Lega Pro Seconda Divisione 2008–09

The 2008–09 Lega Pro Seconda Divisione season will be the thirty-first football (soccer) league season of Italian Lega Pro Seconda Divisione since its establishment in 1978, and the first since the renaming from Serie C2 to Lega Pro.

It will be divided into two phases: the regular season, played from September 2008 to May 2009, and the playoff phase from May to June 2009.

The will be composed of 54 teams divided into three divisions of 18 teams each, whose teams will be divided geographically.

Teams finishing first in the regular season, plus one team winning the playoff round from each division will be promoted to Lega Pro Prima Divisione; teams finishing last in the regular season, plus two relegation playoff losers from each division will be relegated to Serie D. In all, six teams will be promoted to Lega Pro Prima Divisione, and nine teams will be relegated to Serie D.

Events

The league was to feature six teams relegated from Serie C1 in 2007-08; Lecco, Manfredonia, Pro Patria, Lanciano, Martina, and Sangiovannese. Four vacancies were created with the re-admission of Pro Patria, Lanciano, and Lecco to Lega Pro Prima Divisione in 2008-09, and the non-admission of Martina cite news |url=http://calciotarantino.splinder.com/post/17739956/Martina,+è+la+Promozione+la+p |language=Italian |publisher=calciotarantino |accessdate=2008-07-14 |date=2008-07-14 |title=Martina e il Castelnuovo hanno rinunciato all'iscrizione] .

It is to feature nine teams promoted from Serie D 2007-08; Alessandria, Aversa Normanna, Como, Figline, Fortitudo Cosenza, Giacomense, Isola Liri, Itala San Marco, and Sangiustese.

The remaining 39 teams played in Serie C2 2007-08. Of those, Nuorese cite news |url=http://www.goal.com/IT/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=782001 |language=Italian |publisher=Goal.com |accessdate=2008-07-22 |date=2008-07-22 |title=Covisoc: fuori in nove dai campionati professionistici] (9th in Girone A), Sassari Torres (13th in Girone A), Teramo (8th in Girone B), and Castelnuovo (15th in Girone B) were banned or failed to register, creating four more vacancies. A fifth vacancy from this group was created when SPAL, which lost in last year's promotional play-offs, was admitted to Lega Pro Prima Divisione to fill a vacancy.

In all, nine vacancies were filled as follows:

*Sambonifacese - Serie D Playoff winner (Serie D/C 3rd)
*Colligiana - Serie D Playoff runner-up (Serie D/E 2nd)
*Montichiari - Serie D Playoff semi-finalist (Serie D/D - 2nd)
*Alghero - Serie D Playoff semi-finalist (Serie D/G - 4th)
*Barletta - Serie D best second-placed team in group phase of playoffs (Serie D/H - 2nd)
*Rovigo - a loser in Serie C2/B play-outs and originally destined to play in Serie D
*Andria cite news |url=http://www.asca.it/moddettnews.php?idnews=770214&canale=ORA&articolo=CALCIO:%20IL%20CONSIGLIO%20FEDERALE%20HA%20DECISO%20I%20PRIMI%20RIPESCAGGI%20LEGA%20PRO |language=Italian |publisher=ASCA |accessdate=2008-07-31 |date=2008-07-31 |title=Calcio: Il Consiglio Federale ha deciso i primi ripescaggi Lega Pro ] - a loser in Serie C2/C play-outs and originally destined to play in Serie D
*Val di Sangro - a loser in Serie C2/C play-outs and originally destined to play in Serie D
*Pizzighettone - which finished last in Serie C2/A and originally destined to play in Serie D

Considering all changes, the final team list includes only 2 teams that played in Serie C1 last year, 38 teams that played in Serie C2, and 14 teams that played in Serie D.

Teams

On August 14, 2008 the following clubs were confirmed to be competing in the division:cite news |url=http://www.lega-calcio-serie-c.it/it/Comunic2009/Lega/57L.pdf |language=Italian |publisher=Lega Italiana Calcio Professionistico |accessdate=2008-08-17 |date=2008-08-14 |title=Campionati 1^ e 2^ Divisione 2008/09 - Formazione dei Gironi ]

Girone A

League tables

Girone A

"Updated as of 2008-10-07"

Girone B

"Updated as of 2008-10-07"

Girone C

"Updated as of 2008-10-07"

ee also

External links

* [http://www.lega-calcio-serie-c.it/index.html Lega Pro Official Website]

References