Serie B: Meet the clubs
This season’s Serie B is an intriguing mix of the familiar and the not so familiar. Football Italia takes a look at the clubs that will fight it out in Italy’s Second Division and the cities they hail from
Albinoleffe
Coach: Emiliano Mondonico
Stadium: Stadio Atleti Azzurri D’Italia (24,624)
A small Bergamo club formed by the merger of two Alpine town teams - Albino and Leffe. They share a stadium with more illustrious neighbours Atalanta and secured Serie B survival last term by beating Avellino in a relegation play-off.
Arezzo
Coach: Antonio Conte
Stadium: Stadio Comunale (13,128)
Ambitious Tuscan side returned to Serie B in 2004 after a spell in Serie C and nearly made the play-offs last term. Set on a steep hill 50 miles south-east of Florence, Arezzo features in Roberto Benigni’s film 'La Vita e' Bella' and hosts a medieval jousting festival.
Bari
Coach: Rolando Maran
Stadium: Stadio San Nicola (58,270)
A well-supported club that spent most of the 1990s in the top-flight but have struggled of late. The city lies in the south-east of Italy on the Adriatic Sea and boasts an attractive old town in the north. There are some infamously inhospitable regions in the south where Antonio Cassano played street football as a child.
Bologna
Coach: Renzo Ulivieri
Stadium: Stadio Renato Dall’Ara (39,444)
A powerful club between 1920 and 1940 when the Rossoblu secured seven Scudetti. The city is an exciting mixture of old and new. While tourists flock to the many churches, the large student population enjoy the lively nightlife.
Brescia
Coach: Mario Somma
Stadium: Stadio Mario Rigamonti (26,856)
The club spent 2000-2005 in Serie A and feel at home amongst the elite, but failed to secure a return last season. Located near Milan, Brescia is seen as an industrial hub. However, the Alps give a beautiful backdrop and nearby Lake Garda is stunning.
Cesena
Coach: Fabrizio Castori
Stadium: Stadio Dino Manuzzi (23,860)
A surprise package last term, Cesena only returned from Serie C in 2004 but reached the play-offs. The home of Italy’s first public library and a gothic cathedral, Cesena lies in the Emilia Romagna region near fellow B sides Rimini, Modena, Piacenza and Bologna.
Crotone
Coach: Elio Gustinetti
Stadium: Stadio Ezio Scida (9,631)
A club that has spent most of its history in Serie C, but finished ninth in Serie B last term. The small Calabrian city has only 60,000 residents and lies between Taranto and Messina. In ancient times many successful Olympic athletes came from the city.
Frosinone
Coach: Ivo Iaconi
Stadium: Stadio Comunale (5,300)
Tiny club spending their first season in Serie B. Frosinone is located between Naples and Rome so most people in the area support Lazio, Napoli or Roma as well as the Canarini. However, there was a carnival atmosphere when the local side secured promotion in last season’s Serie C play-offs.
Genoa
Coach: Gianpiero Gasperini
Stadium: Stadio Luigi Ferraris (40,117)
One of Italy’s most celebrated clubs, Genoa only just escaped Serie C via last season’s play-offs – having been relegated for match-fixing. Genoa is steeped in history, best demonstrated by Via Garibaldi with its abundance of 16th Century architecture. It’s known as 'the most British town in Italy' - in fact the city’s flag is the St George’s Cross.
Juventus
Coach: Didier Deschamps
Stadium: Stadio Grande Torino (27,128)
Juventus need no introduction. Italy’s most famous side come from Turin, a bustling metropolis that is home to FIAT and was host city for the 2006 Winter Olympics. The Bianconeri will play in Serie B for the first time ever after Calciopoli demotion.
Lecce
Coach: Zdenek Zeman
Stadium: Via Del Mare (40,800)
Relegated Lecce will look to make a swift return to Serie A under Zdenek Zeman, the Coach who guided them to 10th in the top flight in 2004-05. The city is known as 'The Florence of the South' due to its narrow streets and impressive monuments including the unusual Church of the Holy Cross and a half-buried amphitheatre.
Mantova
Coach: Domenico Di Carlo
Stadium: Stadio Danilo Martelli (14,884)
Spent seven seasons in Serie A with the club’s heyday coming in the 1960s and 70s. Nearly returned to the top flight last term but lost a heartbreaking play-off Final. Mantova is a sleepy Lombardy town home to one of Europe’s biggest literature festivals and famed for being the city of Romeo’s exile in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.
Modena
Coach: Daniele Zoratto
Stadium: Stadio Alberto Braglia (21,000)
In Serie A as recently as 2004, Modena have a history of prolific strikers including last season’s Capocannoniere Cristian Bucchi, Enrico Chiesa and Luca Toni. The city is the birthplace of Luciano Pavarotti and has a successful volleyball team.
Napoli
Coach: Edy Reja
Stadium: Stadio San Paolo (78,210)
Amongst the peninsula’s best loved sides, the Vesuviani have languished in Serie C since bankruptcy in 2004, but the two-time Scudetto winners are on the way back. Naples has an attractive historical centre but the city’s beauty is marred by the area’s high crime levels.
Pescara
Coach: Davide Ballardini
Stadium: Stadio Adriatico (19,500)
Last in Serie A in 1993, Pescara now have more modest ambitions. Pescara is a port in the east of Italy in the Abruzzo region and is home to the Cathedral of St Cetteus and the house of famous Italian poet Gabriele D’Annunzio.
Piacenza
Coach: Beppe Iachini
Stadium: Stadio Leonardo Garilli (21,608)
Former yo-yo club Piacenza are becoming mid-table mainstays. Pippo and Simone Inzaghi are from Piacenza as is fashion designer Giorgio Armani. The city is in the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy and is known for its many palaces.
Rimini
Coach: Leonardo Acori
Stadium: Stadio Romeo Neri (10,000)
Having been promoted from Serie C in 2004-05, Rimini are settling into Serie B. Most Italians know the city as a holiday resort and also 'the Ibiza of the Adriatic' - in winter it resembles a ghost town. The 1st Century Tiberius bridge, the Arch of Augustus and a 1st Century cathedral are the main tourist sights.
Spezia
Coach: Antonio Soda
Stadium: Stadio Alberto Picco (10,000)
The club’s first foray into Serie B since 1951.The Aquilotti were promoted after squeezing ahead of local rivals Genoa in Serie C1A last term. The city of La Spezia in Liguria is on the edge of the Cinque Terre region known for its spectacular beaches and hillsides.
Treviso
Coach: Diego Bortoluzzi
Stadium: Stadio Omobono Tenni (12,000)
Thoroughly out of their depth in their first Serie A season last term. Treviso is more of a rugby town – a rarity in Italy – and also contains the headquarters of the clothing company Benetton. The city is often overlooked by tourists as it’s very close to Venice.
Triestina
Coach: Andrea Agostinelli
Stadium: Stadio Nereo Rocco (31,350)
Last in Serie A in 1958, the club has recently been closer to Serie C. Trieste is a port on the Slovenian border and cites the world’s biggest tourist cave, a Roman theatre and the castle of Miramare amongst its tourist attractions.
Verona
Coach: Massimo Ficcadenti
Stadium: Stadio Marc’Antonio Bentegodi (42,500)
Won the title in 1984-1985 - 'the year of the miracle' - but have underachieved recently. Verona is known for its Roman Arena and Romeo and Juliet’s balcony, but sadly also for its problems with racism.
Vicenza
Coach: Giancarlo Camolese
Stadium: Stadio Romeo Menti (17,163)
Cup Winners Cup semi-finalists in 1998, Vicenza have Serie A pedigree but nearly dropped into Serie C in 2004-05. Situated west of Venice, the city is home to many impressive buildings including the work of famous Italian architect Andrea Palladio. It is rumoured that during a famine the residents ate cat meat and local rivals still chant this at them during games.
