US Salernitana 1919 was originally founded in 1919 as the Unione Sportiva Salernitana. The club was known as Società Sportiva Salernitanaudax for a time during the 1920s following a merger with Audax Salerno. In 1978, the club was renamed Salernitana Sport. It has been reconstituted three times in the course of its history, most recently in 2011. Main rivals of US Salernitana are Potenza SC, ASC Nocerina and US Avellino. The current club is the heir of the former Salernitana Calcio 1919. Salernitana originally wore light blue and white striped shirts, known in Italy as biancocelesti. The blue on the shirt was chosen to represent the sea, as Salerno lies right next to the Gulf of Salerno and has a long tradition as a port city. In the 1940s, the club changed to garnet coloured shirts, which has gained them the nickname “Granata”. During the 2011–12 season their kit colours were striped blue and deep red, resembling FC Barcelona. The symbol of St. Matthew, patron saint of Salerno, was also a part of the redesigned kit. Since renaming the club US Salernitana 1919, however, their home colours have again been the traditional garnet. US Salernitana 1919’s logo is a shield. The border of the shield is yellow, and the body is maroon red. In the center of the logo is a seahorse with stripes that suggest the fast moving pace of the team. Dotted above the sea horse’s nose is a coin that looks like a star. The coin is called Follaro, and it stems from the ancient region of Salerno.
