Lega Pro Prima and Seconda Divisione – General Discussion

[RomaShield27]

Sad to see this, I remember them in Serie A quite a few times.

Piacenza declared bankrupt


Piacenza Calcio has officially gone bankrupt, ending a 93-year history in Italian football that included long Serie A spells. Today lawyer Franco Spezia and accountant Filippo Giuffrida have been appointed to lead the club through its bankruptcy proceedings.

The point of no return was reached after owner Fabrizio Garilli opted not to oppose the bankruptcy. Piacenza will reportedly be able to complete the Lega Pro season, but at that stage the club will cease to exist.

There is to be an auction at the end of the campaign that will allow any new investors to buy the Piacenza brand, but they would have to begin with a new name and from a lower division.

Piacenza were in Serie B last term, but were relegated after losing the play-outs. The Biancorossi were founded in 1919 and last played in Serie A in 2002-03.

[Jocksboy]

Live games this Sunday at 2 p.m. BST:
Spal v. Reggiana - E'tv
Pergocrema v. Barletta - Viva l'Italia.

[Jocksboy]

There's a midweek round of fixtures in the Lega Pro this Wednesday. One match definitely on TV is the recorded game between Barletta and Siracusa on Rai Sport 1 at 10.45 p.m. BST.
Local stations don't always show midweek games, but possibly on live are:
Pisa v. Taranto on Blu at 7.30 p.m.
Piacenza v. Andria BAT on Viva l'Italia at 7.30 p.m.

[Jocksboy]

Live games this Sunday, all at 2.15 p.m. BST:
Sorrento v. Foggia - Blu
Ternana v. Reggiana - E'tv
FeralpiSalo v. Andria BAT - Viva l'Italia
Pergocremo v. Cremonese - Rai Sport 1.

[RomaShield27]

Lega Pro Special – Tension Rising In Season’s Final Stages
http://www.thefootballexpress.co.uk/201 ... al-stages/

A fabulously entertaining season in Italy’s third and fourth tiers enters its final few weeks of competition and for many clubs there is still everything to play for.

In C1 division A, Ternana’s once seemingly unassailable lead is diminishing by the week as Mimmo Toscano’s side get stage fright at just the wrong time of the season. In mid-February, the Rossoverdi were out on their own at the top of La Classifica after a superb 2-0 away win in Benevento, but out of the next 21 points available, Toscano’s charges have only picked up eight and now automatic promotion to Serie B is anything but a formality.

Carpi, Pro Vercelli and Taranto are all within five points of the league leaders with Sorrento and Benevento a further four and five points behind respectively. Carpi have been an absolute revelation in 2012 remaining unbeaten since the winter break and along with Maurizio Braghin’s Pro Vercelli side, are producing some of the most entertaining football in Lega Pro. Taranto, under the shrewd guidance of Davide Dionigi still have their joker to play, and if they can win their game in hand against Como they will be right back in the promotion picture.

The end of season run-in appears to favour Toscano’s side with some of the big challengers around them having to play-off against each other. Week 32 could be a pivotal weekend in the title race however when Toscano takes his side to the Stadio Silvio Piola to face free scoring Pro Vercelli. Braghin’s side look to have the toughest end to the campaign having to play three of the current top five in consecutive weeks.

Down at the bottom, Foligno look dead and buried, cut adrift from the other struggling sides. The other relegation and play-out positions could be interesting with anyone from Pavia in 17th place to Foggia in 11th still in with a chance of saying arrivederci to C1 football next season. Milan midfielder Clarence Seedorf will be biting his fingernails with his Monza side looking likely to feature in the end of season play-out lottery. The 36-year-old Dutch superstar promised some new investment for his club this week, unfortunately for him, it may be to strengthen a squad in Italy’s fourth tier.

In C1B Trapani look set to take the one automatic promotion place as they currently sit with a comfortable five point advantage over nearest challengers Spezia. The Sicilians have taken over top spot from their bitter island rivals Siracusa who led the division for much of the season. Andrea Sottil’s men have dropped to third in the table but will look to consolidate with a play-off place at the end of a campaign which has seen them deducted five points for financial irregularities.

Michele Serena’s Spezia are the divisions in-form team having only suffered one defeat since the turn of the year and that was to Trapani in week 23. The main reason for their spectacular turn around after a dreadful start to the campaign is the goalscoring form of striker Felice Evacuo. The 29-year-old former Lazio youth team player has netted 13 times in 24 games, achieving the best goals to games ratio in the division by some way. If Serena’s men fail to grab the automatic spot from the Sicilians as looks likely, they will certainly be the favourites to reach Italy’s second tier alongside Siracusa.

Virtus Lanciano, sitting comfortably in fourth spot, also look set to be involved in the end of season play-off showdown but behind them it is difficult to call. From Cremonese, currently in fifth on 43 points, to Frosinone, in 11th on 39, it looks like five teams will be vying for the final play-off berth at the end of the campaign.

Virtus Bassano look down with all hands at the basement of C1B and it looks like Latina will be making a quick return to C2 after just one season in the third tier. The big story developing at the foot of the table is the sad plight of Piacenza. 20 years ago, the club were on the verge of clinching a UEFA Cup spot but in March of this year they were declared bankrupt and their immediate future now looks uncertain no matter what division they finish up in at the end of the campaign.

C2 Round-Up

The A division of Italy’s fourth tier is on a knife-edge with just seven points separating the top seven sides. San Marino currently sit on top the table just a point ahead of early season pacesetters Cuneo and Casale. Former Serie A side Treviso have overcome a points penalty to drag themselves up to fourth spot in the table while Rimini will be looking to cement back to back promotions after their own fall from grace over the past few years due to financial meltdown. Down in the basement, Valenzana and Sambonifacese look doomed with former Serie B side Mantova looking nervously over their shoulder in 15th spot.

The B division title looks set to be a straight fight between two former Serie A clubs Perugia and Catanzaro and Vigor Lamezia, who currently sit third just two points off top-spot. The Lametini have a huge Calabrian derby in week 40 against Francesco Cozza’s swashbuckling Catanzaro side followed by a home game just seven days later against, you’ve guessed it, Perugia. Could Francesco Costantino’s side pull off the surprise of the season to claim the most unlikeliest of championships??

At the bottom, Celano will almost certainly be relegated to Serie D as will Ebolitana who have had a turbulent season both on and off the pitch due primarily to infighting within the club following a bundled takeover before Christmas. Finally, good luck to Gavorrano striker Giordano Fioretti who is just five goals away from breaking the Serie B and Lega Pro all time seasonal goalscoring record. Currently sitting on 31 goals for the season, Fioretti is looking to overhaul Torino striker Gino Rossetti’s total of 36 that has stood since 1929.

You can follow Steve Mitchell for more regular updates on the world of Italy’s lower leagues on twitter (@barafundler).

[RomaShield27]

Play-off and play-out fixture information for Lega Pro leagues here:

http://www.lega-pro.com/images/stories/ ... 160div.pdf

[Jocksboy]

The first leg of the Lega Pro Coppa Italia final is on Rai Sport 2 tonight (Wednesday) at 5.30 p.m. BST.

This Sunday's live games are at 2 p.m. BST.
Fologno v. Taranto on Blu
Cremonese v. Barletta on Viva l'Italia.

[Jocksboy]

Live on Rai Sport 1 at 2 p.m. BST today: Pergocrema v. Cremonese.

[Jocksboy]

This weekend's live games are all at 2 p.m. on Sunday.
Taranto v. Reggiana on E'tv
Ternana v. Foggia on Blu
Pergocrema v. Andria BAT on Viva l'Italia
Siracusa v. Lanciano on Rai Sport 1

[Jocksboy]

Live this Sunday at 2 p.m. BST:
Avellino v. Taranto on Blu
Spezia v. Latina on Rai Sport 1

[RomaShield27]

Salerno Calcio promoted to lega pro today. Videos here:

http://www.salerno-calcio.it/i-gol-del- ... erotondo-3–1-promozione-lega-pro-stagione-2011-2012

Both ownership groups of Salerno and Venezia have promised to get the clubs back to Serie A in four years. Venezia are rich apparently, owned by Russians.

[RomaShield27]

Play-off e Play-out: si torna in campo il 20 maggio
07.05.2012 09:45 di Andrea Zalamena / http://m.tuttolegapro.com/?action=read&idnotizia=45946

Terminato ieri il campionato in Lega Pro, ora si giocheranno le sfide per play-off e play-out. Si torna in campo tra due settimane, domenica 20 maggio, per le gare di andata. Questo il programma completo con tutte le successive date per semifinali e finali:

1^ DIVISIONE - girone A

PLAY-OFF [semifinali 20 e 27 maggio. Finali 3 e 10 giugno]
Pro Vercelli vs Taranto
Sorrento vs Carpi

PLAY-OUT [20 e 27 maggio]
Monza vs Viareggio
Pavia vs Spal

1^ DIVISIONE - girone B

PLAY-OFF [semifinali 20 e 27 maggio. Finali 3 e 10 giugno]
Cremonese vs Trapani
Virtus Lanciano vs Siracusa

PLAY-OUT [20 e 27 maggio]
Piacenza vs Prato
Latina vs Triestina

2^ DIVISIONE - girone A

PLAY-OFF [semifinali 20 e 27 maggio. Finali 3 e 10 giugno]
Rimini vs Cuneo
Virtus Entella vs Casale

PLAY-OUT [primo turno 20 e 27 maggio. Finale contro vincente altro girone: 3 e 10 giugno]
Lecco vs Mantova
2^ DIVISIONE - girone B

PLAY-OFF [semifinali 20 e 27 maggio. Finali 3 e 10 giugno]
Paganese vs Vigor Lamezia
Aprilia vs Chieti

PLAY-OUT [primo turno 20 e 27 maggio. Finale contro vincente altro girone: 3 e 10 giugno]
Neapolis vs Vibonese

>>> IMPORTANTE >>> per i play-out di 2^ Divisione, quest'anno c'è una novità: oltre alle ultime tre in classifica, infatti, retrocedono in Serie D anche altre tre squadre dopo gli spareggi. Si sfidano quart'ultima e quint'ultima di ogni girone (Lecco-Mantova e Neapolis-Vibonese). Chi perde scende tra i dilettanti. Ma le due vincenti si affrontano per decretare un'ulteriore squadra che scenderà in Serie D.

[Jocksboy]

The second leg of the Lega Pro 1 Supercoppa between Spezia and Ternana is liveon Rai Sport 2 tonight at 7.30 p.m. BST. The first leg at Terni ended goalless.

[Jocksboy]

two Lega Pro 1 playoff games will be shown live tomorrow (Sunday) on Rai Sport 1:
2 p.m. BST Virtus Lanciano v. Siracusa
4 p.m. Sorrento v. Carpi

[RomaShield27]

Lega Pro Special – Play Off Preview
http://www.thefootballexpress.co.uk/2012/05/lega-pro-special-play-off-preview/

After nine months of intrigue, accusations and points deductions the end of season Lega Pro play-offs have arrived. Over the next few weeks nerves will be shredded, tears will be shed and, for the lucky few, glory will be tasted.

We start in C1A were the four teams involved in the end of term lottery will be Taranto, Carpi, Sorrento and Pro Vercelli. Davide Dionigi’s Taranto side will feel that they should be the ones already promoted to Serie B but a series of points deductions put pay to that possibility. Their opponents in semi-final first leg are Pro Vercelli who under the shrewd guidance of coach Maurizio Braghin, have played arguably the best football in the entire league.

In the build up to Sunday’s game, the two clubs have become embroiled in a war of words in regard to Taranto’s perilous financial state. The team from Puglia are losing money at an alarming rate and rumour has it that even if they do achieve promotion in early June, they may still not be permitted into Serie B; something which Vercelli chief Massimo Secondo was quick to point out a recent press conference. The comments incensed coach Dionigi who told Secondo to shut up and have some respect as the pressure builds up on both teams.

Dionigi seems to be single handedly trying to derail his own teams chances by refusing to deny rumours that he will will leave the club after the play-offs regardless of the result. The 38-year-old tactician has been heavily linked with a move to Bari in the summer with reports also suggesting he could fill the vacant managers seat at Serie A side Siena.

If it’s goals you’re looking for then this may not be the game for you with both sides boasting the best two defences in the division. It looks likely that this game will go down to the wire but one thing that is for certain is that the accusations will continue throughout the summer months.

The other play-off semi-final pits two of the best scoring teams in C1A against each other with Sorrento hosting Carpi in Sunday’s first leg. The Campanian club can point to their semi-final heartbreak 12 months ago when they lost to eventual winners Verona as a vital learning curve ahead of Sunday’s match. On that occasion they were without their talismanic goalscorer Paulinho, this time around the club will look to divisional top scorer Ciro Ginestra to propel the club to Serie B. The teams owner Mario Gambardella is convinced his squad is good enough to cause an upset this time around and goalkeeper Generoso Rossi only wants positive vibes on Sunday announcing: “only people who believe we can go to Serie B should come to the stadium “.

Carpi have only tasted defeat once since the turn of the year and are the division’s top scorers. If they can get a positive result on Sunday they will fancy their chances in the second leg having been granted permission to return to their compact Cabassi stadium after a season of ground sharing with Reggiana. In the two league meetings this season both teams won their respective home games and as with the other semi-final in this division, matters may not be settled until late on in the second game.

The C1B play-offs sees two sides from Sicily, Trapani and Siracusa, alongside Cremonese and Virtus Lanciano. Oscar Brevi’s Cremonese side have not had the best preparations in the run up to Sundays first leg. It was only on Tuesday of this week that they were confirmed as play-off candidates when the team that finished sixth in the final standings, Barletta, finally lost their appeal to get their one point penalty overturned, a point which would have put them ahead of Brevi’s side in the final shake up due to the better head to head record. Brevi can look to positives however as his side boasts the divisions top scorer in Giueseppe Le Noci who has been on a season long loan from Verona.

Cremonese’s opponents in Sunday’s first leg showdown, Trapani, looked odds on for promotion around March but a run of only two wins in their final eight matches (including an astonishing 1-5 home defeat by Portogruaro in week 30) allowed Spezia to grab the automatic entry into Serie B. In the final match of the season, the islanders were in virtual pole position for half an hour before events in Tuscany put paid to their chances. Coach Roberto Boscaglia has to pick his side up and has led by example by committing his future to the club until 2015.

Sicily’s other play-off team are Siracusa, whose larger than life coach Andrea Sottil is nothing if not confident in his own abilities. Recently, the 38-year-old former Atalanta and Udinese defender announced that he was “already good enough to coach in Serie A” explaining that “several top clubs would be glad of his services” as fans began to question his teams’ indifferent end of season form. Sottil will need all his defensive experience on Sunday as his side travels to Lanciano to face a Virtus side high on confidence after a strong end to the season. Striker Leonardo Pavoletti is in a rich scoring vain at present finishing the regular season on 16 goals, just one behind Le Noci.

The two teams met in the penultimate week of the season in Sicily with the islanders running out 1-0 winners. With both sides already assured of a play-off place by the time they met at the end of April, the result will offer little in the way of a pointer as to who will run out winners after what looks like once again being a tight, tense double header. For the record, no team in Italy’s top-flight has confirmed any contact with Sottil!

It’s also play-off weekend in C2. In the A division Rimini host Cuneo whilst Virtus Entella entertain Casale. In C2B, Paganese welcome Vigor Lamezia whilst Chieti travel to Aprilia.

All the stories and reaction from the play-off semi-finals and a look ahead to the finals will be available here in two weeks time

Follow Steve Mitchell on twitter for more from Lega Pro and the lower leagues.

[Jocksboy]

Two Lega Pro 1 playoff semi finals are on Rai Sport 1 this Sunday.
Taranto v. Pro Vercelli is live at 2 p.m. BST
Trapani v. Cremonese is recorded at 6 p.m.

[Jocksboy]

Both Lega Pro 1 playoff finals first legs are live on Rai Sport 2 this Sunday.
Virtus Lanciano v. Trapani is at 2 p.m. BST
Carpi v. Pro Vercelli is at 4 p.m.

[Jocksboy]

The second legs are this Sunday on Rai Sport 2 at 2 p.m. BST and 4 p.m. again.

[Marco_Italia]

Pro Vercelli in Serie B for the first time since the 40s (i think), what a long-waited return for them!

[RomaShield27]

The number of professional clubs in Italy is falling
Constant restructuring won't help

http://www.wsc.co.uk/wsc-daily/1151-aug ... is-falling

13 August ~ In 1990-91 Italy had 146 full-time professional clubs: 18 in Serie A, 20 in Serie B, 36 in Serie C1 and 72 in Serie C2. The following season Serie C2 lost 18 clubs, and since then the number of professional clubs has continued to decline. The start of 2012-2013 season is less than a month away but the composition of the divisions is now known and the ongoing "Betgate" scandal could see some clubs changing places. Serie A and Serie B remain the same but the third and fourth level, collectively known as Lega Pro is down to 69 clubs, from 77 last season.

Prima Divisione, the third level, will have one group of 17 and one of 16. The fourth, Seconda Divisione, will be two groups of 18. In approximately 20 years the number of professional clubs has declined by almost 25 per cent.

The current plan, hoped to be in place by the start of 2014-15, is to have one division of Lega Pro with three groups of 20. Some would like it to start as early as next year, which would mean that no team would be relegated from Prima Divisione in the coming season but that will probably happen even if it is postponed for a year.

There is also a plan to reduce Serie B to 20 clubs. This would leave Italy with exactly 100 professional clubs, assuming Serie A stays at the same level. This is still too many – 80 would be about right – but it is an improvement on the unsustainable number 20 years ago.

This has led to the disappearance of many clubs. Some have died altogether, while others have re-formed in the amateur or semi-professional leagues. Every summer a number are refused professional licences either because they cannot pay the bond, or because their facilities are not up to scratch. Others simply give up and opt out. Among these clubs are some who have helped to write the history of Italian football. This summer was no exception, with 11 clubs being refused licences.

Perhaps the biggest casualty is Triestina, a club that spent 26 seasons in Serie A up to 1959 but has never been back. Then there is the almost equally proud SPAL (Società Polisportiva Ars et Labor) from Ferrara. Founded in 1907, they spent only one season out of Serie A between 1951 and 1968, and include Fabio Capello among their ex-players.

Piacenza’s Serie A years were the 1990s and up to 2003, followed by eight seasons in Serie B. Heavily involved in "Betgate", they are now gone. They are joined by two from Puglia: Foggia and Taranto. Foggia were coached by Zdenek Zeman as late as 2010-11, and Taranto were the subject of a piece on this site last autumn.

Their players went unpaid for most of last season despite always being near the top of their group, so their fate was not surprising. Another team that came close to promotion, Siracusa, also folded during the summer. Only Foggia, Taranto and SPAL have been allowed to start again in Serie D.

It is not all gloom. Serie B will see the return to the "big time" of one of the pioneer clubs of Italian football, Pro Vercelli. From the north-west region of Piemonte, they are now overshadowed by Juventus and Torino. But they can boast seven Italian titles, the last in 1922. They declined and dropped out of Serie B in 1948 and are back after a 64-year absence. The derbies with neighbours Novara will be tense.

English football has its critics but the overall structure rarely alters. There were 92 clubs in the English league in 1990, and there still are. The Italian game is in a state of continual flux and desperately needs to find an optimum number of professional clubs. Constant tinkering is in nobody’s long-term interest.

Richard Mason