Serie C

Italy's Serie C represents the fascinating, fiercely competitive third tier of its national football league system. Often a springboard for emerging talent and a battleground for storied clubs, it's where dreams of promotion to Serie B and even Serie A are forged, or shattered. This league boasts a rich history, complex structure, and a dedication to nurturing the future stars of Italian football. Serie C has undergone several significant reforms, consolidating and re-establishing its identity as the unified third professional football division in Italy. The league's intricate promotion and relegation play-off systems create high-stakes drama, making every match crucial for teams vying for advancement or fighting to avoid the drop. Serie C actively promotes youth development through specific squad rules, ensuring a constant pipeline of young Italian talent into professional football.

Source: Wikipedia

AI Summary

Italy's Serie C represents the fascinating, fiercely competitive third tier of its national football league system. Often a springboard for emerging talent and a battleground for storied clubs, it's where dreams of promotion to Serie B and even Serie A are forged, or shattered. This league boasts a rich history, complex structure, and a dedication to nurturing the future stars of Italian football.

The Heart of Italian Football's Third Tier

Officially known as Serie C Sky Wifi due to sponsorship, this division stands as the third-highest professional football league in Italy. It sits just beneath the prestigious Serie B and Serie A, showcasing a blend of ambition and tradition across the peninsula. The Lega Italiana Calcio Professionistico, or Lega Pro, meticulously governs its operations.

The modern Serie C represents a return to form, having been re-established in 2014 by unifying the Lega Pro Prima Divisione and Seconda Divisione. This move effectively brought back the single-division structure that defined the original Serie C from 1935 to 1978, before its temporary split into Serie C1 and C2. The official name 'Serie C' was then unanimously approved in 2017.

A Deep Dive into History

Early Foundations and Fascist Reforms

The concept of a national third division in Italy first emerged in 1926. During this period, fascist authorities initiated sweeping reforms to national championships, aiming to expand the reach of professional football by elevating many regional teams into a newly structured Second Division.

Initially, these newly formed Second Divisions were managed by regional bodies, like the Direttorio Divisioni Inferiori Nord in Genoa for the north and the Direttorio Meridionale for the south. However, this structure proved short-lived, as further reforms led to their disbandment between 1930 and 1931. Larger clubs with suitable facilities were then promoted to the First Division, which began to take shape as a true 'National Championship'.

The early Second Division lacked a proper relegation system to regional leagues, with most teams often re-elected season after season. This eventually led the Italian federation (FIGC) to delegate organizational duties to more efficient regional committees, consolidating the burgeoning number of teams.

Over five years, from 1926 to 1931, the most successful teams from these Second Divisions began forming larger and larger sections within the Prima Divisione. This First Division, though still organized into local geographical groups, was eventually renamed Serie C at the start of the 1935–36 season, truly cementing the third tier's national identity.

Professionalization and Splits

A pivotal reform arrived in 1959, spearheaded by Bruno Zauli, building on groundwork laid by Ottorino Barassi. This reform formally recognized professional football and organized it into distinct structures. While Lega Calcio managed the national professional divisions (Serie A and B), a new body, the Lega Nazionale Semiprofessionisti in Florence, oversaw Serie C and Serie D as semi-professional leagues. Serie C adopted a format of three groups, each with 20 teams.

The semi-professional era concluded in 1978. Serie D transitioned into an amateur league, while Serie C was professionally split into two divisions: Serie C1 and Serie C2. The governing body changed its name to Lega Professionisti Serie C. It wasn't until June 20, 2008, that the league again restructured, adopting its current name, Lega Italiana Calcio Professionistico.

The significant 2014 league reform saw the two divisions, Lega Pro Prima Divisione and Lega Pro Seconda Divisione, finally merge into a unified league known simply as Lega Pro. This new structure comprised 60 teams, geographically divided into three groups of 20, setting the stage for the competition we know today. In May 2017, the league assembly unanimously voted to restore the beloved historical name: Serie C.

Understanding the Format

The Regular Season

Serie C features 60 teams, meticulously divided into three geographical groups — Group A (North), Group B (Centre), and Group C (South) — each containing 20 teams. During the regular season, clubs compete in a round-robin format exclusively within their designated group, ensuring intense regional rivalries. Three points are awarded for a win, one for a draw, and none for a loss, with standings determined by total points.

Tie-Breaking Criteria

Should two or more teams finish with an equal number of points, a comprehensive set of tie-breaking rules is applied to determine their final league positions, ensuring fair play and clear standings. These criteria prioritize head-to-head performance before moving to overall statistics.

Criterion	Description
Head-to-head points	Points earned in matches between tied teams
Head-to-head goal difference	Goal difference in matches between tied teams
Goal difference	Overall goal difference in the group
Goals scored	Total goals scored in the group
Lower goals against	Fewer goals conceded in the group
Wins	Total number of wins in the group
Lower losses	Fewer losses in the group
Away wins	Total away wins in the group
Lower home losses	Fewer home losses in the group

The Stakes: Promotion and Relegation

At the culmination of each season, a total of four teams earn promotion to Serie B, while nine teams face the difficult reality of relegation to Serie D. The winner of each of the three groups is directly promoted and also qualifies for the Supercoppa di Serie C. Conversely, the last-placed team from each group is automatically relegated. The remaining promotions and relegations are determined by a thrilling and complex system of play-offs.

The Road to Promotion: Play-offs

The Serie C promotion play-offs are a high-stakes gauntlet, where 28 teams battle for a single coveted spot in Serie B. This intense competition involves teams finishing from 2nd to 10th place in each of the three groups, plus the winner of the Coppa Italia Serie C, if they haven't already secured promotion or relegation.

The Early Rounds

The play-offs begin with group-specific rounds. The First Round sees the 5th-placed team play the 10th, 6th play 9th, and 7th play 8th. Winners advance to the Second Round, where the 4th-placed team enters, facing the lowest-ranked team, and the two best-placed teams from the previous round face each other. Both the First and Second Rounds are single-leg matches; if tied, the higher-placed team advances.

National Phase and Final Four

The six remaining teams from the Second Round advance to the National Phase. Here, the three 3rd-placed teams from the regular season and the Coppa Italia Serie C winner (if applicable) are seeded and join the fray in the Third Round. Quarter-finals follow, introducing the three 2nd-placed teams, also seeded. The Third Round and Quarter-finals are two-legged ties, with seeded teams hosting the second leg, and again, seeded teams advance on aggregate ties. The four victorious teams then enter the 'Final Four', where fixtures are drawn, all games are two-legged, and ties are settled by extra-time and penalties.

Best-Placed Team Criteria

In various stages of the play-offs, particularly when determining seeding or advancement, the concept of a 'best-placed team' among those tied or emerging from previous rounds becomes crucial. This ranking is determined by a specific set of criteria that prioritizes league performance.

Criterion	Order
League position	Higher
Points	More
Wins	More
Goals scored	More
Draw	Random (if all other criteria are equal)

Should the Coppa Italia Serie C winner already be promoted, relegated, or decline participation, their coveted play-off spot is reallocated. This spot typically goes to the next highest-placed team in their group, often the runners-up or the 4th-placed team, ensuring the play-off structure remains robust and fair, even with special circumstances.

Avoiding the Drop: Relegation Play-offs

Relegation play-offs, or 'play-out' as they're known in Italy, are equally intense. These matches typically pit the 16th against the 19th-placed teams, and the 17th against the 18th-placed teams within each group. These are two-legged affairs, with the higher-placed team hosting the decisive second leg. If the aggregate score is tied, the lower-placed team is unfortunately relegated to Serie D.

However, there's a crucial exception: if the higher-placed team finishes nine or more points ahead of their opponent, the play-out is cancelled, and the lower-placed team is automatically relegated. This rule rewards dominant performance and prevents unnecessary play-off matches when one team is clearly superior.

Nurturing Talent: Homegrown Rules

To foster the development of Italian football talent, Serie C implements specific squad registration rules. Clubs are capped at using no more than 16 players over the age of 23. They are also allowed two 'wildcard' spots for long-serving club players who exceed this age limit. Crucially, there are no restrictions on the number of under-23 players a club can field, actively encouraging the integration of youth into professional teams.

The Clubs of Serie C

Serie C is a vibrant tapestry of clubs spread across Italy, each with its own history and passionate fanbase. The 60 teams are carefully divided into three geographical groups, ensuring regional rivalries flourish and travel distances are manageable.

Group A (North)

The northern group is a strong representation of Italy's industrial and cultural heartlands, featuring teams predominantly from Lombardy and Veneto, alongside clubs from Piedmont, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol. These teams bring a rich history of local competition.

Group B (Centre)

The central group bridges the north and south, drawing teams from a diverse array of regions including Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna, Umbria, Abruzzo, Liguria, Marche, Sardinia, and even single teams from Lombardy, Veneto, and Molise, creating a truly mixed and competitive environment.

Group C (South)

The southern group is deeply rooted in the vibrant football culture of Italy's Mezzogiorno. It comprises numerous teams from Campania and Puglia, along with representatives from Sicily, Basilicata, Lazio, Calabria, and even a unique entry from Piedmont, highlighting the national scope of the league.

A Legacy of Participation

Serie C boasts an incredibly rich history, marked by countless clubs that have graced its pitches over the decades. Since its inception in 1935 (excluding wartime seasons), hundreds of teams have battled for glory and promotion, contributing to the league's enduring legacy. Some clubs have become true fixtures of the division, demonstrating remarkable longevity.

Club	Appearances
Lecce	35
Piacenza	33
Cosenza	31
Prato	30
Cremonese	29
Empoli	29
Salernitana	29
Siracusa	29
Treviso	29

This long list of participants showcases the depth of Italian football, from well-known names who have spent time in the top tiers to smaller, local clubs who represent the heart and soul of their communities. Each appearance reflects a chapter in their club's story, contributing to the grand narrative of Serie C.

Article

Serie C

The Serie C (Italian pronunciation: [ˈsɛːrje ˈtʃi]), officially known as Serie C Sky Wifi for sponsorship purposes, is the third-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie B and Serie A. The Lega Italiana Calcio Professionistico (Lega Pro) is the governing body that operates the Serie C.

The unification of the Lega Pro Prima Divisione and the Lega Pro Seconda Divisione as Lega Pro Divisione Unica (often also abbreviated as Lega Pro) in 2014 reintroduced the format of the original Serie C that existed between 1935 and 1978 (before the split into Serie C1 and Serie C2). In May 2017, the Lega Pro assembly unanimously approved renaming the competition to its original name, Serie C.

History

Serie C

A third division above the regional leagues was first created in Italy in 1926, when fascist authorities decided to reform the major championships on a national basis, increasing the number of teams participating by promoting many regional teams from the Third Division (Terza Divisione) to the Second Division (Seconda Divisione).

A new league running this Second Division, the Direttorio Divisioni Inferiori Nord (Northern Directory of Lower Divisions) was set up in Genoa, while football activity in the southern part of the country was run by the Direttorio Divisioni Inferiori Sud which later became the Direttorio Meridionale (Southern Directory). These leagues did not last long; after another reform they were disbanded between 1930 and 1931. Some bigger clubs who owned large pitches with dimensions of 100x60 metres were promoted to the First Division (Prima Divisione); a league defined and structured as the "National Championship".

The Second Division had no relegations to regional leagues as most teams were reelected at the beginning of each new season. Once a critical threshold was reached the Italian federation decided to close the two leagues and move all teams to the "Direttori Regionali" (Regional Committees) so that the labour-intensive job of organisation was delegated to more efficient and organised regional staff.

The most successful teams coming from the Second Divisions in 5 years (from 1926–27 to 1930–31) composed 6 ever-growing sections of the First Division (Prima Divisione) which at the beginning had just a few teams in just one section from southern Italy.

This championship was organized by the same league governing Serie A and Serie B (the "Direttorio Divisioni Superiori"), even if, as opposed to the two higher divisions, it was structured in local groups with geographical criteria. The number of clubs belonging to the Prima Divisione continued to increase every year, until FIGC decided to rename it Serie C (at the beginning of the 1935–36 season) while a subsequent large reduction in 1948 led to the creation of a sole national division in 1952–53.

The reform that created the actual league was decided by Bruno Zauli in 1959 as he built on the incomplete work started by the former president Ottorino Barassi to make professional football fully recognised and organised. While Lega Calcio had a stated mission of organising professional and national divisions, the new Lega Nazionale Semiprofessionisti based in Florence had to regulate the two semiprofessional and subnational divisions: Serie C and Serie D, with the first one adopting a format of three groups of 20 teams each. In 1978 the semiprofessional sector was abolished; Serie D became an amateur section while Serie C was divided into two professional divisions (Serie C1 and Serie C2), and the league changed its name to Lega Professionisti Serie C. On 20 June 2008, the league was restructured and took its current name Lega Italiana Calcio Professionistico.

After the league reform of 2014, the two previous divisions of Lega Pro Prima Divisione and Lega Pro Seconda Divisione were ultimately merged into a new league; the Lega Pro Divisione Unica or more informally addressed as just Lega Pro. This is the league structure currently in operation; comprising 60 teams that are divided geographically in three groups of 20 each. At the end of each season, four teams are promoted to Serie B (three group winners, plus one coming from a promotion playoff involving the three group runners-up). Meanwhile, nine teams are relegated to Serie D: the last-placed team from each group go down directly, whereas teams between 16th and 19th from each group place play a relegation playoff (officially referred to as play-out), with the two losing teams from each group also relegated.

In May 2017, the Lega Pro assembly unanimously approved the return to the original name Serie C. The 2017–18 Serie C season includes 19 teams in each of the three divisions after adjustments were made for excluded clubs.

Format

Serie C

Serie C is composed of 60 teams divided equally into three groups split horizontally in geographical terms, from north to south. During the regular season, teams play in a round-robin format solely within their group, with the two halves of the season having exactly the same order of fixtures. Three points are awarded for a win, one for a draw and none for a loss. At the end of the regular season one table per group is determined, based on points. If two or more teams are tied on points, the following tie-breaking criteria apply:

• Head-to-head points; • Head-to-head goal difference; • Goal difference; • Goals scored; • Lower goals against; • Wins; • Lower losses; • Away wins; • Lower home losses.

A total of 4 teams are promoted to Serie B and 9 teams are relegated to Serie D. The winner team of each group is directly promoted and qualifies for Supercoppa di Serie C. Teams which have finished in the bottom of the league are directly relegated. The other divisional changes are determined through a complex system of promotion and relegation play-offs.

Promotion play-offs

Logo 2020–23

28 teams compete to achieve the only available spot for Serie B. 27 of them are the teams which have finished in the 2nd to 10th positions (9 per group). The 28th team is the winner of Coppa Italia Serie C. There are a total of six rounds:

• First round. Fixtures pair the 5th v 10th, 6th v 9th and 7th v 8th-placed teams; • Second round. Fixtures pair the 4th v the worst-placed team and the best-placed team v the 2nd best-placed team from the previous round.

First round and Second round consist in single-leg games and, if teams are tied after regular time, the higher-placed team advances. 6 teams (2 per group) advance to the next round.

• Third round. The three 3rd-placed teams, Coppa Italia Serie C winner and the best-placed team from the previous round are seeded. Fixtures are drawn; • Quarter-finals. The three 2nd-placed teams and the best-placed team from the previous round are seeded. Fixtures are drawn.

Third round and Quarter-finals consist in two-legged games, with seeded team playing at home for second leg, and, if teams are tied on aggregate, the seeded team advances. The four winning teams reach the Final four, composed of:

Final four fixtures are drawn, all games are two-legged and, if teams are tied on aggregate, the winner is decided by extra-time and a penalty shootout if required.

In order to determine the best-placed team, the following criteria apply:

• League position; • Points; • Wins; • Goals scored; • Draw.

<table><thead><tr><th>Phase</th><th>Round</th><th>Clubs remaining</th><th>Clubs involved</th><th>From previous round</th><th>Entries in this round</th><th>Teams entering at this round</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Group phase</td><td>First round</td><td>28</td><td>18</td><td>none</td><td>18</td><td>Teams in the 5th to 10th positions</td></tr><tr><td>Second round</td><td>19</td><td>12</td><td>9</td><td>3</td><td>4th-placed teams</td></tr><tr><td>National phase</td><td>Third round</td><td>13</td><td>10</td><td>6</td><td>4</td><td>3rd-placed teams and Coppa Italia Serie C winner</td></tr><tr><td>Quarter-finals</td><td>8</td><td>8</td><td>5</td><td>3</td><td>2nd-placed teams</td></tr><tr><td>Final four</td><td>Semi-finals</td><td>4</td><td>4</td><td>4</td><td>none</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Final</td><td>2</td><td>2</td><td>2</td><td>none</td><td></td></tr></tbody></table>

• finishes in the top three, qualifies for the relegation play-offs, is relegated directly, or just declines to participate, its spot goes to the runners-up or, subordinately, if they meet the same requirements, to the 4th-placed team playing in the same group as the winner. Thus, the 5th-placed team advances automatically to the Second round and faces the worst-placed team from the First round, whose fixtures now pair the 6th v 11th, 7th v 10th and 8th v 9th-placed teams; • finishes in the 4th to 10th positions, the 11th-placed team playing in the same group qualifies for the First round. Fixtures of the First round and Second round still respect the order of the seven participating teams as seen before, with the best-placed team (that can be the 4th or 5th-placed team if Coppa Italia Serie C winner finished 4th) entering the Second round and facing the worst-placed team among the other six which play the First round; • gives its spot to the runners-up and they finish in the 4th to 10th positions, the 11th-placed team playing in the same group as the runners-up qualifies for the First round (for fixtures see the point 2).

Relegation play-offs

The number of teams that play the relegation playoffs, usually referred to as play-out in Italian, can vary. Usually, fixtures pair the 16th v 19th and 17th vs 18th-placed teams. Matches are two-legged, the higher-placed team plays at home for second leg and, if teams are tied on aggregate, the lower-placed team is relegated to Serie D. However, if the higher-placed team finishes nine or more points ahead of the lower-placed team, play-out is cancelled and the team is relegated directly.

Homegrown players

Serie C

To encourage the development of homegrown players, all Lega Pro clubs were capped to use no more than 16 players in their squads that were older than 23 years of age (in 2019–20 season, player born before 1 January 1997), plus two wildcards for long serving players of the clubs. The clubs could use an unlimited number of under-23 players.

Clubs

Group A (North)

10 teams from Lombardy, 6 teams from Veneto, 2 teams from Piedmont, 1 team from Friuli-Venezia Giulia and 1 team from Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol.

<table><thead><tr><th>Club</th><th>City</th><th>Stadium</th><th>Capacity</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>AlbinoLeffe</td><td>Albino and Leffe</td><td>AlbinoLeffe Stadium (Zanica)</td><td>1,791</td></tr><tr><td>Alcione</td><td>Milan</td><td>Stadio Breda (Sesto San Giovanni)</td><td>3,523</td></tr><tr><td>Arzignano Valchiampo</td><td>Arzignano</td><td>Dal Molin</td><td>1,690</td></tr><tr><td>Atalanta U23</td><td>Bergamo</td><td>Comunale di Caravaggio (Caravaggio)</td><td>2,180</td></tr><tr><td>Caldiero Terme</td><td>Caldiero</td><td>Mario Gavagnin-Sinibaldo Nocini (Verona)</td><td>1,500</td></tr><tr><td>Feralpisalò</td><td>Salò and Lonato del Garda</td><td>Stadio Lino Turina (Salò)</td><td>2,364</td></tr><tr><td>Giana Erminio</td><td>Gorgonzola</td><td>Città di Gorgonzola</td><td>3,766</td></tr><tr><td>Lecco</td><td>Lecco</td><td>Stadio Rigamonti-Ceppi</td><td>5,508</td></tr><tr><td>Lumezzane</td><td>Lumezzane</td><td>Tullio Saleri</td><td>4,150</td></tr><tr><td>Novara</td><td>Novara</td><td>Silvio Piola</td><td>17,875</td></tr><tr><td>Padova</td><td>Padua</td><td>Euganeo</td><td>32,420</td></tr><tr><td>Pergolettese</td><td>Crema</td><td>Giuseppe Voltini</td><td>4,095</td></tr><tr><td>Pro Patria</td><td>Busto Arsizio</td><td>Carlo Speroni</td><td>5,000</td></tr><tr><td>Pro Vercelli</td><td>Vercelli</td><td>Silvio Piola</td><td>5,526</td></tr><tr><td>Renate</td><td>Renate</td><td>Città di Meda (Meda)</td><td>2,500</td></tr><tr><td>Trento</td><td>Trento</td><td>Briamasco</td><td>3,000</td></tr><tr><td>Triestina</td><td>Trieste</td><td>Nereo Rocco</td><td>26,566</td></tr><tr><td>Union Clodiense Chioggia</td><td>Chioggia</td><td>Mario Sandrini (Legnago)</td><td>2,152</td></tr><tr><td>Vicenza</td><td>Vicenza</td><td>Romeo Menti</td><td>17,163</td></tr><tr><td>Virtus Verona</td><td>Verona</td><td>Mario Gavagnin-Sinibaldo Nocini</td><td>1,500</td></tr></tbody></table>

Group B (Centre)

4 teams from Tuscany, 3 teams from Emilia-Romagna, 3 teams from Umbria, 2 teams from Abruzzo, 2 teams from Liguria, 2 teams from Marche, 1 team from Sardinia, 1 team from Lombardy, 1 team from Veneto and 1 team from Molise.

<table><thead><tr><th>Club</th><th>City</th><th>Stadium</th><th>Capacity</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Arezzo</td><td>Arezzo</td><td>Città di Arezzo</td><td>13,128</td></tr><tr><td>Ascoli</td><td>Ascoli Piceno</td><td>Cino e Lillo Del Duca</td><td>12,461</td></tr><tr><td>Campobasso</td><td>Campobasso</td><td>Nuovo Romagnoli</td><td>21,800</td></tr><tr><td>Carpi</td><td>Carpi</td><td>Sandro Cabassi</td><td>5,510</td></tr><tr><td>Gubbio</td><td>Gubbio</td><td>Pietro Barbetti</td><td>4,939</td></tr><tr><td>Legnago</td><td>Legnago</td><td>Mario Sandrini</td><td>2,152</td></tr><tr><td>Lucchese</td><td>Lucca</td><td>Porta Elisa</td><td>12,800</td></tr><tr><td>Milan Futuro</td><td>Milan</td><td>Comunale (Solbiate Arno)</td><td>4,500</td></tr><tr><td>Perugia</td><td>Perugia</td><td>Renato Curi</td><td>23,625</td></tr><tr><td>Pescara</td><td>Pescara</td><td>Adriatico – Giovanni Cornacchia</td><td>20,515</td></tr><tr><td>Pianese</td><td>Piancastagnaio</td><td>Comunale</td><td>1,500</td></tr><tr><td>Pineto</td><td>Pineto</td><td>Pavone-Mariani</td><td>1,500</td></tr><tr><td>Pontedera</td><td>Pontedera</td><td>Ettore Mannucci</td><td>2,700</td></tr><tr><td>Rimini</td><td>Rimini</td><td>Romeo Neri</td><td>9,768</td></tr><tr><td>Sestri Levante</td><td>Sestri Levante</td><td>Stadio Alberto Picco (La Spezia)</td><td>11,466</td></tr><tr><td>SPAL</td><td>Ferrara</td><td>Paolo Mazza</td><td>16,134</td></tr><tr><td>Torres</td><td>Sassari</td><td>Vanni Sanna</td><td>7,480</td></tr><tr><td>Ternana</td><td>Terni</td><td>Libero Liberati</td><td>17,460</td></tr><tr><td>Virtus Entella</td><td>Chiavari</td><td>Comunale di Chiavari</td><td>5,587</td></tr><tr><td>Vis Pesaro</td><td>Pesaro</td><td>Tonino Benelli</td><td>4,898</td></tr></tbody></table>

Group C (South)

Seven teams from Campania, five from Apulia, three from Sicily, two teams from Basilicata, one team from Lazio, one team from Calabria, and one from Piedmont.

<table><thead><tr><th>Club</th><th>City</th><th>Stadium</th><th>Capacity</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Audace Cerignola</td><td>Cerignola</td><td>Domenico Monterisi</td><td>7,453</td></tr><tr><td>Avellino</td><td>Avellino</td><td>Partenio-Adriano Lombardi</td><td>26,000</td></tr><tr><td>Benevento</td><td>Benevento</td><td>Ciro Vigorito</td><td>16,867</td></tr><tr><td>Casertana</td><td>Caserta</td><td>Alberto Pinto</td><td>12,000</td></tr><tr><td>Catania</td><td>Catania</td><td>Angelo Massimino</td><td>20,204</td></tr><tr><td>Cavese</td><td>Cava de' Tirreni</td><td>Simonetta Lamberti</td><td>5,200</td></tr><tr><td>Crotone</td><td>Crotone</td><td>Ezio Scida</td><td>16,640</td></tr><tr><td>Foggia</td><td>Foggia</td><td>Pino Zaccheria</td><td>25,085</td></tr><tr><td>Giugliano</td><td>Giugliano in Campania</td><td>Alberto De Cristofaro</td><td>6,044</td></tr><tr><td>Juventus Next Gen</td><td>Turin</td><td>Giuseppe Moccagatta (Alessandria)</td><td>5,926</td></tr><tr><td>Latina</td><td>Latina</td><td>Domenico Francioni</td><td>9,310</td></tr><tr><td>Messina</td><td>Messina</td><td>San Filippo-Franco Scoglio</td><td>38,722</td></tr><tr><td>Monopoli</td><td>Monopoli</td><td>Vito Simone Veneziani</td><td>6,880</td></tr><tr><td>Picerno</td><td>Picerno</td><td>Donato Curcio</td><td>1,500</td></tr><tr><td>Potenza</td><td>Potenza</td><td>Alfredo Viviani</td><td>4,977</td></tr><tr><td>Sorrento</td><td>Sorrento</td><td>Italia</td><td>3,600</td></tr><tr><td>Taranto</td><td>Taranto</td><td>Erasmo Iacovone</td><td>27,584</td></tr><tr><td>Team Altamura</td><td>Altamura</td><td>Franco Fanuzzi (Brindisi)</td><td>7,462</td></tr><tr><td>Trapani</td><td>Trapani</td><td>Provinciale</td><td>7,000</td></tr><tr><td>Turris</td><td>Torre del Greco</td><td>Amerigo Liguori</td><td>3,566</td></tr></tbody></table>

Seasons in Serie C

This is the complete list of the clubs that took part in the 38 Serie C seasons played from the 1935–36 season until the 1977–78 season (participation in the editions of the 1945–46, 1946–47 and 1947–48 seasons, championships that due to World War II, are excluded from the list as they were divided into two completely independent leagues), the three Lega Pro seasons played from the 2014–15 season until the 2016–17 season, and from the 2017–18 season. The teams in bold competed in Serie C in the 2021–22 season.

• 35 times: Lecce • 33 times: Piacenza • 31 times: Cosenza • 30 times: Prato • 29 times: Cremonese, Empoli, Salernitana, Siracusa, Treviso • 28 times: Biellese, Rimini • 27 times: Ravenna • 26 times: Ancona, Arezzo, Legnano • 25 times: Savona, Siena • 24 times: Mestre, Sambenedettese • 23 times: Mantova, Pistoiese • 22 times: Casertana, Chieti, Crotone, Lecco, Maceratese, Trapani • 21 times: Parma, Reggina • 20 times: Forlì, Grosseto, Lucchese, Pescara, Pro Patria, Sanremese, Taranto • 19 times: Ascoli, Carrarese, Casale, L'Aquila, Livorno, Marzotto, Pisa, Seregno, Spezia, Udinese • 18 times: Foggia, Pro Vercelli, Reggiana • 17 times: Alessandria, Barletta, Entella, Marsala, Potenza • 16 times: Juve Stabia, Messina, Monza, Pavia, Torres, Varese, Venezia, Vigevano • 15 times: Brindisi, Catanzaro, Monfalcone, Perugia, Pontedera • 14 times: Avellino, Benevento, Padova, Savoia • 13 times: Bolzano, Cesena, Como, Gallaratese, Massese, Matera, Rapallo, SPAL • 12 times: Akragas, Crema, Jesi, Fano, Olbia, Pordenone, Pro Gorizia, Sestrese, Solbiatese, Trento, Triestina, Vis Pesaro • 11 times: Asti, Carbosarda, Catania, Derthona, Fanfulla, Teramo, Ternana • 10 times: Acireale, Carpi, Montevarchi, Omegna, Signa, • 9 times: Baracca Lugo, Cagliari, Molfetta, Ponziana, Rovigo, Trani, Vastese, Viareggio • 8 times: Bisceglie, Civitavecchia, Falck, Forlimpopoli, Giulianova, Grion Pola, Ilva Bagnolese, Piombino, Sangiovannese, Sorrento • 7 times: Acqui, Audace, Bari, Clodia Sottomarina, Cuneo, Fiumana, Gubbio, Imolese, Imperia, Ivrea, Nocerina, Novara, Saronno, Turris, Verbania • 6 times: Ampelea, Bassano Virtus, Belluno, Caratese, Latina, MATER, Modena, Paganese, Pontedecimo, Ponte San Pietro, Rivarolese, Rovereto, Tevere Roma, Vittorio Veneto, Vicenza, Viterbese • 5 times: Andrea Doria, Cantù, Foligno, Frosinone, Juventus Domo, Palazzolo, Pinerolo, Pro Lissone, Redaelli Rogoredo, Riccione, Rosignano Solvay, San Donà, Schio, Trevigliese, Vado • 4 times: Alba Roma, AlbinoLeffe, Alfa Romeo, Battipagliese, Cavese, Cecina, Città di Castello, Colleferro, Edera Trieste, FeralpiSalò, Fermana, Fossanese, Fucecchio, Giana Erminio, Pro Piacenza, Internapoli, Manfredonia, Martina Franca, Massiminiana, Monsummanese, Nardò, Nissa, Orbetello, Pirelli, Renate, Sant'Angelo, Santarcangelo, Saviglianese, SIAI Marchetti, Südtirol, Suzzara, Toma Maglie • 3 times: Albenga, Aosta, Armando Casalini, Arsenale Venezia, Campobasso, Cerignola, Cirio, Civitanovese, Fidelis Andria, Forte dei Marmi, Gerli, Igea Virtus, Juventus Siderno, Libertas Trieste, Lumezzane, Lupa Roma, Meda, Melfi, Molinella, Monopoli, Mortara, Palmese, Parabiago, Pieris, Rieti, Scafatese, SIME Popoli, Tuttocuoio, Villasanta, Vogherese • 2 times: Agrigento, Ala Littoria, Albese, Amatori Bologna, Breda, Bondenese, Cinzano, Codogno, Dipendenti Municipali La Spezia, Enna, FEDIT, Fondi, Galliate, Ischia Isolaverde, Lanciano, Luino, Magenta, Novese, Panigale, Pergocrema, Pietro Resta, Pro Italia, Racing Roma, Rizzoli, Sora, Sparta Novara, Tivoli, Varazze, Verona, Virtus Francavilla, VV.FF. Palermo, VV.FF. Roma • 1 time: 94º Reparto Reggimento Distrettuale, Abbiategrasso, Alcamo, Andreanelli, Ardens, A.R.S.A., Arzachena, Aullese, Aversa Normanna, Avio Calcio, Avio Squadra, Aviosicula Palermo, Brescia, Budrio, Cantiere Tosi, Caproni, Centese, Centrale del Latte di Genova, Chinotto Neri, Cittadella, Corniglianese, Cossatese, Cynthia, FIAT Torino, Fortitudo Trieste, Gavinovese, Gavorrano, Genoa, Giovinezza, Guastalla, Ilva Savona, Isotta Fraschini, Juve Pomigliano, Juventina Palermo, Lanciotto, Legnago, Luparense, Magazzini Generali, Marzotto Manerbio, Melzo, Mirandolese, Mogliano, Montebelluna, Palermo-Juventina, Pellizzari Arzignano, Pro Enna, Pro San Giorgio, Pro Sesto, Ragusa, Real Vicenza, R.S.T. Littorio, San Marino, Sebinia, Sestri Levante, Settimese, Sicula Leonzio, Tenente Mario Passamonte, Torviscosa, Ventimigliese, Vigor Lamezia, Villafranca, Vincenzo Benini, Virtus Spoleto, Vis Nova, Vittorio Necchi, Vibonese

Champions

Serie C

For Serie C1 and Lega Pro Prima Divisione winners, see Lega Pro Prima Divisione and for Serie C2 and Lega Pro Seconda Divisione winners, see Lega Pro Seconda Divisione between 1978–79 and 2013–14