Lega Serie B – General Discussion

[Jocksboy]

Not sure that's a good choice. Atzori only lasted a couple of months at Catania in his last spell in Serie A and this season has failed to get Reggina back to the top flight. He did get them to the play-offs though.

[Jocksboy]

Ventura, former Bari coach (sacked in late season) is the new head man at Torino, replacing Lerda.

[Giuseppe_Milanista]

Can anyone tell me when novara where last in the serie A?

[forzaitalia]

[Marco_Italia]

[Giuseppe_Milanista]

[Giuseppe_Milanista]

just been reading up on the Piacenza issues shortly after their confirmation of relegation, and it seems that il presidente is reluctant to register the team for next season.

[Marco_Italia]

[RomaShield27]

Novara in Serie A, a 2-0 win over Padova tonight. Incredibly its been 55 years since they were last in the top flight.

NOVARA-PADOVA 2-0

Novara (4-3-1-2): Ujkani; Morganella, Lisuzzo, Ludi, Gemiti; Marianini, Porcari, Rigoni; Motta (32' st Centurioni); Bertani, Gonzalez (9' st Drascek). A disp.: Fontana, Gheller, Parola, Pinardi, Rubino. All.: Tesser.

Padova (4-3-3): Cano; Crespo, Cesar, Legati, Renzetti; Bovo, Italiano, Cuffa (29' st Drame); De Paula, Vantaggiato (21' st Di Nardo), El Shaarawy (17' Trevisan). A disp.: Agliardi, Vicente, Rabito, Ardemagni. All.: Dal Canto.

Arbitro: Guida

Marcatori: 16' Gonzalez (N); 25' st Rigoni (N)

Ammoniti: Rigoni (N), Crespo (P), Italiano (P), Vantaggiato (P), Gemiti (N)

Espulso: 14' Cesar (P)

http://www.sportmediaset.mediaset.it/ca ... -0-0.shtml

[Messinterista]

[Jocksboy]

Not forgetting Ancona in the Eccelenza.

[RomaShield27]

If this bloke is representative of what Novara are like, we should be in for amusing times with them in the new season:

NOVARA KEEPER GOES ABSOLUTELY MENTAL AFTER PROMOTION TO SERIE A
– POSTED BY ROB PARKER ON JUNE 15, 2011

Like, properly mental.

Italian minnows Novara secured an unlikely promotion to Serie A with a play-off victory over Padova at the weekend.

Reserve goalkeeper Alberto Fontana absolutely lost the plot after his side secured top-flight football. The shock result seemed to go straight to his head.

Firstly, he stood on top of the dugout to lead the crowd in their chanting, he then dived through a pop-up advertisement, screamed at a TV reporter with wild-eyed abandon before kissing him, and then topped it all off by removing his shorts and running around the pitch with a fire extinguisher.

Just time to delicately nuzzle and kiss someone we presume is a club official live on TV before bowing out.

Drug test, please.

[forzaitalia]

The kiss at the end is a little disturbing. He doesn't just go for a peck he tries to full on munch his neck....

[RomaShield27]

lol, yeah, it was a little too sensitive. Like as if he were at home in private trying to get some action from his missus. Jimmy Fontana huh, what a character.

[Messinterista]

rofl. we here a lot about passion from footballers. Well, that takes it to another level.

[Marco_Italia]

[Jocksboy]

Verona will be back in Serie B next season along with Juve Stabia after yesterday's second leg play-off finals. (Gubbio and Nocerina have already been promoted as divisional champions.)

[RomaShield27]

[RomaShield27]

Novara Nirvana: Italian Lower Leagues Review
– 20.06.2011

The Serie B season ended in Managerial movements and controversy as match fixing allegations rocked Italy’s 2nd tier as both teams in automatic promotion spots were put under the spotlight.

Two of the three teams relegated from Serie A bounced straight back at the first attempt, Atalanta & Siena both spent the majority of the season in the top 5 and come the final week had a 9 & 7 point gap over 3rd place respectively. Siena will begin life in Serie A (Match fixing allegations notwithstanding) with a new man at the helm after Juventus legend Antonio Conte left to take over at the Turin giants, the man given the reins at the modest Stadio Artemio Franchi is Guiseppe Sannino who led Serie B newcomers Varese to an impressive 4th place finish.

Another team promoted from the Lega Pro, Novara finished the season in 3rd place after a highly successful campaign back in Serie B for the 1st time in 33 years. The remaining 2 playoff spots were claimed by teams more established in the top 2 Italian Leagues, Padova & Reggina. Livorno, the 3rd relegated club from Serie A the previous season missed out on the play offs by 2 points whilst Torino again flattered to deceive finishing in a disappointing 8th spot.

There were goals aplenty in the 2nd leg of the playoff games after nervy 1st legs with Novara & Padova triumphing over Reggina & Varese respectively. Two more tense games were to follow in the final, a goalless draw in Padua but Novara won the home leg 2-0 to gain a 2nd successive promotion and a return to Serie A after an absence of over 50 years.

The fate of the bottom 3 was decided several weeks before the season’s end as Frosinone, Portosummaga & Triestina were all relegated with a handful of games remaining. Triestina go back to the lower leagues after a 9 year spell in the 2nd tier where one stand out feature in the Lega Pro will be the 32500 capacity Stadio Nereo Rocco, Portosummaga are relegated after 1 season whilst Frosinone can boast 5 seasons in Serie B. The two teams finishing above the bottom 3 play off to see which one will also be relegated, this season Piacenza & Albinoleffe, the latter having spent the season playing at Atalanta’s Atleti Azzurri D’Italia stadium due to their own not reaching the required standard despite only drawing around 1800 spectators.

The 1st leg in Piacenza finished goalless but the return leg more than made up in the drama stakes. Albinoleffe raced into a 2-0 lead in a typically bad tempered affair, Piacenza drew level in the 2nd half and the game ended 2-2, away goals don’t count in the play offs and Albinoleffe celebrated staying up by virtue of finishing above Piacenza in the league. The relegated side’s owner said after the game that he would not enter his team in the Lega Pro so it could spell an end for the club who competed in Serie A not too long ago.

Gubbio & Nocerina were champions of the Girone A & B and gain automatic promotion to Serie B whilst in the play offs Verona overcame Sorrento & Salernitana beat Alessandria to set up the first playoff final and in Girone B Athletico Roma were victorious over Taranto & Juve Stabia beat Benevento to meet in the 2nd final. The 1st legs saw Hellas Verona take a 2-0 lead to Salernitana and Juve Stabia held 0-0 at home to Athletico Roma.

In the 2nd legs Verona as expected came under intense pressure and fell behind on the stroke of half time but they managed to hold on until the end to claim promotion despite finishing in the last play off place. The celebrations with the 1200 strong travelling support that had made the 900 mile round trip were however marred by rioting home fans after the game in unsavoury scenes. The other play off final was a more sedate but no less passionate affair with Juve Stabia running out surprise 2-0 winners at Athletico Roma to re claim a Serie B place after 60 years of lower league football.

Dropping down from the glitz and glamour of Serie A are Bari & Brescia and in a real shock Sampdoria. The Genoa based giants began the season in the Champions League and only a 90th minute goal by Werder Bremen’s Markus Rosenberg denied Samp a place in the Group Stage. Claudio Pizarro struck an extra time winner for the Germans and Sampdoria’s season of woe began, it ended with 7 defeats in the final 10 games and unthinkable relegation to Serie B.

The Top Scorers award went to Federico Piovaccari of modest out Cittadella, Piovaccari hit 23 league goals in his 1st season for the club after joining from Lega Pro outfit Ravenna. Elvis Abbruscato of Vicenza & Torino’s Roland Bianchi finished just behind on 19 goals. Former Leece man Daniele Cacia hit 17 for relegated Piacenza and is sure to spark interest in the summer.

[Marco_Italia]

Good Summary^ Thanks for posting that RomanShield.