2018-19_Serie_B

2018–19 Serie B

2018–19 Serie B

90th season of second-tier football league in Italy

The 2018–19 Serie B (known as Serie BKT for sponsorship reasons)[18] was the 87th season of Serie B in Italy since its establishment in 1929.

Quick Facts Season, Dates ...

A total of 19 teams contested in the 2018–19 season, instead of the usual 22 teams, due to the exclusion of Bari, Cesena and Avellino. There are 12 teams returning from the 2017–18 Serie B season, 4 promoted from 2017–18 Serie C (Livorno, Padova, Lecce, Cosenza) and 3 relegated from 2017–18 Serie A (Crotone, Hellas Verona, Benevento).

Teams

The list of teams for the season was originally expected to feature 15 teams from the 2017–18 Serie B, as well as three teams who were relegated from the 2017–18 Serie A (Crotone, Verona and Benevento) and four promoted from the 2017–18 Serie C: league winners Livorno, Padova and Lecce, plus national playoff winners Cosenza.

Later in July, Bari and Cesena renounced on their participation to the league due to serious financial issues, whereas Avellino was excluded due to financial irregularities. Foggia was admitted, but it had eight points deducted.

Following these event, the Serie B league assembly voted in favour of reducing the number of teams from 22 to 20;[19] this move was promptly revoked by the Italian Football Federation due to bureaucratic issues who would not allow to change the league format for the current season.[20][21]

On 7 August, Avellino was finally excluded from the Serie B after losing on their appeal verdict to be readmitted in the league.[22]

Although it was expected that the three vacancies were to be filled by Catania, Novara and Siena, however Pro Vercelli and Ternana disagreed,[23] and on 10 August, the Lega B announced the 2018–19 season would go ahead with 19 teams instead of the regular 22.[24] The Italian Football Federation formalized the change of format for the Serie B from 22 to 19 teams later on 13 August.[25]

Stadiums and locations

Location of teams in 2018–19 Serie B
More information Team, Home city ...

Number of teams by regions

More information No. of teams, Region ...

Personnel and kits

More information Team, President ...

* Starting from this season, the two new unique institutional sponsors for all the teams participating in the Serie B tournament (except for Brescia) are Unibet (on the back under the numbering) and Facile Ristrutturare (on the left sleeve as a patch).

Managerial changes

More information Team, Outgoing manager ...

League table

More information Pos, Pld ...
Source: Lega Serie B
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Goal difference; 5) Goals scored; 6) Draw.[52]
(C) Champions; (D) Disqualified; (E) Eliminated; (O) Play-off winners; (P) Promoted; (R) Relegated
Notes:
  1. Spezia finished ahead of Cittadella on head-to-head points: Spezia 1–0 Cittadella, Cittadella 0–1 Spezia.
  2. Palermo were initially deducted twenty points for financial irregularities, they were excluded from the 2019–20 Serie B on 12th July 2019.
  3. Positions determined by head-to-head points: Palermo: 9 pts; Crotone: 6 pts; Ascoli 3 pts.
  4. Venezia was spared from relegation after Palermo's bankruptcy.
  5. Venezia finished ahead of Salernitana on head-to-head points: Venezia 1–0 Salernitana, Salernitana 1–1 Venezia.
  6. Foggia were initially deducted six points for administral irregularities and relegated to 2019-20 Serie C; they were excluded from the 2019–20 Serie C on 12th July 2019.

Positions by round

The table lists the positions of teams after each week of matches. In order to preserve chronological evolvements, any postponed matches are not included to the round at which they were originally scheduled, but added to the full round they were played immediately afterwards.

More information Team ╲ Round, Brescia ...
Champions, promotion to Serie A
Promotion to Serie A
Play-off semifinals
Play-off preliminary round
Play-out
Relegation to Serie C
Source: Serie BKT

Results

More information Home \ Away, ASC ...
Source: Serie BKT
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Promotion play-offs

Six teams could contest the promotion play-offs depending on the point differential between the third and fourth-placed teams. It began with a preliminary one-legged round played at the home venue of the higher placed team, involving the teams placed fifth to eight. The two winning teams advanced to play the third and fourth-placed teams in the two-legged semi-finals. Those winning teams advanced to the two-legged final, where the winner was promoted to play in Serie A the following season. In the two-legged rounds, the higher seeded team played the second game at home.

Preliminary round Semi-finals Finals
7 Cittadella 1 3 4
6 Spezia 1 3 Benevento 2 0 2
7 Cittadella 2 7 Cittadella 2 0 2
5 Hellas Verona 0 3 3
5 Hellas Verona 0 1 1
5 Hellas Verona 4 4 Pescara 0 0 0
8 Perugia 1

Preliminary round

17 May 2019 Spezia1–2 Cittadella La Spezia
21:00 CEST (UTC+2)
  • Maggiore 52'
 Report
Stadium: Stadio Alberto Picco
Attendance: 7,442[16]
Referee: Francesco Fourneau
18 May 2019 Hellas Verona 4–1 (a.e.t.)PerugiaVerona
21:00 CEST (UTC+2)
Report
Stadium: Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi
Attendance: 10,234[16]
Referee: Ivano Pezzuto

Semi-finals

First leg

21 May 2019 Cittadella 1–2 Benevento Cittadella
21:00 CEST (UTC+2) Proia 10' Report
Stadium: Stadio Pier Cesare Tombolato
Attendance: 6,250[16]
Referee: Davide Ghersini
22 May 2019 Hellas Verona 0–0 Pescara Verona
21:00 CEST (UTC+2) Report Stadium: Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi
Attendance: 11,308[16]
Referee: Livio Marinelli

Second leg

25 May 2019 Benevento0–3
(2–4 agg.)		 Cittadella Benevento
21:00 CEST (UTC+2) Report
Stadium: Stadio Ciro Vigorito
Attendance: 10,669[16]
Referee: Juan Luca Sacchi
26 May 2019 Pescara0–1
(0–1 agg.)		 Hellas Verona Pescara
21:00 CEST (UTC+2) Report
Stadium: Stadio Adriatico
Attendance: 11,165[16]
Referee: Eugenio Abbattista

Finals

First leg

30 May 2019 Cittadella 2–0 Hellas Verona Cittadella
21:00 CEST (UTC+2)
Report Stadium: Stadio Pier Cesare Tombolato
Attendance: 7,623[16]
Referee: Antonio Giua

Second leg

2 June 2019 Hellas Verona 3–0
(3–2 agg.)		CittadellaVerona
21:15 CEST (UTC+2)
Report Stadium: Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi
Attendance: 25,248[16]
Referee: Marco Piccinini

Relegation play-out

The relegation play-out was originally scheduled to be played between the 15th and the 16th placed teams in the table — Venezia and Salernitana. However, following the relegation of Palermo to the bottom of the table due to administrative offense (financial irregularities),[54] the Lega B announced no relegation play-off would be held, thus effectively relegating Foggia directly.[55]

However, on 23 May 2019, the Regional Administrative Tribunal (TAR) of Lazio declared void the procedure followed by the Lega B, provisionally reintroducing the play-out, this time between Salernitana (15th) and Foggia (16th), in accordance with the new standings after Palermo were subsequently placed at the bottom of the league table due to financial irregularities.[56] The decision was upheld by the Guarantee College of Sports (Collegio di garanzia dello sport) on 27 May.

Finally, on 29 May, the Court of Appeal of the Italian Football Federation (Corte d'Appello della FIGC) annulled the relegation of Palermo, who were sanctioned with 20 points of penalization instead, and hence changed the composition of the matches, causing the immediate relegation of Foggia, and the re-admission to the play-out of Venezia. Nevertheless, the players of both teams threatened to boycott the challenge, regarding it as late in the calendar (25 days after the last match), problematic for holidays and recesses of players, and conflicting with the FIFA International Calendar and a resolution of Lega B, according to which Serie B matches could not be held during the national team period (3–11 June).[57]

Matches

The higher-placed team played at home for the second leg. If tied on aggregate, extra time and a penalty shoot-out would be played because both teams ended up with the same number of points in the table. The losers would be relegated to Serie C for the following season.

More information Team 1, Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score ...

First leg

5 June 2019 Salernitana 2–1 Venezia Salerno
20:45 CEST (UTC+2)
Report
Stadium: Stadio Arechi
Attendance: 12,722[16]
Referee: Aleandro Di Paolo

Second leg

9 June 2019 Venezia1–0 (a.e.t.)
(2–4 p)		 Salernitana Venice
18:00 CEST (UTC+2)
Report Stadium: Stadio Pier Luigi Penzo
Attendance: 4,414[16]
Referee: Gianluca Aureliano
Penalties

On 12 July, the FIGC retired the professional license of Palermo. According to the new regulations enacted by the FIGC in January 2019, the relegation play-out was consequently considered null and void, and both Venezia and Salernitana were allowed to remain in Serie B.

Season statistics

Top goalscorers

More information Rank, Player ...
Note

1Player scored 1 goal in the play-offs.
2Player scored 2 goals in the play-offs.
3Player scored 3 goals in the play-offs.

Clean sheets

More information Rank, Player ...
  1. Played between weeks 29 and 30.
Note

1Player had 1 clean sheet in the play-offs.
2Player had 2 clean sheets in the play-offs.
3Player had 3 clean sheets in the play-offs.

Attendance data of regular season

More information Pos, Team ...

Source: Stadia Postcards
Notes:
A Team played last season in Serie A.
C Team played last season in Serie C.

References

  1. [1]
    "Statistiche del campionato - Serie BKT". Serie BKT - Il campionato degli italiani (in Italian). 31 December 2016. Archived from the original on 2 November 2019. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
  2. [2]
    Matchdays 3-5 and 22-24.
  3. [3]
    Matchdays 14-16 and 32-34.
  4. [4]
    Matchdays 1-3 and 25-28.
  5. [5]
    Matchdays 24-26.
  6. [6]
    Matchdays 34-36.
  7. [7]
    Matchdays 5-7.
  8. [8]
    Matchdays 3-5. The forfeit win over Cosenza on week 2 is not counted.
  9. [9]
    Matchdays 12-14, 22/30-31 and 33-35. The match on week 22 has been played between weeks 29 and 30.
  10. [10]
    Matchdays 10-12.
  11. [11]
    Matchdays 14-26.
  12. [12]
    Matchdays 7-19.
  13. [13]
    Matchdays 9-20.
  14. [14]
    Matchdays 13-18.
  15. [15]
    Matchdays 34-38.
  16. [16]
    "Attendance Statistics of Serie B 2018-2019". StadiaPostcards.
  17. [17]
    Regular season + play-offs and play-out.
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    "Foggia calcio, scocca l'ora di Gaetano Pavone: "Sono emozionato ma devo concentrarmi sulla partita"" (in Italian). Foggia Sport 24. 13 December 2018. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
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  53. [53]
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