Serie C1


Serie C1 was the third highest football league and second lowest professional league in Italy. It consisted of 36 teams, divided geographically into two divisions.

History

Before the 1978–79 season, there were only three professional football leagues in Italy, the third being Serie C. The league managing the C was also organizing the semi-professional Serie D. In 1978, it was decided to split the Serie C into Serie C1 and Serie C2, that included the worst C and the best D clubs. Upon its inception in 1978–79, Serie C1 consisted of two groups of 18 teams, with two promotions and four relegations. During the season, teams only played the other teams in their division, according to the round robin method. The remnants of the Serie D were later, in 1981, moved to the amatorial sector as Campionato Interregionale.
Play-offs were introduced in 1992, together with the 3-victory-points rule. In each division, two teams were promoted to Serie B, and three teams were relegated to Serie C2. In total, the league promoted 4 teams to Serie B and relegated 6 teams to C2. The team finishing first in the regular season was directly promoted to Serie B, while teams placing 2nd to 5th were entered into a play-off semi-final for the chance of gaining the second promotional spot for that particular division. From 2000, the overall champions were decided through the Supercoppa di Serie C. From 2008 the competition was known as Lega Pro Prima Divisione.
The reform decided by the FIGC led to the reunification with the Serie C2 starting from 2014-2015 and with the subsequent rebirth of the third division championship with 60 teams divided into three groups of 20 as Serie C.

Past champions

Source for league winners:
Group A
SeasonWinnerRunner up
1978–79ComoParma
1979–80Varese 1910|Varese]Rimini
1980–81Reggiana 1919|Reggiana]Cremonese
1981–82AtalantaMonza Brianza 1912|Monza]
1982–83Triestina Calcio|Triestina]Padova
1983–84ParmaBologna
1984–85BresciaLanerossi Vicenza
1985–86ParmaModena
1986–87PiacenzaPadova
1987–88AnconaMonza
1988–89ReggianaTriestina
1989–90ModenaLucchese
1990–91PiacenzaVenezia
1991–92SPALMonza
1992–93RavennaVicenza

Group B
SeasonWinnerRunner up
1978–79MateraPisa
1979–80CataniaFoggia
1980–81Cavese 1919|Cavese]Sambenedettese Calcio|Sambenedettese]
1981–82ArezzoCampobasso Calcio|Campobasso]
1982–83EmpoliPescara
1983–84BariTaranto
1984–85CatanzaroPalermo
1985–86Messina Peloro|Messina]Taranto
1986–87CatanzaroBarletta
1987–88Licata 1931|Licata]Cosenza
1988–89CagliariFoggia
1989–90TarantoSalernitana
1990–91CasertanaPalermo
1991–92TernanaFidelis Andria
1992–93PalermoAcireale Calcio 1946|Acireale]

SeasonWinnerPlayoff Winner
1993–94ChievoComo
1994–95BolognaPistoiese
1995–96RavennaEmpoli
1996–97TrevisoMonza
1997–98CesenaCremonese
1998–99Alzano VirescitPistoiese
1999–00SienaCittadella
2000–01ModenaComo
2001–02Livorno Calcio|Livorno]Triestina
2002–03TrevisoAlbinoLeffe
2003–04ArezzoCesena
2004–05CremoneseMantova
2005–06SpeziaGenoa
2006–07Grosseto F.C.|Grosseto]Pisa
2007–08Sassuolo Calcio|Sassuolo]Cittadella

SeasonWinnerPlayoff Winner
1993–94PerugiaSalernitana
1994–95RegginaAvellino 1912|Avellino]
1995–96LecceA.S.D. [Castel di Sangro Calcio|Castel di Sangro]
1996–97Fidelis AndriaAncona
1997–98CosenzaTernana
1998–99FermanaSavoia 1908|Savoia]
1999–00CrotoneAncona
2000–01PalermoMessina
2001–02AscoliCatania
2002–03AvellinoPescara
2003–04CatanzaroCrotone
2004–05RiminiAvellino
2005–06NapoliFrosinone
2006–07RavennaAvellino
2007–08SalernitanaAncona

Lega Pro Prima Divisione

Group A
SeasonWinnerPlayoff Winner
2008–09CesenaPadova
2009–10NovaraVarese
2010–11Gubbio 1910|Gubbio]Verona F.C.|Verona]
2011–12TernanaPro Vercelli 1892|Pro Vercelli]
2012–13TrapaniCarpi
2013–14Virtus EntellaPro Vercelli

Group B
SeasonWinnerPlayoff Winner
2008–09GallipoliCrotone
2009–10Portogruaro Summaga|Portogruaro]Pescara 1936|Pescara]
2010–11NocerinaJuve Stabia
2011–12SpeziaVirtus Lanciano 1924|Virtus Lanciano]
2012–13AvellinoLatina Calcio|Latina]
2013–14Perugia Calcio|Perugia]Frosinone