be forgotten in the Sicilian city.

Another notable Catania figure is now-Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone, who spent six months with the club from January to June 2011, helping them avoid relegation from Serie A. He managed a largely Argentinian squad, with key figures being Papu Gomez and Maxi Lopez, who were both key in the team’s successful fight avoiding the drop.

The 2012/13 season was another memorable campaign for the Rossazzurri; coach Rolando Maran, later of Chievo and Cagliari fame, guided the team to a record-breaking season where they picked up 56 points from the 38 league games. That team won the most home games in their history, a record number of victories in a single Serie A season and a record point haul.

Maran’s Catania finished 8th in the Serie A table that season, two points ahead of a disappointing Inter side. The Sicilian side also finished above a variety of topflight regulars, including Cagliari, Bologna, Sampdoria, Atalanta and Torino.

Catania’s high-flying life ended in 2014, after they finished 18th in the Serie A table, two points away from safety. Sadly for the Sicilian side, they finished rock bottom of Serie B the following campaign after a match-fixing scandal. Despite this, many fans still hold the club in high regard, considering them an important part of recent Serie A history.

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