2011–12 Serie B
The 2011–12 Serie B will be the eightieth season since its establishment in 1929. A total of 22 teams will contest the league: 15 of which returning from the 2010–11 season, four of which promoted from Lega Pro Prima Divisione, and three relegated from Serie A. It began on 27 August 2011 and will end on 27 May 2012.
Teams
The league will feature three clubs relegated from Serie A: Brescia returned to the second division after only a single season in the top flight, whereas Bari were relegated after a two-year stint. The third relegated team, Sampdoria, made instead a rather unexpected Serie B return after nine years.Four teams were promoted from Lega Pro Prima Divisione, three of them returning to Serie B after significant absences, and two of them will play Serie B for their second time in history, Gubbio after 63 years and Juve Stabia after 59 years, while Nocerina will take part to its third Serie B after 32 years. The fourth promoted team, Verona, make instead their return to Serie B after four years; Verona will also participate as one of only three teams in the league who won the Italian national championship at some point in history.
Events
The league started with a number of teams being punished with Ascoli being docked six points as a consequence of the 2011 Italian football scandal. Ascoli were also docked one point due to failing to pay social security money in time, together with Crotone and Juve Stabia.Later in October 2011, Juve Stabia were docked five more points due to their involvement in a matchfixing scandal regarding a 2008–09 Lega Pro Prima Divisione game against Sorrento. Still in October, Ascoli were docked three more points due to failing to meet some financial deadlines.
On 3 December 2011, the Padova–Torino league match was suspended with the home club leading 1–0 due to an electric stadium blackout; the game was completed 11 days later, and ended with the same result as earlier. Torino, however, appealed against Padova, claiming the home club was responsible for the blackout issue, and asked for being awarded the three points instead. In March 2012, the sports magistrature ultimately ruled in favour of the recurring club, and changed the result to a 3–0 win for Torino. Padova, however, successfully appealed at the Court of Federal Justice against the ruling, and on 27 April 2012 the result was switched back to a 1–0 win for the home club.
On 14 April 2012, the Pescara–Livorno game was halted after 30 minutes after Livorno footballer Piermario Morosini suffered a heart failure on the pitch and eventually died in transport to hospital. The event caused the immediate cancellation of all Italian football games for the week, with the involving matches being delayed to mid-May.
The first season verdict, AlbinoLeffe's relegation after nine consecutive years in the division, came on 5 May 2012. Seven days later, Gubbio became the second relegated club of the season, thus going down on their first season back. On 20 May 2012, the first promotion verdicts arrived as Torino, having already been champion of winter, and Pescara mathematically ensured themselves a place in the top flight for the following season; on that same day, it was also made official that Sassuolo, Verona, Varese and Sampdoria will be the four participants to the post-season promotion playoff tournament. The final regular season week marked Nocerina's direct relegation after only one season following a defeat at the hands of newly crowned champions Pescara, whereas Vicenza and Empoli will play a two-legged relegation playoff to determine the fourth team destined to go down to Lega Pro Prima Divisione.
Stadia and locations
| Team | Home city | Stadium | Capacity | 2010–11 season |
| AlbinoLeffe | Albino and Leffe | Atleti Azzurri d'Italia | 18th in Serie B | |
| Ascoli | Ascoli Piceno | Cino e Lillo Del Duca | 17th in Serie B | |
| Bari | Bari | San Nicola | 20th in Serie A | |
| Brescia | Brescia | Mario Rigamonti | 19th in Serie A | |
| Cittadella | Cittadella | Pier Cesare Tombolato | 14th in Serie B | |
| Crotone | Crotone | Ezio Scida | 11th in Serie B | |
| Empoli | Empoli | Carlo Castellani | 9th in Serie B | |
| Grosseto | Grosseto | Carlo Zecchini | 15th in Serie B | |
| Gubbio | Gubbio | Pietro Barbetti | Prima Divisione/A champions | |
| Juve Stabia | Castellammare di Stabia | Romeo Menti | Prima Divisione/B play-off winners | |
| Livorno | Livorno | Armando Picchi | 7th in Serie B | |
| Modena | Modena | Alberto Braglia | 10th in Serie B | |
| Nocerina | Nocera Inferiore | San Francesco | Prima Divisione/B champions | |
| Padova | Padua | Euganeo | 5th in Serie B | |
| Pescara | Pescara | Adriatico | 13th in Serie B | |
| Reggina | Reggio Calabria | Oreste Granillo | 6th in Serie B | |
| Sampdoria | Genoa | Luigi Ferraris | 18th in Serie A | |
| Sassuolo | Sassuolo | Alberto Braglia | 16th in Serie B | |
| Torino | Turin | Olimpico di Torino | 8th in Serie B | |
| Varese | Varese | Franco Ossola | 4th in Serie B | |
| Verona | Verona | Marc'Antonio Bentegodi | Prima Divisione/A play-off winners | |
| Vicenza | Vicenza | Romeo Menti | 12th in Serie B |
Managerial changes
League table
Results
Play-off
Promotion
- In case of an aggregate tie, the higher seed advances.
- In case of an aggregate tie, the higher seed advances.
Relegation
- In case of an aggregate tie, the higher seed advances.
Top goalscorers
Updated 21 May 2012;28 goals
;21 goals
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;19 goals
;18 goals
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