Lega Pro Prima Divisione 2008–09

The 2008–09 Lega Pro Prima Divisione season will be the thirty-first since its establishment in 1978, and the first edition since the renaming from Serie C 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 league will be composed of 36 teams divided into two divisions of 18 teams each, whose teams will be divided mainly according to geographical principles.

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

Events

The league was to feature four teams relegated from Serie B in 2007-08; Avellino, Ravenna, Spezia, and Cesena. Two vacancies were created with the re-admission of Avellino [cite news |url=http://www.usavellino.it/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=140335 |publisher=Unione Sportiva Avellino S.p.A. - Sito Ufficiale |language=Italian |title=L'U.S. Avellino riammessa in Serie B |accessdate=2008-07-25 |date=2008-07-25] [cite news |url=http://www.figc.it/it/204/19303/2008/07/News.shtml |publisher=FIGC.it |language=Italian |title=Via libera per l’Avellino: la squadra irpina “ripescata” in Serie B per la stagione 2008/9 |accessdate=2008-07-25 |date=2008-07-25] to Serie B, and the bankruptcy of Spezia 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] .

It is to feature six teams promoted from Serie C2 2007-08: Pergocrema, Reggiana, Benevento, Lumezzane, Portosummaga, and Marcianise.

The remaining 26 teams played in Serie C1 2007-08. Of those, Lucchese 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] (8th in Girone B), and Massese 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] (13th in Girone B) were also banned creating two more vacancies.

Three of the four vacancies were filled by Virtus Lanciano, Pro Patria 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 ] and Lecco which had lost in last year's Serie C1 relegation playoffs and were destined to play in Lega Pro Seconda Divisione. The fourth vacancy was filled by SPAL, which lost in last year's Serie C2 promotional playoffs and was thus destined to remain there.

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

Girone B

League tables

Girone A

"Updated as of 2008-10-07"

Girone B

"Updated as of 2008-10-07"

ee also

References