out on a lucrative Heineken Cup place. In the 2008–09 and 2009–10 Super 10 seasons Montepaschi Viadana reaches the final championship, losing both times against Benetton Treviso. Viadana were the largest shareholders in Aironi, a new team that competed in the 2010–11 and 2012–12 Celtic League. Many of the club's top players joined Aironi on its formation. As of June 2010 it was announced that will the impending establishment of Aironi the club would no longer compete as a professional club. The Senior and Under 20 teams would be merged with GranDucato Parma Rugby. Viadana would continue as an independent club but only below Under 20 level. At the end of the 2012 Aironi's licence to play in the Pro12 was withdrawn by the FIR. Aironi's place in the Pro12 was taken by newly formed Zebre, a team based in Parma. Many Aironi players joined Zebre on its formation. Viadana was then reformed as a semi-professional team for the 2012–13 season of the National championship of Excellence, the reformed Italian championship from 2010, with a number of Aironi's players joining them, as well as the head coach Rowland Phillips. They won three titles of the Excellence Trophy in the 2012–13, 2015–16 and 2016–17 seasons. The 2012–13 was the last season of Silvano Melegari, and of the Arix Group, as president of the club, after 20 years of history. In the summer of 2014, a new company is at the helm of the team, the Rugby Viadana 1970 S.r.l., founded to keep the club at the highest national level, despite economic difficulties. They currently compete in Top12. Honours Italian championship Champions (1): 2001–02 Runners-up (3): 2006–07, 2008–09, 2009–10 Coppa Italia Champions (3): 1999–2000, 2002–03, 2006–07 Runners-up (2): 2003–04, 2004–05 Excellence Trophy Champions (3): 2012–13, 2015–16, 2016–17 European Shield Runners-up (1): 2003–04 Current squad The Viadana squad for 2022–23: Selected former players Italian players Former players who have played for Viadana and have caps for Italy: Matías Agüero Andrea Benatti Cristian Bezzi Luca Bigi Giorgio Bronzini Pablo Canavosio Sandro Ceppolino Carlo Del Fava Santiago Dellapè Jaco Erasmus Ignacio Fernández Rouyet Joshua Furno Quintin Geldenhuys Andrea Masi Matteo Mazzantini Ian McKinley Andrea Moretti Carlos Nieto Corrado Pilat Samuele Pace Gilberto Pavan Riccardo Pavan Roberto Pedrazzi Aaron Persico Matthew Phillips Matteo Pratichetti Roberto Quartaroli Juan Manuel Queirolo Kaine Robertson Lorenzo Romano Federico Ruzza Diego Saccà Mario Savi Stefano Saviozzi Michele Sepe Josh Sole Cherif