Lega Pro Prima Divisione

Lega Pro Prima Divisione

Countries	Italy
Confederation	FIGC
Founded	1935 as Serie C 1978 as Serie C1 2008 as Lega Pro Prima Divisione
Number of teams	36 (18 for each group)
Levels on pyramid	3
Promotion to	Serie B
Relegation to	Lega Pro Seconda Divisione
Domestic cup(s)	Coppa Italia Lega Pro Supercoppa di Lega di Prima Divisione
Current champions	Novara, Portosummaga (Lega Pro Prima Divisione 2009–10)
Website	http://www.lega-pro.com
2010–11 Lega Pro Prima Divisione

Lega Pro Prima Divisione is the name of the third highest football league in Italy. It consists of 36 teams, divided geographically into two divisions of 18 teams each. Until 2008 it was known as Serie C1.

Before the 1978-79 season there were only three leagues of professional football in Italy, the third being Serie C. In 1978, it was decided to split Serie C into Serie C1 and Serie C2. Serie C2, the fourth highest professional league in the Italian system, was also re-named in 2008 and is now called Lega Pro Seconda Divisione.

During the regular season, teams play only other teams in their own division. Each opponent is played twice, once at home and once away, for a total of 34 matches. Games are scheduled such that in the first 17 matches, every opponent is played once. In the last 17 matches, the same opponents are played in the same order with the only difference being that the venue changes.

Serie C1, and its forerunner Serie C, is the lowest division where ten clubs have ever played: Bologna FC, SSC Napoli, Salernitana, Genoa CFC, UC Sampdoria (with its forerunners AC Liguria), Atalanta BC, Brescia, Udinese, Verona and Vicenza.^[1]

Promotion and relegation

In each division, two teams are promoted to Serie B, and three teams are relegated to Lega Pro Seconda Divisione. In total, the league promotes 4 teams to Serie B and relegates 6 teams to Seconda Divisione.

The team finishing first in the regular season is directly promoted to Serie B, while teams placing 2nd to 5th are entered into a play-off semi-final for the chance of gaining the second promotional spot for that particular division.

In the play-off phase that takes place after the regular season is completed, in each division the team placed 2nd will play the team placed 5th, and the team placed 3rd will play the team placed 4th in two double-leg promotional semi-final series with the higher classified team having home field advantage in the second leg. In case of an aggregate tie score, the away goals rule is not used, and the higher classified team is declared the winner without extra time being played nor penalty kicks being taken. The winning teams advance to the final in another double-leg series with similar rules. The only difference being that if an aggregate tie exists at the end of the second match, extra time is played. If the tie persists, again the higher classified team is declared the winner and no penalty kicks are taken. The winner becomes the second team promoted for that particular division to Serie B.

The team finishing last in the regular season is directly relegated to Seconda Divisione, while teams placing 14th to 17th are entered into a relegation playoff phase called play-out. There is only one round in the play-outs. In each division the team placed 14th will play the team placed 17th, and the team placed 15th will play the team placed 16th in a double-leg series with the higher classified team having home field advantage in the second leg. In case of an aggregate tie score, the rules are exactly the same as those for the promotional semi-finals. The two winning teams remain in Prima Divisione while the two losing teams become the second and third teams relegated for that particular division.

Play-off and play-out phases were first held in 1993-1994. Before then, the two top-placed teams were promoted to Serie B, whereas the three bottom-table ones were relegated to Serie C2, as it was known at that time.

Past champions

Serie C1

See also

• Italian football league system

External links

• Lega Pro Official Website

References