2006–07 Serie B


The 2006–07 Serie B season is the 75th season since its establishment in 1929. It started on September 9, 2006 and ended on June 10, 2007. The 22 clubs in Serie B each played 42 matches during the regular season.
The 2006–07 season marked the first Serie B appearance for two clubs, Frosinone and then 27-time Italian champions Juventus, whose involvement in the league was a direct result of the 'Calciopoli' rulings and not competition in the previous Serie A season.
A.C. Arezzo began the season with a six-point deficit and Juventus F.C. a nine-point deficit, due to their involvement in the 2006 Italian football scandal. In addition, U.S. Triestina Calcio were docked one point because of financial irregularities, and Pescara Calcio were penalized one point for late tax payments.

Events

Promotions

Despite the large deficit at the start of the league, Juventus coasted through the season with ease and became the first team mathematically promoted to the Serie A for the 2007–08 season with a 5–1 away win at Arezzo on 19 May 2007, with three games remaining in the schedule. One week later, they clinched the title of Serie B champions for 2006–07 with a 2–0 home win against Mantova. Juventus were awarded the first-ever Ali della Vittoria Cup, designed this year for the winner of the Serie B championship.
On the last day of the season Napoli played Genoa. Napoli only needed a draw for automatic promotion, while Genoa needed a win to guarantee promotion. The match ended 0–0 and Napoli were promoted. However, Piacenza only managed a 1–1 draw with Triestina, leaving it ten points behind Genoa. A gap of ten or more points between the third and fourth-placed teams meant that no playoffs would be held, and Genoa became the third team promoted to Serie A.
Both Napoli and Genoa were promoted from Serie C1 to Serie B, and from Serie B to Serie A in successive seasons.

Relegations

On 12 May 2007 Pescara became the first team mathematically relegated to Serie C1 for the 2007–08 season with a 3–1 loss at Piacenza on Day 38 of the schedule. One week later, Crotone was also mathematically relegated with a 2–0 loss at Trieste. On the last match day, Arezzo became the third team relegated despite winning 3–1 at Treviso, as both Spezia and Hellas Verona won their games. Tied 2–2 with Juventus, Spezia was only seconds away from relegation, but a dramatic goal on the 91st minute by Nicola Padoin condemned Arezzo and qualified Spezia for the playoffs.
The fourth team to be relegated was decided in a two-legged playoff between Verona and Spezia. The first leg ended in a 2–1 win for Spezia, and a 0–0 tie in the return match condemned Verona to play Serie C1 in the 2007–08 season.

Teams

These are the 22 teams which took part in the Serie B 2006–07:
Official Club NameHome CityStadium NameFinal Placing in 2005–06 Season
U.C. AlbinoLeffeBergamoStadio Atleti Azzurri d'Italia18th in Serie B
A.C. ArezzoArezzoStadio Città di Arezzo7th in Serie B
A.S. BariBariStadio San Nicola13th in Serie B
Bologna F.C. 1909BolognaStadio Renato dall'Ara8th in Serie B
Brescia CalcioBresciaStadio Mario Rigamonti10th in Serie B
A.C. CesenaCesenaStadio Dino Manuzzi6th in Serie B
F.C. CrotoneCrotoneStadio Ezio Scida9th in Serie B
Frosinone CalcioFrosinoneStadio MatusaSerie C1/B Playoff Winners
Genoa C.F.C.GenovaStadio Luigi FerrarisSerie C1/A Playoff Winners
Juventus F.C.TurinStadio Olimpico di Torino20th in Serie A
U.S. LecceLecceStadio Via del Mare18th in Serie A
A.C. MantovaMantovaStadio Danilo Martelli4th in Serie B
Modena F.C.ModenaStadio Alberto Braglia5th in Serie B
S.S.C. NapoliNapoliStadio San PaoloSerie C1/B Champions
Pescara CalcioPescaraStadio Adriatico12th in Serie B
Piacenza CalcioPiacenzaStadio Leonardo Garilli11th in Serie B
Rimini Calcio F.C.RiminiStadio Romeo Neri17th in Serie B
Spezia Calcio 1906La SpeziaStadio Alberto PiccoSerie C1/A Champions
Treviso F.B.C. 1993TrevisoStadio Omobono Tenni19th in Serie A
U.S. Triestina CalcioTriesteStadio Nereo Rocco14th in Serie B
Hellas Verona F.C.VeronaStadio Marcantonio Bentegodi15th in Serie B
Vicenza CalcioVicenzaStadio Romeo Menti16th in Serie B

Final classification

Results

Relegation play-off

Top goalscorers

Last updated June 10, 2007
ScorerGoalsTeam
Alessandro Del Piero
20
Juventus
Claudio Bellucci
19
Bologna
Papa Waigo N'Diayè
15
Cesena
David Trezeguet
15
Juventus
Daniele Cacia
14
Piacenza
Emanuele Calaiò
14
Napoli
Antonio Floro Flores
14
Arezzo
Jeda
13
Rimini
Davide Possanzini
13
Brescia
Massimo Marazzina
12
Bologna
Robert Acquafresca
11
Treviso
Adaílton
11
Genoa
Gaetano Caridi
11
Mantova
Massimiliano Guidetti
11
Spezia
Francesco Lodi
11
Frosinone
Massimo Margiotta
11
Frosinone
Pavel Nedvěd
11
Juventus
Stefan Schwoch
11
Vicenza
Matteo Serafini
11
Brescia
Simone Tiribocchi
11
Lecce