Second Division – Serie B. Three teams promoted, 4 – relegated. Quite dramatic championship – 5 teams aimed at promotion. At the bottom – 2 outsiders and almost half the league desperately trying to avoid the other 2 relegation spots. At the end, corruption case decided one of them.
Taranto – last and out with 23 points.
Parma – 19th with 26 points. Relegated.
Varese – 18th with 33 points. Going down as well.
Cagliari – 17th with 34 points. Their Peruvian player Uribe was perhaps smitten – from playing at World Cup finals to Third Division, what misfortune. Alas, the story had a happy end: Padova was found guilty of corruption and expelled. The final table stayed intact, but Cagliari survived.
Arezzo – lucky 16th with 35 points.
Catania – 15th with 35 points.
Padova – 14th with 35 points. Relegation scared half the league and Padova took some ‘extraordinary measures’ to save itself. This measures were corrupt, they were found guilty and expelled to Third Division to the delight of Cagliari.
Campobasso – 13th with 36 points.
Cesena – 12th with 36 points.
Sambenedettese – 11th with 36 points.
Monza – 10th with 36 points.
Bologna – 9th with 36 points. Unusual colours, but that was the only remarkable thing about them this season.
Empoli – 8th with 37 points.
Pescara – 7th with 38 points.
Genoa – 6th with 40 points. A vast gap between them and those running for promotion.
Triestina – 5th with 47 points. Fought bravely and lost at the end.
Perugia – 4th with 48 points. They lost promotion by very little, but their record deserves a note, so unusual it was. Perugia lost only match this season – the next best had 4 losses. However, they managed to tie 26 games! They tied 26 out of 38 played games – this was fantastic even for Italy. Makes one craving for the perfect record – 38 games, 38 ties. But this ties did not serve Perugia at the end – they came 1 point short of promotion. 1 tie – 1 point…
Bari clinched 3rd place with 49 points and was promoted. Hazardous approach worked for them – they lost most games among the top teams (7), but also won most (18) and that propelled them back to top league football.
Lecce – second with 50 points. Happily promoted, so no matter they finished second.
Pisa clinched the title on better goal-difference, for they also finished with 50 points. 17 wins, 16 ties, 5 losses, 52-27. It was good to win the championship and much better to go up, especially after grueling season. And what relief the victory had been for Wim Kift – only a few years back, he was the top scorer of Europe, and now… second division. And not able even to outscore the unknown players there: 3rd with 15 goals. Someone called Bivi scored 20 for Bari.
One more look at the happy champions of Serie B.
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