Serie B


Serie B, currently named Serie BKT for sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It has been operating for over eighty years since the 1929–30 season. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, when the Lega Serie B was created for the 2010–11 season. Common nicknames for the league are campionato cadetto and cadetteria, as cadetto is the Italian for junior or cadet.

History

A junior football championship was created at first in Italy in 1904, after seven editions of the major tournament of FIGC: it was called Second Category, and was composed both by senior squads of town clubs and by youth teams of city clubs. If the first ones won the championship, they would be promoted to First Category, which consequently improved in size: the first team to reach the honour, was Pro Vercelli in 1907, which even won the scudetto in 1908. FIGC attempted many times to introduce relegations on the contrary, but the reform was really adopted only in 1921 by the secessionist CCI in its Northern League, which consisted of a First Division and a Second Division: the first teams to be relegated were AC Vicenza and FC Inter even if, after the reunion with FIGC, the regulations were changed, and Venezia was demoted instead of the Milanese club. Even if part of the same league, differently from First Division, Second Division was based on local group with proximity criteria. Only in 1928, the big reform was conceived by FIGC's President Leandro Arpinati: after a year, a new second division based on the same national format of the major tournament would be born. Serie B began in 1929 with 18 clubs and continued until World War II after whom it was divided again between the northern and the southern part of the country, due to the destructions of the war. The championship became national again in 1948, and for many years in the second half of the 20th century, it was played by 20 clubs. In 2003–04 a single group of 24 teams was formed, the biggest in the history of all levels of the Italian championship. After 2004, a 22-teams format was introduced together with playoffs.
After Serie A split with Serie B to form Lega Serie A, Lega Serie B was formed on 7 July 2010. The league signed a new sponsor bwin for 2010–11 and 2011–12 seasons; changed the league name from Serie B TIM to Serie Bwin. The League changed again its name in Serie B ConTe.it due to sponsorship reasons.
Serie B is the lowest division where five clubs have ever played: Torino, Juventus, Milan, Roma and Lazio.
Serie B introduced the "green card" at the beginning of the 2015–16 season. The green card is given to promote fair play and good acts. The green card will not be given during the game, as it would alter sport rules, but awarded after the match to a player or coach who exhibited fair play by the referee. The player or coach with the most green cards at the end of the season will be rewarded.

Format, promotion and relegation

At the end of the season, three teams are promoted to Serie A and four teams are relegated to Serie C. The top two teams are automatically promoted. If the 3rd-placed team is 10 or more points ahead of the 4th-placed team, it is automatically promoted too, otherwise a playoff tournament determines the third team that will be ascending.
In the 2013–14 season, anywhere between two and six teams within a "playoff margin" of 14 points from the 3rd-placed team will enter the playoff tournament. Under the new playoff format, up to three rounds may be required. The final two rounds are two-legged ties, while opening round matches are single legs hosted by the higher-ranked team. If a tie is drawn at the end of regular play, extra time is played. If the two teams are still tied after thirty minutes, the higher classified team advances.
In the relegation zone, the three last-placed teams are automatically demoted to Serie C. If the 16th-placed team is 5 or more points ahead of the 17th-placed team, then the 17th-placed team becomes the 4th and final team to be demoted, otherwise the conditions for a playoff more commonly called playout exist.
If the playout is necessary, the 16th and 17th-placed teams are paired in a two-legged series with home-field advantage in the 2nd leg going to the 16th-placed team. The team with the higher aggregate score remains in Serie B while the loser becomes the fourth team relegated to Serie C. If an aggregate tie exists at the end of regulation play of the 2nd leg, the 16th-placed team is saved, and the 17th-placed team is demoted.
Below is a complete record of how many teams played in each season throughout the league's history;
Serie B was composed of 20 teams until the 2002–03 season. It was enlarged to 24 teams for the 2003–04 season due to legal problems relating to Calcio Catania relegation. The league reverted to 22 teams for the 2004–05 season, while Serie A expanded from 18 to 20 teams.
During the regular season, each team plays 38 games – two games against every opponent. In Italian football, a true round-robin format is used. In the first half of the season, called andata, each team plays once against all its opponents, a total of 19 games. In the second half of the season, called ritorno, each team will play the same teams in exactly the same order, the only difference being that a home game played in the first half will be an away game with that same team in the second half, and vice versa.
Since the 2006–07 season, the Serie B champion is awarded the cup Ali della Vittoria. The trophy is 63 cm high and weighs 5 kg. Its structure represents the wings of the goddess Nike, the goddess of victory, holding a cup similar to an Olympic flame.

Clubs

2020–21 members

TeamHome cityStadiumCapacity2019-20 season
AscoliAscoli PicenoCino e Lillo Del Duca15th in Serie B
BresciaBresciaMario Rigamonti19th in Serie A
CosenzaCosenzaSan Vito-Gigi Marulla14th in Serie B
CremoneseCremonaGiovanni Zini12th in Serie B
MonzaMonzaBrianteo1st in Serie C, Group A
PisaPisaArena Garibaldi - Romeo Anconetani9th in Serie B
ReggianaReggio EmiliaCittà del Tricolore2nd in Serie C, Group B and promoted via Playoffs
RegginaReggio CalabriaOreste Granillo1st in Serie C, Group C
SalernitanaSalernoArechi10th in Serie B
SPALFerraraPaolo Mazza20th in Serie A
VeneziaVenicePierluigi Penzo11th in Serie B
VicenzaVicenzaRomeo Menti1st in Serie C, Group B
Virtus EntellaChiavariComunale13th in Serie B

Seasons in Serie B

This is the complete list of the clubs that have taken part in the 87 Serie B seasons played from the 1929–30 season until the 2019–20 season. The teams in bold compete in Serie B in the 2019–20 season.
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.

Club performances

Promotions by season

Serie B

Performance by club

Updated as of 2019–20 season
ClubWinnersRunners-upWinning Years
Atalanta631928, 1940, 1959, 1984, 2006, 2011
Genoa611935, 1953, 1962, 1973, 1976, 1989
Palermo521932, 1948, 1968, 2004, 2014
Bari461935, 1942, 1946, 2009
Brescia461965, 1992, 1997, 2019
Hellas Verona351957, 1982, 1999
Como321949, 1980, 2002
Torino321960, 1990, 2001
Varese311964, 1970, 1974
Vicenza311955, 1977, 2000
Fiorentina3–1931, 1939, 1994
Novara331927, 1938, 1948
Venezia231961, 1966
Napoli231946, 1950
Pescara221987, 2012
Udinese221956, 1979
Ascoli211978, 1986
Livorno211933, 1937
Bologna211988, 1996
Empoli212005, 2018
Lucchese2–1936, 1947
Milan2–1981, 1983
Salernitana2–1947, 1998
SPAL2–1951, 2017
Modena141943
Pisa141985
Cagliari132016
Padova131948
Lazio121969
Lecce122010
Perugia121975
Pro Patria121947
Alessandria111946
Catania111954
Foggia111991
Mantova111971
Piacenza111995
Reggiana111993
Sampdoria111967
Siena112003
Ternana111972
Benevento1–2020
Carpi1–2015
Casale1–1930
Chievo1–2008
Juventus1–2007
Liguria1–1941
Messina1–1963
Roma1–1952
Sampierdarenese1–1934
Sassuolo1–2013
Triestina1–1958
Spezia1–1929
Legnano–4–
Catanzaro–2–
Cesena–2–
Crotone–2–
Lecco–2–
Parma–2–
Cremonese–1–
Frosinone–1–
Pistoiese–1–
Treviso–1–

Titles by region

Updated as of 2019–20 season
RegionTitlesWinning Clubs
20
Atalanta, Brescia, Como, Varese, Milan, Mantova, Pro Patria
11
Fiorentina, Livorno, Lucchese, Empoli, Pisa, Siena
10
Verona, Vicenza, Venezia, Chievo, Padova
9
Genoa, Liguria, Sampdoria, Sampierdarenese, Spezia
9
Bologna, SPAL, Carpi, Modena, Piacenza, Reggiana, Sassuolo
8
Torino, Novara, Alessandria, Casale, Juventus
7
Palermo, Catania, Messina
6
Bari, Foggia, Lecce
5
Salernitana, Napoli, Benevento
3
Udinese, Triestina
2
Pescara
2
Lazio, Roma
2
Ascoli
2
Perugia, Ternana
1
Cagliari

Titles by city

Updated as of 2019–20 season
CityTitlesWinning Clubs
Genoa
9
Genoa, Liguria, Sampdoria, Sampierdarenese
Bergamo
6
Atalanta
Palermo
5
Palermo
Turin
4
Torino, Juventus
Verona
4
Verona, Chievo
Bari
4
Bari
Brescia
4
Brescia
Como
3
Como
Florence
3
Fiorentina
Varese
3
Varese
Vicenza
3
Vicenza
Novara
3
Novara
Ascoli Piceno
2
Ascoli
Bologna
2
Bologna
Empoli
2
Empoli
Ferrara
2
SPAL
Livorno
2
Livorno
Lucca
2
Lucchese
Milan
2
Milan
Naples
2
Napoli
Pescara
2
Pescara
Rome
2
Lazio, Roma
Salerno
2
Salernitana
Udine
2
Udinese
Venice
2
Venezia
Alessandria
1
Alessandria
Benevento
1
Benevento
Busto Arsizio
1
Pro Patria
Cagliari
1
Cagliari
Carpi
1
Carpi
Casale Monferrato
1
Casale
Catania
1
Catania
Foggia
1
Foggia
La Spezia
1
Spezia
Lecce
1
Lecce
Mantua
1
Mantova
Messina
1
Messina
Modena
1
Modena
Padua
1
Padova
Perugia
1
Perugia
Piacenza
1
Piacenza
Pisa
1
Pisa
Reggio Emilia
1
Reggiana
Sassuolo
1
Sassuolo
Siena
1
Siena
Terni
1
Ternana
Trieste
1
Triestina

Promotions by region

Updated as of 2019–20 season
RegionPromotionsPromoted Clubs
49
Atalanta, Brescia, Como, Cremonese, Varese, Legnano, Mantova, Lecco, Milan, Pro Patria
27
Verona, Venezia, Vicenza, Padova, Chievo, Treviso
27
Modena, Cesena, Bologna, Parma, Piacenza, SPAL, Reggiana, Carpi, Sassuolo
25
Bari, Lecce, Foggia
24
Empoli, Pisa, Fiorentina, Livorno, Lucchese, Siena, Pistoiese
16
Palermo, Catania, Messina
14
Genoa, Sampdoria, Liguria, Sampierdarenese
14
Torino, Novara, Alessandria, Casale, Juventus
11
Napoli, Salernitana, Benevento, Avellino
8
Lazio, Frosinone, Roma
7
Catanzaro, Reggina, Crotone
7
Udinese, Triestina
7
Ascoli, Ancona
6
Pescara
6
Cagliari
5
Perugia, Ternana

Footnotes