2009–10 Serie B

Serie B TIM
Season 2009–10
Champions Lecce (1st title)
Promoted Lecce
Cesena
Brescia (by Play-off)
Relegated Salernitana
Gallipoli (bankruptcy)
Mantova (bankruptcy)
Ancona (bankruptcy)
Matches played 462
Goals scored 1,146 (2.48 per match)
Top goalscorer Éder (26 goals)
Biggest home win Cittadella 6–0 Mantova
Biggest away win Gallipoli 0–5 Vicenza
2010–11 →

The 2009–10 Serie B season is the seventy-eighth edition since its establishment in 1929. Serie B is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Calcio.

A total of 22 teams contest the league, 15 of which returned from the 2008–09 season, four of which have been promoted from Lega Pro Prima Divisione, and three relegated from Serie A.

Teams

Stadiums and locations

Club City Stadium Capacity 2008–09 season
AlbinoLeffe Albino and Leffe
(playing in Bergamo) 		Atleti Azzurri d'Italia 26,393 9th in Serie B
Ancona Ancona del Conero 26,000 19th in Serie B
Ascoli Ascoli Piceno Cino e Lillo Del Duca 20,000 16th in Serie B
Brescia Brescia Mario Rigamonti 27,547 4th in Serie B
Cesena Cesena Dino Manuzzi 23,860 Lega Pro Prima Divisione – A Champions
Cittadella Cittadella Pier Cesare Tombolato 7,623 17th in Serie B
Crotone Crotone Ezio Scida 9,631 Lega Pro Prima Divisione – B Playoff Winners
Empoli Empoli Carlo Castellani 19,795 5th in Serie B
Frosinone Frosinone Matusa 9,680 11th in Serie B
Gallipoli Gallipoli
(playing in Lecce) 		Via del Mare 33,876 Lega Pro Prima Divisione – B Champions
Grosseto Grosseto Carlo Zecchini 9,909 6th in Serie B
Lecce Lecce Via del Mare 33,876 20th in Serie A
Mantova Mantua Danilo Martelli 14,844 13th in Serie B
Modena Modena Alberto Braglia 20,507 15th in Serie B
Padova Padua Euganeo 32,336 Lega Pro Prima Divisione – A Playoff Winners
Piacenza Piacenza Leonardo Garilli 21,668 10th in Serie B
Reggina Reggio Calabria Oreste Granillo 27,454 19th in Serie A
Salernitana Salerno Arechi 37,245 14th in Serie B
Sassuolo Sassuolo
(playing in Modena) 		Alberto Braglia 20,507 7th in Serie B
Torino Turin Olimpico di Torino 27,994 18th in Serie A
Triestina Trieste Nereo Rocco 32,454 8th in Serie B
Vicenza Vicenza Romeo Menti 17,163 12th in Serie B

Personnel and kits

Team President Manager Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor
AlbinoLeffe Gianfranco Andreoletti Emiliano Mondonico Acerbis UBI Assicurazioni, Studio Casa Agenzie Immobiliari
Ancona Flavio Mais Sandro Salvioni Legea Twice/Kerself/Meridie/Fidelity/Fisioclub Ancona/H6/Società Italiana Sviluppo & Impresa/Sartoria Paolorossi/La Stafferia/Dentro e Fuori Service/La Cantina di Palazzo Bello, Maracanà Sport Store
Ascoli Roberto Benigni Giuseppe Pillon Legea Carisap, CIAM
Brescia Gino Corioni Giuseppe Iachini Mass UBI Banco di Brescia, Bresciani Cover All
Cesena Igor Campedelli Pierpaolo Bisoli Lotto Phytum Ton
Cittadella Andrea Gabrielli Claudio Foscarini Garman Siderurgica Gabrielli
Crotone Salvatore Gualtieri Franco Lerda Zeus Città di Crotone, Ceramica Gres 2000
Empoli Fabrizio Corsi Salvatore Campilongo Asics Limonta Sport, Computer Gross
Frosinone Maurizio Stirpe Guido Carboni Legea Banca Popolare del Frusinate, Provincia di Frosinone
Gallipoli Daniele D'Odorico Ezio Rossi Garman D'Odorico Group/Caroli Hotels, Italcantieri
Grosseto Piero Camilli Maurizio Sarri Erreà Industria Lavorazione Carni Ovine, Banca della Maremma
Lecce Giovanni Semeraro Luigi De Canio Asics HAITI - SMS 48541/Better, Lachifarma
Mantova Fabrizio Lori Michele Serena Joma Nuova Pansac
Modena Alfredo Amadei Luigi Apolloni Givova CPL Concordia, Immergas
Padova Marcello Cestaro Carlo Sabatini Lotto Famila, Cassa di Risparmio del Veneto
Piacenza Fabrizio Garilli Massimo Ficcadenti Macron UNICEF
Reggina Pasquale Foti Roberto Breda Onze Stocco&Stocco/Guglielmo Caffè/Ipac/La Gru, Stocco&Stocco
Salernitana Antonio Lombardi Ersilio Cerone Givova Lombardi Costruzioni
Sassuolo Carlo Rossi Stefano Pioli Sportika Mapei
Torino Urbano Cairo Stefano Colantuono Kappa MG.K VIS/Il Buon Riso/Il Buon Riso Firma/Italporte/Dolmar Makita/Maniva Oligominerale/Škoda Yeti/Be-Total/Stylo Rent a Car, Dahlia TV
Triestina Stefano Fantinel Daniele Arrigoni Mass Fantinel, Testa & Molinaro
Vicenza Sergio Cassingena Rolando Maran Max Sport FIAMM

Managerial changes

Before the start of the season

Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of vacancy Replaced by Date of appointment
Ascoli Franco Colomba Contract expired 4 June 2009 Alessandro Pane 17 June 2009
Vicenza Angelo Gregucci Contract expired 5 June 2009 Rolando Maran 16 June 2009
Piacenza Stefano Pioli Contract expired 5 June 2009 Fabrizio Castori 2 July 2009
Sassuolo Andrea Mandorlini Mutual consent 10 June 2009 Stefano Pioli 12 June 2009
Reggina Nevio Orlandi Contract expired 11 June 2009 Walter Novellino 11 June 2009
Triestina Rolando Maran Mutual consent 15 June 2009 Luca Gotti 25 June 2009
Torino Giancarlo Camolese Contract expired 15 June 2009 Stefano Colantuono 15 June 2009
Empoli Silvio Baldini Sacked 16 June 2009 Salvatore Campilongo 16 June 2009
Gallipoli Giuseppe Giannini Mutual consent 16 June 2009 Giuseppe Giannini 13 August 2009
Mantova Mario Somma Contract expired 17 June 2009 Michele Serena 17 June 2009
Crotone Francesco Moriero Mutual consent 22 June 2009 Franco Lerda 27 June 2009
Frosinone Piero Braglia Contract expired 24 June 2009 Francesco Moriero 24 June 2009

During the season

Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of vacancy Replaced by Date of appointment
Salernitana Fabio Brini Sacked 19 September 2009 Marco Cari 19 September 2009
AlbinoLeffe Armando Madonna Sacked 28 September 2009 Emiliano Mondonico 28 September 2009
Brescia Alberto Cavasin Sacked 4 October 2009 Giuseppe Iachini 4 October 2009
Triestina Luca Gotti Sacked 6 October 2009 Mario Somma 6 October 2009
Reggina Walter Novellino Sacked 24 October 2009 Ivo Iaconi 24 October 2009
Salernitana Marco Cari Sacked 2 November 2009 Gianluca Grassadonia 2 November 2009
Piacenza Fabrizio Castori Sacked 10 November 2009 Massimo Ficcadenti 11 November 2009
Ascoli Alessandro Pane Sacked 22 November 2009 Giuseppe Pillon 22 November 2009
Torino Stefano Colantuono Sacked 29 November 2009 Mario Beretta 29 November 2009
Torino Mario Beretta Sacked 10 January 2010 Stefano Colantuono 10 January 2010
Reggina Ivo Iaconi Sacked 8 February 2010 Roberto Breda 8 February 2010
Padova Carlo Sabatini Sacked 8 February 2010 Nello Di Costanzo 9 February 2010
Triestina Mario Somma Sacked 9 February 2010 Daniele Arrigoni 10 February 2010
Salernitana Gianluca Grassadonia Removed from managerial duties 14 March 2010 Ersilio Cerone 14 March 2010
Gallipoli Giuseppe Giannini Resigned 22 March 2010 Giovanni Di Pasquale (caretaker) 22 March 2010
Grosseto Elio Gustinetti Sacked 24 March 2010 Maurizio Sarri 24 March 2010
Vicenza Rolando Maran Sacked 28 March 2010 Nedo Sonetti 28 March 2010
Gallipoli Giovanni Di Pasquale End of caretaker spell 30 March 2010 Ezio Rossi 30 March 2010
Padova Nello Di Costanzo Sacked 10 April 2010 Carlo Sabatini 10 April 2010
Vicenza Nedo Sonetti Sacked 15 April 2010 Rolando Maran 15 April 2010
Frosinone Francesco Moriero Sacked 25 April 2010 Guido Carboni 25 April 2010
  • ^1 Giuseppe Giannini left Gallipoli by mutual consent in June 2009, only three weeks after having won promotion to Serie B with the club, due to uncertainty regarding the club future. He successively agreed to return at Gallipoli two months later, and only ten days before the season kick-off, after Udine-based D'Odorico Group completed the club takeover. During the time Giannini did not act as head coach, no replacement was appointed.
  • ^2 Salernitana under-19 coach Gianluca Grassadonia was appointed to replace Marco Cari in November 2009 despite not having the required coaching badges. In December, Ersilio Cerone was appointed "official" head coach to fulfil the requirement for a UEFA A coaching graduate, with Grassadonia appearing as assistant but being usually referred as the "real" manager. Grassadonia was later announced to have been removed from the first team coaching staff on March 14, 2010, whereas Cerone was confirmed as head coach, this time on a real basis.

The list does not include Giuseppe Giannini's resignation from Gallipoli, who were announced on February 8, 2010 and withdrawn two days later following a meeting with club chairman Daniele D'Odorico.

Events

The 2009–10 Serie B season will feature the return of seven-times Italian champions Torino, who were relegated from Serie A. Other teams relegated from the top flight include Reggina (after seven consecutive seasons in the Serie A) and Lecce (after only one season in the highest tier).

Four teams were promoted from Lega Pro Prima Divisione: Cesena, Crotone, Padova and newcomers Gallipoli. As of 10 August, Gallipoli did not manage to organize a squad for the league and were even without a head coach due to club issues (the club chairman being in talks with several third parties regarding a possible takeover); this also forced the club to play the Under-19 team for the second round of the Coppa Italia tournament, lost 6–1 to lower league outfit Lumezzane. The following day, Giuseppe Giannini returned to coach Gallipoli after a company from Udine took over the club.

On 23 September 2009, the Football League committee point deductions of respectively two and one points for clubs Crotone and Gallipoli due to administrative and financial breaches. The one point deduction for Gallipoli was later canceled by the Federal Court of Justice on October 22, with the two-point penalty regarding Crotone being instead confirmed.

An analogous one-point penalty involving Ancona was ratified by the National Disciplinary Committee on 18 February 2010 due to not having paid a number of salaries in June and July 2009; such deduction was extended to two points by the Federal Court of Justice later on 12 March.

The season also experienced a suspension for the 3 March match between Cesena and Sassuolo, which was not completed due to heavy snow at the 73rd minute, with the result being 0–0. As per Italian league rules, only the remaining 17 minutes were played, and an unusual mini-game was therefore rescheduled on 16 March during which Sassuolo managed to score a goal (at the second minute of the match replay) to record a 1–0 win.

Later, on 19 March, Salernitana were docked six points due to matchfixing regarding a Serie C1 league game held in April 2008 against Potenza. Salernitana were also the first team to get mathematically relegated, after a 5–2 loss to Empoli left the Campanian club with a 23-point gap between them and 19th-placed Padova with seven games to the end of the season.

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or relegation
1 Lecce (C, P) 42 20 15 7 66 47 +19 75 Promotion to Serie A
2 Cesena (P) 42 20 14 8 55 29 +26 74
3 Brescia (O, P) 42 21 9 12 60 44 +16 72 Qualification to promotion play-offs
4 Sassuolo 42 18 15 9 60 42 +18 69
5 Torino 42 19 11 12 53 36 +17 68
6 Cittadella 42 18 12 12 62 43 +19 66
7 Grosseto 42 14 19 9 66 63 +3 61
8 Crotone 42 17 11 14 53 50 +3 60
9 Ascoli 42 15 12 15 57 57 0 57
10 Empoli 42 15 11 16 66 56 +10 56
11 AlbinoLeffe 42 14 13 15 59 56 +3 55
12 Modena 42 14 12 16 39 47 −8 54
13 Reggina 42 15 9 18 51 56 −5 54
14 Vicenza 42 12 17 13 40 41 −1 53
15 Piacenza 42 13 14 15 40 45 −5 53
16 Frosinone 42 15 8 19 50 67 −17 53
17 Ancona (R, E, R, R, D) 42 15 9 18 55 56 −1 52 Claimed club in Eccellenza
18 Triestina (T) 42 13 12 17 41 51 −10 51 Spared from relegation
19 Padova 42 12 15 15 44 48 −4 51 Qualification to relegation play-off
20 Mantova (R, E, R, R) 42 10 18 14 46 58 −12 48 Restart in Serie D
21 Gallipoli (R, E, R, R, R) 42 10 10 22 43 74 −31 40 Restart in Promozione
22 Salernitana (R) 42 5 8 29 40 80 −40 17 Relegation to Prima Divisione
Source: http://www.gazzetta.it/speciali/risultati_classifiche/2010/calcio/serieb/index.shtml
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (D) Disqualified; (E) Eliminated; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated; (T) Qualified, but not yet for the particular phase indicated
Notes:
  1. 2 points deducted due to financial irregularities.
  2. MOD 1–0 REG; REG 0–1 MOD
  3. VIC: 8 pts 4–1; PIA: 5 pts 4–5; FRO: 3 pts 4–6
  4. Ancona was excluded from football by Federal Council's decision. Later was relegated to Eccellenza as US Ancona 1905. As a consequence, Triestina as losing sides of the relegation play-off were spared from relegation.
  5. PAD 0–0 TRI; TRI 2–1 PAD
  6. Mantova declared bankrupt and relegated to Serie D.
  7. Gallipoli declared bankrupt and relegated to Promozione.
  8. 6 points deducted due to match-fixing during the 2007–08 Serie C1 season.

Results

Home \ Away ALB ANC ASC BRE CES CIT CRO EMP FRO GAL GRO LCE MAN MOD PAD PIA REG SAL SAS TOR TRI VIC
AlbinoLeffe — 1–3 1–1 1–1 1–2 2–0 1–1 2–0 4–1 2–0 1–1 1–3 1–0 0–3 1–2 0–1 2–0 3–2 0–0 0–1 0–3 2–2
Ancona 2–1 — 1–2 2–0 0–0 2–3 0–1 2–0 3–1 3–1 1–1 1–1 1–1 2–0 2–2 2–1 1–2 2–0 2–2 2–1 2–1 2–0
Ascoli 1–1 1–3 — 2–0 1–1 1–1 3–1 2–1 1–2 1–1 1–1 1–2 2–1 2–0 1–0 1–1 1–3 4–2 1–5 1–2 1–0 1–1
Brescia 4–1 3–0 2–1 — 0–1 1–0 3–0 2–2 3–1 0–1 2–3 1–0 1–0 1–0 3–2 1–0 0–0 3–0 3–1 1–0 2–2 0–1
Cesena 0–0 0–2 1–0 2–0 — 1–0 0–2 2–3 4–0 0–0 2–2 3–1 3–1 2–1 2–0 3–0 0–1 3–0 0–1 1–1 4–1 3–1
Cittadella 2–1 1–0 2–0 1–1 1–1 — 3–0 2–1 0–1 1–2 1–1 3–0 6–0 1–1 1–1 1–1 1–0 1–0 0–0 2–0 2–0 2–1
Crotone 0–3 2–1 1–2 0–0 0–0 1–1 — 2–1 3–0 4–2 0–0 1–1 2–2 4–2 2–1 1–0 1–1 2–0 1–2 1–0 2–0 1–2
Empoli 1–3 3–0 4–2 1–2 2–0 4–3 3–1 — 2–0 2–2 2–2 2–2 4–0 3–0 4–0 2–0 2–0 5–2 1–1 0–0 1–1 1–0
Frosinone 2–2 1–1 1–5 1–0 0–2 2–1 1–1 3–1 — 2–0 1–0 0–4 1–0 0–0 2–2 2–3 2–0 1–0 0–3 2–2 1–1 0–1
Gallipoli 1–5 1–0 1–4 1–2 0–2 1–2 2–3 0–0 2–1 — 2–2 0–3 0–0 1–0 1–2 1–4 2–1 3–2 1–1 0–1 2–1 0–5
Grosseto 2–2 2–0 2–1 2–1 1–1 3–0 0–4 1–0 2–1 2–2 — 0–3 1–1 3–1 2–2 3–3 2–2 2–2 2–2 0–3 3–1 4–0
Lecce 2–1 3–0 0–0 2–2 1–2 1–5 0–0 1–0 1–3 1–0 3–2 — 2–1 0–0 2–1 1–0 3–2 1–0 0–0 2–1 1–1 1–0
Mantova 1–2 2–0 0–0 2–2 0–1 1–3 2–1 1–1 3–1 1–0 2–0 2–2 — 1–1 2–1 1–1 2–2 1–1 2–1 0–0 0–0 1–0
Modena 1–1 2–1 1–2 1–2 1–0 2–1 0–2 2–0 0–3 3–2 1–2 0–0 1–1 — 0–0 0–1 1–0 1–0 1–1 0–2 2–0 1–0
Padova 0–2 2–1 3–1 2–1 1–0 2–2 2–0 2–3 0–0 0–0 1–0 1–1 3–0 1–0 — 0–0 0–1 3–1 1–1 0–1 0–0 1–2
Piacenza 1–0 1–0 2–1 1–3 0–1 1–1 1–0 0–0 0–2 2–0 0–1 3–2 0–2 2–3 1–0 — 0–0 0–0 1–3 0–0 0–0 1–1
Reggina 3–1 0–3 1–2 4–0 1–3 1–1 1–0 1–1 1–0 2–1 1–1 2–4 3–1 0–1 1–1 2–1 — 3–1 0–2 1–2 3–1 0–2
Salernitana 1–1 3–0 0–0 1–3 0–0 1–2 4–1 1–0 1–2 1–3 3–4 1–2 1–3 1–2 0–0 1–0 0–2 — 1–4 0–3 1–2 0–1
Sassuolo 0–0 1–0 0–1 0–2 1–1 1–0 2–0 3–2 2–1 1–2 2–3 1–1 1–1 0–0 2–0 1–2 0–1 3–2 — 2–3 2–1 2–1
Torino 2–1 1–1 1–0 1–1 1–1 1–0 1–2 3–0 3–1 2–0 4–1 2–2 1–1 0–1 0–1 1–1 2–0 2–3 0–1 — 1–0 1–0
Triestina 2–3 2–1 2–0 0–1 0–0 2–0 0–0 1–0 0–3 1–0 1–0 1–4 2–1 1–1 2–1 1–3 2–1 2–0 0–1 2–0 — 0–0
Vicenza 1–2 2–2 2–2 1–0 0–0 0–2 0–2 2–1 2–0 2–2 0–0 0–0 1–1 1–1 0–0 0–0 3–1 0–0 1–1 1–0 0–0 —
Source:
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Play-off

Promotion

Semi-finals
First legs played 2 June 2010; return legs played 6 June 2010
Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Cittadella (6) 1–1* (3) Brescia 0–1 1–0
Torino (5) 3–2 (4) Sassuolo 1–1 2–1
  • In case of an aggregate tie, the higher seed advances.
Finals
First leg played 9 June 2010; return leg played 13 June 2010
Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Torino (5) 1-2 (3) Brescia 0–0 1-2

Brescia promoted to Serie A.

Relegation

First leg played 4 June 2010; return leg played 12 June 2010
Team 1 Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Padova (19) 3-0 (18) Triestina 0–0 3-0

Top goalscorers

Updated as of May 23, 2010

26 goals
24 goals
23 goals
22 goals
18 goals
17 goals
16 goals