Season 2009–10 Top goalscorer Éder (26 goals) Biggest away win Gallipoli 0–5 Vicenza Champion U.S. Lecce | Champions Lecce Biggest home win Cittadella 6–0 Mantova Dates 21 Aug 2009 – 13 Jun 2010 | |
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Promoted Lecce
Cesena
Brescia (by Play-off) Relegated U.S. Salernitana 1919, Mantova F.C. Similar 2010‑11 Serie B, 2007‑08 Serie B, 2012–13 Serie B, 2006–07 Serie B, 2003–04 Serie B | ||
The 2009–10 Serie B season is the seventy-eighth edition since its establishment in 1929. Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, 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 Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the Serie A and Serie B.
Contents
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.
During the season
The list does not include Giuseppe Giannini's resignation from Gallipoli, who were announced on February 8, 2010 and withdrawn two days later following a meeting with club chairman Daniele D'Odorico.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
Updated to games played on 30 May 2010.
Source:
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored
1. 2 points deducted due to financial irregularities.
2. 6 points deducted due to match-fixing during the 2007–08 Serie C1 season.
3. Ancona was excluded from football by Federal Council's decision. As a consequence, Triestina as losing sides of the relegation play-off were spared from relegation.
4. Mantova declared bankrupt and relegated to Serie D.
5. Gallipoli declared bankrupt and relegated to Promozione.
(C) = Champion; (R) = Relegated; (P) = Promoted; (E) = Eliminated; (O) = Play-off winner; (A) = Advances to a further round.
Only applicable when the season is not finished:
(Q) = Qualified to the phase of tournament indicated; (TQ) = Qualified to tournament, but not yet to the particular phase indicated; (RQ) = Qualified to the relegation tournament indicated; (DQ) = Disqualified from tournament.
Results
Updated to games played on 30 May 2010.
Source:
1 ^ The home team is listed in the left-hand column.
Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Promotion
Semifinals First legs played June 2, 2010; return legs played June 6, 2010Brescia promoted to Serie A.
Relegation
First leg played June 4, 2010; return leg played June 12, 2010Top goalscorers
Updated as of May 23, 2010