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Serie B

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the Italian football league. For other uses, see Serie B (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with Campeonato Brasileiro Série B.

Serie B
Organising bodyLega B
Founded1929; 96 years ago (1929)
(pilot in 1922)
CountryItaly
ConfederationUEFA
Number of clubs20
Level on pyramid2
Promotion toSerie A
Relegation toSerie C
Domestic cup(s)Coppa Italia
International cup(s)UEFA Europa League
(via winning Coppa Italia)
Current championsParma (1st title)
(2023–24)
Most championshipsGenoa (6 titles)
Most appearancesLuigi Cagni (483)
Top goalscorerStefan Schwoch (135)
TV partnersLaB Channel
DAZN
Websitelegab.it
Current: 2024–25 Serie B

The Serie B (Italian pronunciation: [ˈsɛːrje ˈbi][1]), officially known as Serie BKT for sponsorship reasons,[2] is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It has been operating for over ninety years since the 1929–30 season. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010 and the Lega B ever since. Common nicknames for the league are campionato cadetto and cadetteria, since cadetto is the Italian name for junior or cadet.

History

[edit]

The first Italian football championships were composed of a small number of teams. It was in 1904 that the tournament expanded with the first edition of the Seconda Categoria (Second Category): this was a competition in which, on one side, the reserve teams of clubs affiliated with the Prima Categoria (First Category) participated, and on the other side, those provincial clubs that had recently joined the Italian Football Federation (FIGC).

For the provincial teams, it wasn't enough to beat the reserve teams of the metropolitan clubs by winning the second-tier championship: they had to prove to a Federal Technical Commission that they had acquired a sufficient level of technical ability to compete with the first-team players of the Prima Categoria. Therefore, they were required to demonstrate this in a unique test match, not comparable to a play-off, a match against a Prima Categoria team in front of prominent football figures of the time. The first team to reach the honour, was Pro Vercelli in 1907, which even won the scudetto in 1908.

The status quo was challenged by a federal official with a letter published in the football columns of La Gazzetta dello Sport in February 1912: according to him, there was no movement between the Prima Categoria and the Seconda Categoria, which had to bear the expenses of an entire season only to see them wasted by a single match against the reserve teams of the larger clubs. The official proposed the introduction of a promotion-relegation system, which immediately gained the support of many clubs. As a result, several proposals for changes to the current Championship Regulations were drawn up in preparation for the annual Federal Assembly. This mechanism was introduced by the Federal Assembly on August 31, 1912, where the Valvassori-Faroppa plan was approved. This plan modified the Italian football pyramid, turning the Seconda Categoria into the new Promozione (Promotion) championship and creating a dedicated championship for Reserve teams. Just as the Seconda Categoria had been managed in the past, the Promozione was entrusted to the Regional Committees, which the FIGC had established in 1909.

It wasn’t until 1921 that the Pozzo Plan, made by manager Vittorio Pozzo, created a true national second-tier league by establishing the Seconda Divisione (Second Division), a tournament in which all the clubs affected by the heavy trimming of the Prima Categoria, now renamed Prima Divisione (First Division), participated. The new introduced regulations, strongly supported by the secessionist Italian Football Confederation (CCI) (which applied them starting in the 1921–22 season) and approved along with the Pozzo Plan, involved the division of Italy into two large geographical areas, managed by the North and South Leagues, with a sharp cut at the center of the country. This meant teams from Tuscany played in the North, and those from Marche and Umbria played in the South. As a result, the Seconda Divisione experienced two different sets of rules, due to the stark geographical and organizational differences: in the North, the league was organized outside the regional framework directly by the Lega Nord, while in the South, it was still managed by the Regional Committees because the distances and means of transportation didn’t allow for interregional league management. Only in the 1925–26 season did the Lega Sud of major clubs organized the regional Seconda Divisione groups directly. The first teams to be relegated (1921-22 season) were Vicenza and Inter Milan even if, after the CCI reunion with FIGC, the regulations were changed, and Venezia was demoted instead of the Milanese club.

In the north, the new competition started in the 1922–23 season with 48 teams divided into six groups, structured at the interregional level but still vaguely corresponding to the jurisdictions of the regional committees. By 1924–25, the number dropped to 40 teams and four groups, now geographically more extensive. In the south, not all Regional Committees managed to organize the Seconda Divisione championship immediately, which was especially difficult in the island regions, where the number of regulation-sized fields was minimal. The first season saw about 25 teams participating, and by the following season, this increased to 40, but problems related to the particularly troubled political era began to emerge. Few clubs managed to complete all four championships organized by the Lega Sud between 1922–23 and 1925–26 due to high operating costs.

In 1926, the Viareggio Charter renamed the top league to Divisione Nazionale (National Division), consequently renaming the lower categories, with the Seconda Divisione becoming the Prima Divisione. The two bodies managing the tournament, the Lega Nord and Lega Sud, were merged into a national governing body called the Direttorio Divisioni Superiori (Directory of Higher Divisions). This led to one of the groups being reserved for southern clubs, with many northern teams effectively relegated by default.

Atalanta, winners of the 1927–28 Prima Divisione, the predecessor of the Serie B with a single league format. The Lombard club holds the record with 6 first-place finishes in the second-tier league.

The far-reaching reform envisioned by the Viareggio Charter was completed in 1928 by the new FIGC president, the fascist politician from Bologna, Leandro Arpinati. The influential politician established the creation of a radically different second-tier league within a year, meaning no longer an interregional tournament but a single national group, exactly like the one planned for the top league. Thus, in 1929, the Serie B of the Divisione Nazionale was born.[3] The establishment of a single group for the second-tier league sparked protests from smaller clubs, who complained about the high travel costs for matches across the entire country and the lower gate receipts compared to the top league. They unsuccessfully proposed expanding the first edition of Serie B of the Divisione Nazionale to two groups based on territorial criteria, admitting the semifinalists of the southern Prima Divisione championship by default. The two-group formula would have reduced the high operating costs of participating in the second-tier league and given more representation to the central and southern teams. However, the proposal was not accepted, and Serie B remained a single group.[4]

The first edition saw 18 teams registered, a format that remained unchanged until the 1933–34 season, when an attempt was made to divide into two groups based on geography (west and east). However, this experiment was unsuccessful, and in 1935–36, the original model was reinstated, which, except for an attempt to reduce the number of teams between 1936 and 1938, continued until the break caused by World War II.

Genoa, winners of the 1972–73 Serie B; with 6 total victories, the Ligurian club shares the record for most wins in the second tier with Atalanta.

In the immediate post-war years, the colossal wartime destruction and widespread poverty made it impossible to immediately restart the competition. The tournament developed with different formats between the two areas of the country, north and south. In the 1946–47 and 1947–48 seasons, the Serie B was played with a three-group format (geographically divided into northwest, northeast, and central-south). In the 1948–49 season, the FIGC finally managed to recreate a single group with 22 teams, reduced again to 18 teams in the 1952–53 season. In the 1958–59 season, the league was expanded to 20 teams, a format that, except for one occasion (the 1967–68 season, with 21 teams due to the reduction from 18 to 16 Serie A teams), remained unchanged for 35 years.

It was the consequences of the so-called "Caso Catania" in the 2003–04 season that disrupted this consolidated tradition and brought the number of participating teams to a record high of 24, later reduced to 22 the following year.

From 1946, both Serie A and Serie B were ran by Lega Calcio. However, on 30 April 2009, after divisions between Serie A and Serie B clubs regarding the future of the league, 19 of 20 top-flight clubs (the only exception being Lecce) agreed on plans to split from Serie B to form another governing and financing body.[5] Subsequently, on 1 July 2010, the Lega Calcio has officially ceased to exist and was replaced by the two newly formed leagues, Lega Serie A and Lega Serie B.[6]

In the 2018–19 season, due to the bankruptcy of Avellino, Bari, and Cesena to register, and the inability to quickly relegate teams (by the deadline for presenting the 2018–19 season fixtures), the second-tier league once again had an odd number of teams, dropping from 22 to 19. By FIGC order, in the 2019–20 season, the league returned to having 20 teams, a format that had been in place from 1968 to 2003.[7]

The second-tier league, following the example of the top division, introduced the VAR system: from 2018 to 2021, it was used only for the play-offs and play-outs, while starting from the 2021–22 season, it was implemented for the entire regular season.

Serie B is the lowest division in which five historic clubs have ever played: Torino, Juventus, Milan, Roma and Lazio.

Competition format

[edit]

League

[edit]

The single group format established in the 1929–30 season is identical to the Serie A (the immediately higher category): a round-robin group with home and away matches between the twenty participating teams for 38 games. Three points are awarded to the winner of the match, one point each for a draw, and no points for the losing team.[8] The regulations provide for three promotions to the top tier, against four relegations to Serie C.[9] The top two teams are automatically promoted; the last promotion is instead decided through the playoffs, in which teams ranked from 3rd to 8th place participate, unless there is a gap of more than 14 points between the 3rd and 4th place teams: in this case, the playoffs will not be played, and the 3rd place team will be promoted directly to Serie A. Conversely, the teams ranked 18th to 20th are directly relegated; the last relegation is decided by a play-out between the 16th and 17th placed teams, unless the 17th place is more than 5 points behind the 16th place: in this case, the play-out will not be played, and the 17th place team will be directly relegated to Serie C.[10] Starting from the 2005-06 season, the "head-to-head" ranking is used to determine the final classification in the event of a tie.

Since the 2006–07 season, Serie B introduced an on-field award ceremony for the first-place team, which is presented with a dedicated trophy. Until the 2019–20 season, the winning team of the tournament received the Ali della Vittoria (Wings of Victory) cup. After an interim season, starting from the 2021–22 season, the new "Nexus Cup" was introduced; a smaller version of this cup is also awarded to the second-place team and the winner of the playoffs.[11]

Below is a complete record of how many teams played in each season throughout the league's history;

  • 18 clubs: 1929–1933
  • 26 clubs (in two groups): 1933–1934
  • 32 clubs (in two groups): 1934–1935
  • 18 clubs: 1935–1936
  • 16 clubs: 1936–1937
  • 17 clubs: 1937–1938
  • 18 clubs: 1938–1943
  • 60 clubs (in three groups): 1946–1947
  • 54 clubs (in three groups): 1947–1948
  • 22 clubs: 1948–1950
  • 21 clubs: 1950–1951
  • 22 clubs: 1951–1952
  • 18 clubs: 1952–1958
  • 20 clubs: 1958–1967
  • 21 clubs: 1967–1968
  • 20 clubs: 1968–2003
  • 24 clubs: 2003–2004
  • 22 clubs: 2004–2018
  • 19 clubs: 2018–2019
  • 20 clubs: 2019–present

Promotion and relegation

[edit]

Play-offs

[edit]

Play-offs were introduced in Serie B in the 2004–05 season to determine the third team promoted to Serie A.

The original formula provided for the participation of four teams (from 3rd to 6th place) who faced each other in semifinals and finals (both based on home and away matches). If the gap between the 3rd and 4th place teams was greater than nine points, the third-place team would be directly promoted to Serie A; otherwise, the play-offs would take place. In the 2012–13 season, there was a change in the final regulation: extra time was abolished in the away leg if the score was tied after 180 minutes.

In the 2013–2014 season, the play-off bracket was expanded to include a maximum of six teams (from 3rd to 8th place), which had to be within a fourteen-point margin. As a result, the number of clubs participating in the promotion play-offs could vary, and thus the structure of the tournament changed depending on how many teams were involved. The third-place team would still be directly promoted if it had a gap of more than 9 points from the fourth place.

From the 2017–2018 season onwards, the play-offs involve teams ranked from 3rd to 8th place (without considering the gap between them), but the point difference between the 3rd and 4th place teams must not exceed fourteen points (instead of nine). The format is no longer variable based on the number of participating teams.

The current format is as follows:

The teams ranked from 5th to 8th place enter the preliminary round: 5th place faces 8th, and 6th faces 7th. There is only one match at the home of the higher-ranked team at the end of the season, and in case of a draw, extra time is played. If still tied after 120 minutes, the higher-ranked team in the regular season advances to the semifinals.

The teams ranked 3rd and 4th place automatically advance to the semifinals, along with the 2 winners from the preliminary round. The 3rd place team faces the winner of the match between 6th and 7th place from the preliminary round. Semifinal matches are played home and away, and in case of a tie after 90 minutes in the return leg, the team better placed in the regular season advances to the final.

The final consists of one home and one away match. If there is an overall tie after 180 minutes, the team better placed in the regular season is promoted to Serie A. Only if both teams finished the season with the same number of points, starting from the 2015–2016 season, extra time and possibly penalty kicks are played. In both the semifinals and the final, the away goals rule is not applied.[12]

Play-out

[edit]

Play-outs were introduced in the 2003–04 season to determine the fourth team relegated to Serie C: the bottom three teams are directly relegated, followed by the fourth-to-last team if the gap from the fifth-to-last team exceeds four points (5 points in the 2003–04 season). Otherwise, the play-out takes place with a home and away match: in the event of a draw in the final score, the fifth-to-last placed team at the end of the season retains its place in Serie B. Only if the two teams have finished the season with the same points in the standings, starting from the 2015–16 season, the away match includes extra time and possibly penalty kicks. Just like in the play-offs, the away goals rule does not apply in the play-out.

Clubs

[edit]
class=notpageimage|
Locations of the 2024–25 Serie B teams
Team Home city Stadium Capacity 2022–23 season
Bari Bari Stadio San Nicola 58,270 17th in Serie B
Brescia Brescia Stadio Mario Rigamonti 19,500 8th in Serie B
Carrarese Carrara Stadio dei Marmi 3,520 Serie C, play-off winner
Catanzaro Catanzaro Stadio Nicola Ceravolo 14,650 5th in Serie B
Cesena Cesena Orogel Stadium-Dino Manuzzi 20,194 Serie C, Group B winner
Cittadella Cittadella Stadio Pier Cesare Tombolato 7,623 14th in Serie B
Cosenza Cosenza Stadio San Vito-Gigi Marulla 20,987 9th in Serie B
Cremonese Cremona Stadio Giovanni Zini 15,191 4th in Serie B
Frosinone Frosinone Stadio Benito Stirpe 16,227 18th in Serie A
Juve Stabia Castellammare di Stabia Stadio Romeo Menti 7,642 Serie C, Group C winner
Mantova Mantua Stadio Danilo Martelli 6,066 Serie C, Group A winner
Modena Modena Stadio Alberto Braglia 21,151 10th in Serie B
Palermo Palermo Stadio Renzo Barbera 36,365 6th in Serie B
Pisa Pisa Arena Garibaldi – Stadio Romeo Anconetani 14,000 13th in Serie B
Reggiana Reggio Emilia Mapei Stadium – Città del Tricolore 21,525 11th in Serie B
Salernitana Salerno Stadio Arechi 20,194 20th in Serie A
Sampdoria Genoa Stadio Luigi Ferraris 33,205 7th in Serie B
Sassuolo Sassuolo Mapei Stadium – Città del Tricolore 21,515 19th in Serie A
Spezia La Spezia Stadio Alberto Picco 11,968 15th in Serie B
Südtirol Bolzano Stadio Druso 5,539 12th in Serie B

Seasons in Serie B

[edit]

This is the complete list of the 144 clubs that have taken part in the 91 Serie B seasons played from the 1929–30 season until the 2024–25 season.[13][a]

The teams in bold compete in Serie B in the 2024–25 season. The teams in italics represent defunct teams. The year in parentheses represents the most recent year of participation at this level.

The Serie B–C Alta Italia post-war championship

[edit]

This championship was organized by geographical criteria with only Northern Italy Serie B and the best Northern Italy Serie C teams taking part. Southern Italy Serie B teams took part to 1945–46 Serie A. For this reason, this championship is not included in the statistics.

Champions and promotions

[edit]
Season Champions Runners-up Other promoted
1929–30 Casale Legnano
1930–31 Fiorentina Bari
1931–32 Palermo Padova
1932–33 Livorno Brescia
1933–34 Sampierdarenese Baria
1934–35 Genoa Bari
1935–36 Lucchese Novara
1936–37 Livorno Atalanta
1937–38 Modenab Novarab
1938–39 Fiorentina Venezia
1939–40 Atalanta Livorno
1940–41 Sampierdarenese Modena
1941–42 Bari Vicenza
1942–43 Modena Brescia
1945–46 Alessandria Pro Patriaa Napoli

1946–47 		Northern champions Central champions Southern champions
Pro Patria Lucchese Salernitana
1947–48 Novara Padova Palermo

1948–49 		Champions Runners-up Other promoted
Como Venezia
1949–50 Napoli Udinese
1950–51 SPAL Legnano
1951–52 Roma Bresciaa
1952–53 Genoa Legnano
1953–54 Catania Pro Patria
1954–55 Vicenza Padova
1955–56 Udinese Palermo
1956–57 Hellas Verona Alessandria
1957–58 Triestina Bari
1958–59 Atalanta Palermo
1959–60 Torino Lecco Catania
1960–61 Venezia Mantova Palermo
1961–62 Genoa Napoli Modena
1962–63 Messina Bari Lazio
1963–64 Varese Cagliari Foggia
1964–65 Brescia Napoli SPAL
1965–66 Venezia Lecco Mantova
1966–67 Sampdoria Varese
1967–68 Palermo Hellas Verona Pisa
1968–69 Lazio Brescia Bari
1969–70 Varese Foggia Catania
1970–71 Mantova Atalanta Catanzaro
1971–72 Ternana Lazio Palermo
1972–73 Genoa Cesena Foggia
1973–74 Varese Ascoli Ternana
1974–75 Perugia Como Hellas Verona
1975–76 Genoa Catanzaro Foggia
1976–77 Vicenza Atalanta Pescara
1977–78 Ascoli Catanzaro Avellino
1978–79 Udinese Cagliari Pescara
1979–80 Como Pistoiese Brescia
1980–81 Milan Genoa Cesena
1981–82 Hellas Verona Pisa Sampdoria
1982–83 Milan Lazio Catania
1983–84 Atalanta Como Cremonese
1984–85 Pisa Lecce Bari
1985–86 Ascoli Brescia Empoli
1986–87 Pescara Pisa Cesena
1987–88 Bologna Lecce Lazio, Atalanta
1988–89 Genoa Bari Udinese, Cremonese
1989–90 Torino Pisa Cagliari, Parma
1990–91 Foggia Hellas Verona Cremonese, Ascoli
1991–92 Brescia Pescara Ancona, Udinese
1992–93 Reggiana Cremonese Piacenza, Lecce
1993–94 Fiorentina Bari Brescia, Padova
1994–95 Piacenza Udinese Vicenza, Atalanta
1995–96 Bologna Hellas Verona Perugia, Reggiana
1996–97 Brescia Empoli Lecce, Bari
1997–98 Salernitana Venezia Cagliari, Perugia
1998–99 Hellas Verona Torino Reggina, Lecce
1999–2000 Vicenza Atalanta Brescia, Napoli
2000–01 Torino Piacenza Chievo, Venezia
2001–02 Como Modena Reggina, Empoli
2002–03 Siena Sampdoria Lecce, Ancona
2003–04 Palermo Cagliari Livorno, Messina, Atalanta, Fiorentinac
2004–05 Empoli Torinoa Treviso, Ascoli
2005–06 Atalanta Catania Torino
2006–07 Juventus Napoli Genoa
2007–08 Chievo Bologna Lecce
2008–09 Bari Parma Livorno
2009–10 Lecce Cesena Brescia
2010–11 Atalanta Siena Novara
2011–12 Pescara Torino Sampdoria
2012–13 Sassuolo Hellas Verona Livorno
2013–14 Palermo Empoli Cesena
2014–15 Carpi Frosinone Bologna
2015–16 Cagliari Crotone Pescara
2016–17 SPAL Hellas Verona Benevento
2017–18 Empoli Parma Frosinone
2018–19 Brescia Lecce Hellas Verona
2019–20 Benevento Crotone Spezia
2020–21 Empoli Salernitana Venezia
2021–22 Lecce Cremonese Monza
2022–23 Frosinone Genoa Cagliari
2023–24 Parma Como Venezia

a Not promoted for Serie A reduction.

b Modena and Novara were both awarded champions in 1937–38.

c Six teams were promoted in 2003–04 due to the expansion of Serie A from 18 to 20 teams.

Club performances

[edit]
Main article: List of Serie B champions and promotions

Performance by club

[edit]

Updated as of 2023–24 season

Club Winners Runners-up Winning years
Genoa 6 2 1935, 1953, 1962, 1973, 1976, 1989
Atalanta 5 3 1940, 1959, 1984, 2006, 2011
Palermo 5 2 1932, 1948, 1968, 2004, 2014
Bari 4 6 1935, 1942, 1946, 2009
Brescia 4 6 1965, 1992, 1997, 2019
Hellas Verona 3 5 1957, 1982, 1999
Como 3 3 1949, 1980, 2002
Torino 3 2 1960, 1990, 2001
Varese 3 1 1964, 1970, 1974
Vicenza 3 1 1955, 1977, 2000
Fiorentina 3 – 1931, 1939, 1994
Novara 3 3 1927, 1938, 1948
Empoli 3 1 2005, 2018, 2021
Napoli 2 3 1946, 1950
Venezia 2 3 1961, 1966
Lecce 2 2 2010, 2022
Pescara 2 2 1987, 2012
Udinese 2 2 1956, 1979
Ascoli 2 1 1978, 1986
Bologna 2 1 1988, 1996
Livorno 2 1 1933, 1937
Salernitana 2 1 1947, 1998
Lucchese 2 – 1936, 1947
Milan 2 – 1981, 1983
Sampierdarenese 2 – 1934, 1941
SPAL 2 – 1951, 2017
Modena 1 4 1943
Pisa 1 4 1985
Cagliari 1 3 2016
Padova 1 3 1948
Lazio 1 2 1969
Parma 1 2 2024
Perugia 1 2 1975
Pro Patria 1 2 1947
Alessandria 1 1 1946
Catania 1 1 1954
Foggia 1 1 1991
Frosinone 1 1 2023
Mantova 1 1 1971
Piacenza 1 1 1995
Reggiana 1 1 1993
Sampdoria 1 1 1967
Siena 1 1 2003
Ternana 1 1 1972
Benevento 1 – 2020
Carpi 1 – 2015
Casale 1 – 1930
Chievo 1 – 2008
Juventus 1 – 2007
Messina 1 – 1963
Roma 1 – 1952
Sassuolo 1 – 2013
Triestina 1 – 1958
Spezia 1 – 1929
Legnano – 4 –
Catanzaro – 2 –
Cesena – 2 –
Cremonese – 2 –
Crotone – 2 –
Lecco – 2 –
Pistoiese – 1 –
Treviso – 1 –

Titles by region

[edit]

Updated as of 2023–24 season

Region Titles Winning club(s) (titles)
 Lombardia 20 Atalanta (6), Brescia (4), Como (3), Varese (3), Milan (2), Mantova (1), Pro Patria (1)
 Toscana 12 Empoli (3), Fiorentina (3), Livorno (2), Lucchese (2), Pisa (1), Siena (1)
 Emilia-Romagna 10 Bologna (2), SPAL (2), Carpi (1), Modena (1), Parma (1), Piacenza (1), Reggiana (1), Sassuolo (1)
 Veneto 10 Hellas Verona (3), Vicenza (3), Venezia (2), Chievo (1), Padova (1)
 Liguria 9 Genoa (6), Sampierdarenese (2), Sampdoria (1), Spezia (1)
 Piemonte 8 Torino (3), Novara (3), Alessandria (1), Casale (1), Juventus (1)
 Puglia 7 Bari (4), Lecce (2), Foggia (1)
 Sicilia 7 Palermo (5), Catania (1), Messina (1)
 Campania 5 Salernitana (2), Napoli (2), Benevento (1)
 Friuli-Venezia Giulia 3 Udinese (2), Triestina (1)
 Lazio 3 Frosinone (1), Lazio (1), Roma (1)
 Abruzzo 2 Pescara (2)
 Marche 2 Ascoli (2)
 Umbria 2 Perugia (1), Ternana (1)
 Sardinia 1 Cagliari (1)

Titles by city

[edit]

Updated as of 2023–24 season

City Titles Winning club(s) (titles)
Genoa 9 Genoa (6), Sampierdarenese (2), Sampdoria (1)
Bergamo 6 Atalanta (6)
Palermo 5 Palermo (5)
Turin 4 Torino (3), Juventus (1)
Verona 4 Hellas Verona (3), Chievo (1)
Bari 4 Bari (4)
Brescia 4 Brescia (4)
Como 3 Como (3)
Florence 3 Fiorentina (3)
Varese 3 Varese (3)
Vicenza 3 Vicenza (3)
Novara 3 Novara (3)
Empoli 3 Empoli (3)
Ascoli Piceno 2 Ascoli (2)
Bologna 2 Bologna (2)
Ferrara 2 SPAL (2)
Lecce 2 Lecce (2)
Livorno 2 Livorno (2)
Lucca 2 Lucchese (2)
Milan 2 Milan (2)
Naples 2 Napoli (2)
Pescara 2 Pescara (2)
Rome 2 Lazio (1), Roma (1)
Salerno 2 Salernitana (2)
Udine 2 Udinese (2)
Venice 2 Venezia (2)
Alessandria 1 Alessandria (1)
Benevento 1 Benevento (1)
Busto Arsizio 1 Pro Patria (1)
Cagliari 1 Cagliari (1)
Carpi 1 Carpi (1)
Casale Monferrato 1 Casale (1)
Catania 1 Catania (1)
Foggia 1 Foggia (1)
Frosinone 1 Frosinone (1)
La Spezia 1 Spezia (1)
Mantua 1 Mantova (1)
Messina 1 Messina (1)
Modena 1 Modena (1)
Padua 1 Padova (1)
Parma 1 Parma (1)
Perugia 1 Perugia (1)
Piacenza 1 Piacenza (1)
Pisa 1 Pisa (1)
Reggio Emilia 1 Reggiana (1)
Sassuolo 1 Sassuolo (1)
Siena 1 Siena (1)
Terni 1 Ternana (1)
Trieste 1 Triestina (1)

Promotions by region

[edit]

Updated as of 2023–24 season

Region Promotions Promoted clubs (263)
 Lombardia 52 Atalanta (12), Brescia (12), Como (6), Cremonese (5), Varese (4), Legnano (3), Mantova (3), Lecco (2), Milan (2), Pro Patria (2), Monza (1)
 Veneto 29 Hellas Verona (10), Venezia (7), Vicenza (5), Padova (4), Chievo (2), Treviso (1)
 Emilia-Romagna 28 Modena (5), Cesena (5), Bologna (4), Parma (4), Piacenza (3), SPAL (3), Reggiana (2), Carpi (1), Sassuolo (1)
 Toscana 27 Empoli (7), Livorno (6), Pisa (5), Fiorentina (4), Lucchese (2), Siena (2), Pistoiese (1)
 Puglia 26 Bari (11), Lecce (10), Foggia (5)
 Liguria 16 Genoa (9), Sampdoria (4) Sampierdarenese (2) Spezia (1)
 Sicilia 16 Palermo (9), Catania (5), Messina (2)
 Piemonte 14 Torino (6), Novara (4), Alessandria (2), Casale (1), Juventus (1)
 Campania 11 Napoli (5), Salernitana (3), Benevento (2), Avellino (1)
 Lazio 9 Lazio (5), Frosinone (3), Roma (1)
 Calabria 7 Catanzaro (3), Reggina (2), Crotone (2)
 Friuli-Venezia Giulia 7 Udinese (6), Triestina (1)
 Marche 7 Ascoli (5), Ancona (2)
 Sardinia 7 Cagliari (7)
 Abruzzo 6 Pescara (6)
 Umbria 5 Perugia (3), Ternana (2)

Statistics and Records

[edit]

Top scorers

[edit]
Season Top scorer(s) Club(s) Goals
1929–30 Italy Luigi Demarchi Casale 19
1930–31 Italy Gastone Prendato Padova 25
1931–32 Italy Carlo Radice Palermo 28
1932–33 Italy Marco Romano Como 29
1933–34 Italy Remo Galli Modena 26
1934–35 Italy Marco Romano Novara 30
1935–36 Italy Vinicio Viani Lucchese 34
1936–37 Italy Bruno Arcari Livorno 30
1937–38 Italy Otello Torri Novara 25
1938–39 Italy Alfredo Diotalevi Spezia 21
1939–40 Italy Vinicio Viani Livorno 35
1940–41 Italy Vittorio Sentimenti Modena 24
Italy Renato Gei Brescia
1941–42 Italy Giovanni Costanzo Spezia 24
1942–43 Italy Giovanni Costanzo Spezia 22
Italy Luigi Gallanti Fanfulla
1943–45: Cancelled due to World War II
1945–46 Italy Bruno Mazza Crema 17
1946–47 Italy Aldo Boffi Seregno 32
1947–48 Italy Aurelio Pavesi De Marco Palermo 23
1948–49 Italy Attilio Frizzi SPAL 25
1949–50 Italy Ettore Bertoni Brescia 30
1950–51 Italy Ettore Bertoni Legnano 25
1951–52 Italy Attilio Frizzi Genoa 20
1952–53 Italy Alvaro Zian Fanfulla 19
1953–54 Italy Michele Manenti Catania 15
1954–55 Italy Achille Fraschini Brescia 14
Italy Enrico Motta Vicenza
Italy Giancarlo Rebizzi Legnano
1955–56 Italy Aurelio Milani Monza 23
1956–57 Italy Paolo Erba Parma 16
1957–58 Italy Pietro Biagioli Valdagno 19
1958–59 Argentina Santiago Vernazza Palermo 19
1959–60 Italy Giuseppe Virgili Torino 20
1960–61 Italy Giovanni Fanello Alessandria 25
1961–62 Italy Renzo Cappellaro Alessandria 21
1962–63 Italy Cosimo Nocera Foggia 24
1963–64 Italy Romano Taccola Prato 19
1964–65 Brazil Sergio Clerici Lecco 20
Italy Virginio De Paoli Brescia
1965–66 Italy Gianni Bui Catanzaro 18
1966–67 Italy Fulvio Francesconi Sampdoria 20
1967–68 Italy Lucio Mujesan Bari 19
1968–69 Italy Virginio De Paoli Brescia 18
1969–70 Italy Roberto Bettega Varese 13
Italy Aquilino Bonfanti Catania
Italy Ariedo Braida Varese
1970–71 Italy Sergio Magistrelli Como 15
Italy Alberto Spelta Modena
1971–72 Italy Giorgio Chinaglia Lazio 21
1972–73 Italy Fabio Enzo Seregno 15
1973–74 Italy Egidio Calloni Varese 15
Italy Giacomo La Rosa Palermo
1974–75 Italy Fabio Bonci Parma 14
1975–76 Italy Roberto Pruzzo Genoa 18
Italy Giuliano Musiello Avellino
1976–77 Italy Paolo Rossi Vicenza 21
1977–78 Italy Massimo Palanca Catanzaro 18
1978–79 Italy Oscar Damiani Genoa 17
1979–80 Italy Marco Nicoletti Como 13
1980–81 Italy Roberto Antonelli Milan 15
1981–82 Italy Giovanni De Rosa Palermo 19
1982–83 Italy Bruno Giordano Lazio 18
1983–84 Italy Marco Pacione Atalanta 15
1984–85 Italy Edi Bivi Bari 20
1985–86 Italy Oliviero Garlini Lazio 19
1986–87 Italy Stefano Rebonato Pescara 21
1987–88 Italy Lorenzo Marronaro Bologna 21
1988–89 Italy Salvatore Schillaci Messina 23
1989–90 Italy Andrea Silenzi Reggiana 23
1990–91 Italy Francesco Baiano Foggia 22
Argentina Abel Balbo Udinese
Brazil Walter Casagrande Ascoli
1991–92 Italy Maurizio Ganz Brescia 19
1992–93 Germany Oliver Bierhoff Ascoli 20
1993–94 Italy Massimo Agostini Ancona 18
1994–95 Italy Giovanni Pisano Salernitana 21
1995–96 Italy Dario Hübner Cesena 22
1996–97 Italy Davide Dionigi Reggina 24
1997–98 Italy Marco Di Vaio Salernitana 21
1998–99 Italy Marco Ferrante Torino 27
1999–2000 Italy Cosimo Francioso Genoa 24
2000–01 Italy Nicola Caccia Piacenza 23
2001–02 Belgium Luís Oliveira Como 23
2002–03 Italy Igor Protti Livorno 23
2003–04 Italy Luca Toni Palermo 30
2004–05 Italy Gionatha Spinesi Arezzo 22
2005–06 Italy Cristian Bucchi Modena 29
2006–07 Italy Alessandro Del Piero Juventus 20
2007–08 Italy Denis Godeas Mantova 28
2008–09 Italy Francesco Tavano Livorno 24
2009–10 Italy Éder Empoli 26
2010–11 Italy Federico Piovaccari Cittadella 24
2011–12 Italy Ciro Immobile Pescara 28
2012–13 Italy Daniele Cacia Verona 24
2013–14 Italy Matteo Mancosu Trapani 26
2014–15 Italy Andrea Cocco Vicenza 19
Italy Andrea Catellani Spezia
Uruguay Pablo Granoche Modena
2015–16 Peru Gianluca Lapadula Pescara 23
2016–17 Italy Giampaolo Pazzini Verona 23
2017–18 Italy Francesco Caputo Empoli 26
2018–19 Italy Alfredo Donnarumma Brescia 25
2019–20 Nigeria Simy Crotone 20
2020–21 Italy Massimo Coda Lecce 22
2021–22 Italy Massimo Coda Lecce 20
2022–23 Peru Gianluca Lapadula Cagliari 21
2023–24 Finland Joel Pohjanpalo Venezia 22

Awards

[edit]
Year MVP of the Season MVP of the Playoffs Ref
2021-22 Italy Massimo Coda (Lecce) Denmark Christian Gytkjaer (Monza) [14][15]
2022-23 Peru Gianluca Lapadula (Cagliari) Italy Leonardo Pavoletti (Cagliari) [16][17]
2023-24 Italy Patrick Cutrone (Como)
–
 [18]

Sponsorships

[edit]

From the 1998–99 season[19] to the 2009–10 season, Serie B used its first commercial name, Serie B TIM, following a sponsorship agreement with TIM, an Italian telecommunications company, which involved all the competitions organized by Lega Calcio.

Starting from the 2010–11 season, following the division within the Lega Calcio and the creation of the new Lega Serie B, the second tier of Italian football began managing its own search for title sponsors. The league adopted various commercial names, including: Serie bwin (2010–2013), Serie B Eurobet (2013–2014),[20] Serie B ConTe.it (2015–2018), Serie BKT (since 2018).[21] In the 2014–15 season, the play-off and play-out rounds received an additional sponsor: Compass, which led to the names Playoff Compass and Playout Compass for those phases of the competition.

Furthermore, in the 2013–2014 season, Serie B introduced a single top sponsor for all teams participating in the league, which appeared on the back of the players' jerseys for the first time.[22] This sponsorship was repeated in the 2014–15 and 2018–19 seasons.

Period Title sponsor Play-off and Play-out sponsor Top sponsor Other sponsors
1998-2010 Serie B TIM – – –
2010-2013 Serie bwin – – –
2013-2014 Serie B Eurobet – NGM CAME Automazione

(shorts sponsor)

2014-2015 – Compass
2015-2018 Serie B ConTe.it – – –
2018-2019 Serie BKT – Unibet Facile Ristrutturare

(sleeve sponsor)

2019-2020 – –
2020- – – –

See also

[edit]

Footnotes

[edit]
  1. ^ The championship was suspended from 1943 to 1945 due to WWII, and the 1945–46 northern edition is not statistically considered by FIGC, even if its promotion result was official.
  2. ^ Pursuant to the Federal Internal Organizational Rules of the Italian Football Federation (NOIF, art. 20, subsection 5), Unione Calcio Sampdoria inherits and continues the sporting tradition of its most valuable ancestors, A.C. Sampierdarenese and A.C. La Dominante, which spent 3 and 2 seasons in Serie B respectively, for a total of 18 appearances.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Luciano Canepari. "serie". DiPI Online (in Italian). Retrieved 26 March 2021.
  2. ^ Redazione (22 June 2018). "La B cambia nome: si chiamerà Serie BKT fino al 2021".
  3. ^ Essendo sorta dalla scissione del massimo campionato, la Divisione Nazionale, in due serie a girone unico, la denominazione completa del campionato era Divisione Nazionale Serie B (cfr. Annuario Italiano Giuoco Calcio 1929, p. 258), spesso abbreviata anche in Divisione Nazionale B (cfr. Annuario Italiano Giuoco Calcio 1932 - stagione 1930/31, p. 217), Divisione B o Nazionale B (cfr. Corriere Istriano del 29 gennaio 1935, p. 3). Non di rado, durante il ventennio fascista, il campionato cadetto veniva definito "la Serie B della Divisione Nazionale" (cfr. La Stampa (Europa) del 29 novembre 1940, p. 4). A partire dal secondo dopoguerra la locuzione Divisione Nazionale per indicare nel loro insieme i campionati nazionali di A, B e C (e successivamente anche di D, come dimostra La Stampa (Europa) del 9 marzo 1968) cadde gradualmente in disuso fino a venir tagliata dalla denominazione ufficiale dei campionati.
  4. ^ Il Littoriale del 17 luglio 1929.
  5. ^ "Serie A to form breakaway league". BBC Sport. 30 April 2009. Retrieved 30 April 2009.
  6. ^ "IL SITO DELLA LEGA CALCIO SALUTA GLI UTENTI" (in Italian). Lega Calcio. 1 July 2010. Retrieved 2 July 2010.
  7. ^ "Figc, serie B a 20 squadre dalla prossima stagione". 30 January 2019.
  8. ^ "Comunicato Ufficiale n. 57/A" (PDF). FIGC.it. 22 August 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 September 2013. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
  9. ^ "Comunicato Ufficiale n. 57/A" (PDF). FIGC.it. 22 August 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 September 2013. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
  10. ^ "Comunicato Ufficiale n. 57/A" (PDF). FIGC.it. 22 August 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 September 2013. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
  11. ^ "Presentata la Coppa Nexus". Lega B (in Italian). 4 May 2022. Retrieved 14 June 2022.
  12. ^ {{cite web}}: Empty citation (help)
  13. ^ Mariani, Maurizio; Di Maggio, Roberto. "Italy – Serie B All-Time Table since 1929". RSSSF. Retrieved 22 August 2020.
  14. ^ "Coda MVP della stagione". www.legab.it (in Italian). 6 May 2022. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  15. ^ "A Gytkjær il Trofeo MVP dei Playoff". www.legab.it (in Italian). 1 June 2022. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  16. ^ "Lapadula è l'MVP della stagione di Serie BKT 2022/2023". www.legab.it (in Italian). 26 May 2023. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  17. ^ "Pavoletti è l'MVP dei playoff della Serie BKT 2022/2023". www.legab.it (in Italian). 12 June 2023. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  18. ^ "Cutrone MVP della Serie BKT 2023/2024". www.legab.it (in Italian). 11 May 2024. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
  19. ^ "Serie A, B e Coppa, Tim sponsor unico". La Gazzetta Dello Sport. 26 May 1998.
  20. ^ "Il campionato si chiamerà "Serie B Eurobet"". 1 August 2013. Archived from the original on 4 August 2013.
  21. ^ "Nasce la Serie BKT: ecco il nuovo title sponsor del campionato". 18 June 2018.
  22. ^ "Il top sponsor NGM comparirà su tutte le maglie della Serie B 2013-2014". 22 August 2013.
[edit]
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