The 2012–13 Serie B (known as the Serie bwin for sponsorship reasons) is the 81st season since its establishment in 1929. A total of 22 teams will contest the league: 16 of which returning from the 2011–12 season, 4 of which promoted from Lega Pro Prima Divisione, and two relegated from Serie A. Puma replaced Nike as manufacturer of the official Serie B match ball, a relationship that continues today.
The league featured two clubs relegated from Serie A: Novara returned to the second division after only a single season in the top flight, whereas Cesena were relegated after a two-year stint.
Four teams were promoted from Lega Pro Prima Divisione, one of them returning to Serie B after a significant absence and one of them will play Serie B for the first time in their history, Pro Vercelli after 64 years, Ternana after 6 years, while Spezia will take part to Serie B after 4 years. The fourth promoted team, Virtus Lanciano will make debut in Serie B.
Grosseto and Lecce were provisionally, not yet enforceable, condemned to relegation to Lega Pro Prima Divisione, due to a large match fixing scandal involving Italian football; both clubs appealed the decision to the Italian Football Federation's Court of Justice. In appeal, Grosseto was acquitted from all charges and readmitted to Serie B, whereas Lecce's relegation was confirmed. Lecce already announced its intention to appeal the decision at the TNAS (National Sports Arbitration Court, at the Italian Olympic Committee level), but not blocking the relegation being immediately enforceable. On 23 August 2012, FIGC officially communicated that Vicenza were to replace Lecce, and there has been a possibility of extending the transfer window as regards Grosseto and Vicenza.
Changes from last season
Team changes
From Serie B Promoted to Serie A Pescara Torino Sampdoria
Relegated to Lega Pro Prima Divisione AlbinoLeffe Gubbio Nocerina
To Serie B Relegated from Serie A Novara Cesena
Promoted from Lega Pro Prima Divisione (Girone A) Ternana Pro Vercelli
Promoted from Lega Pro Prima Divisione (Girone B) Spezia Virtus Lanciano
Teams
Stadia and locations
Team Home city Stadium Capacity 2011–12 season Ascoli Ascoli Piceno Cino e Lillo Del Duca 15th in the Serie B Bari Bari San Nicola 13th in the Serie B Brescia Brescia Mario Rigamonti 8th in the Serie B Cesena Cesena Dino Manuzzi 20th in the Serie A Cittadella Cittadella Pier Cesare Tombolato 16th in the Serie B Crotone Crotone Ezio Scida 11th in the Serie B Empoli Empoli Carlo Castellani 18th in the Serie B Grosseto Grosseto Carlo Zecchini 14th in the Serie B Hellas Verona Verona Marc'Antonio Bentegodi 4th in the Serie B Juve Stabia Castellammare di Stabia Romeo Menti 9th in the Serie B Livorno Livorno Armando Picchi 17th in the Serie B Modena Modena Alberto Braglia 12th in the Serie B Novara Novara Silvio Piola 19th in the Serie A Padova Padua Euganeo 7th in the Serie B Pro Vercelli Vercelli Silvio Piola The Prima Divisione/A play-off winners Reggina Reggio Calabria Oreste Granillo 10th in the Serie B Sassuolo Sassuolo(playing in Modena) Alberto Braglia 3rd in the Serie B Spezia La Spezia Alberto Picco The Prima Divisione/B Champions Ternana Terni Libero Liberati The Prima Divisione/A Champions Varese Varese Franco Ossola 5th in Serie B Vicenza Vicenza Romeo Menti 19th in the Serie B Virtus Lanciano Lanciano Guido Biondi The Prima Divisione/B play-off winners
Personnel and kits TeamPresidentManagerKit manufacturerShirt sponsorAscoli Roberto Benigni Massimo SilvaMax SportCarisap, CIAMBari Francesco Vinella Vincenzo TorrenteErreàFashion DistrictBrescia Gino Corioni Alessandro CaloriGivovaUBI Banco di Brescia, SAMACesena Igor Campedelli Pierpaolo BisoliAdidasTechnogymCittadella Andrea Gabrielli Claudio FoscariniGarmanSiderurgica Gabrielli, MetalserviceCrotone Raffaele Vrenna Massimo DragoZeusSovreco, Associazione Italiana Sclerosi MultiplaEmpoli Fabrizio Corsi Maurizio SarriRoyalNGM Mobile, Computer GrossGrosseto Piero Camilli Francesco MorieroErreàIndustria Lavorazione Carni Ovine, Banca della MaremmaHellas Verona Maurizio Setti Andrea MandorliniAsicsagsm/Leaderform, E-gò/Velox ServiziJuve Stabia Francesco Giglio Piero BragliaFly LinePaddy Power, MarigoLivorno Aldo Spinelli Davide NicolaLegeaBanca Carige, Gruppo SpinelliModena Pierluigi Grana Walter NovellinoGivovaCPL Concordia, CoopGasNovara Carlo Accornero Alfredo AgliettiJomaBanca Popolare di Novara, Intesa pour HommePadova Marcello Cestaro Franco ColombaJomaFamilaPro Vercelli Massimo Secondo Maurizio BraghinErreàGruppo Biancamano/Senior Service, Riso ViazzoReggina Lillo Foti Giuseppe PillonGivovaCiao Telecom, Stocco & StoccoSassuolo Carlo Rossi Eusebio Di FrancescoSportikaMapeiSpezia Matteo Volpi Luigi CagniLottoCarispezia, Gruppo FerlaTernana Edoardo Longarini Domenico ToscanoMacronNoneVarese Antonio Rosati Andrea AgostinelliAdidasOro in Euro, FatigatiVicenza Tiziano Cunico Alessandro Dal CantoMacronBanca Popolare di VicenzaVirtus Lanciano Valentina Maio Carmine GautieriLegeaGruppo Maio, Banca Popolare di Lanciano e Sulmona
Managerial changes Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of vacancy Position in table Replaced by Date of appointment Reggina End of contract Pre season Cesena Sassuolo Varese Signed by Catania Empoli End of contract Modena Padova Grosseto End of caretaker spell Cesena Sacked 10 September 2012 21st 11 September 2012 Grosseto 1 October 2012 20th 1 October 2012 Pro Vercelli 15 October 2012 18th 15 October 2012 Novara 31 October 2012 20th 31 October 2012 Novara 18 November 2012 21st 18 November 2012 Grosseto 18 November 2012 22nd 19 November 2012 Padova 5th Grosseto 18 December 2012 22nd Pro Vercelli 3 January 2013 21st 3 January 2013 Spezia 4 January 2013 12th 4 January 2013 Vicenza 28 January 2013 20th 28 January 2013 Grosseto 10 February 2013 22nd 11 February 2013 Spezia 23 February 2013 13th 23 February 2013 Ascoli 20 March 2013 16th 20 March 2013 Modena 20 March 2013 12th 20 March 2013 Padova 20 March 2013 8th 20 March 2013 Ascoli 13 April 2013 19th 13 April 2013 Varese 17 April 2013 7th 17 April 2013
League table
Promotion play-offs The higher placed team plays the second leg of the promotion playoff at home. If scores are tied after both games in the semifinals the higher placed team progresses to the final. The same conditions apply to the final except for there being extra time played if scores are tied after both games, the higher placed team will be promoted if scores are still level at the end of this period.
Results
Top goalscorers As of 13 May 2013. 24 goals Daniele Cacia (Hellas Verona) 22 goals Matteo Ardemagni (Modena) 21 goals Francesco Tavano (Empoli) 20 goals Paulinho (Livorno) 19 goals Marco Sansovini (Spezia) 18 goals Simone Zaza (Ascoli) 17 goals Osarimen Ebagua (Varese) Massimo Maccarone (Empoli) 16 goals Francesco Caputo (Bari) 15 goals Andrea Caracciolo (Brescia) Davide Succi (Cesena)
Attendances
# Club Average 1 Hellas 15,402 2 Cesena 9,551 3 Vicenza 6,931 4 Bari 6,591 5 Padova 5,873 6 Spezia 5,726 7 Livorno 5,667 8 Ternana 5,465 9 Modena 5,065 10 Novara 4,675 11 Sassuolo 4,465 12 Brescia 4,381 13 Crotone 3,767 14 Varese 3,564 15 Reggina 3,359 16 Ascoli 3,081 17 Empoli 2,648 18 Juve Stabia 2,479 19 Cittadella 2,359 20 Virtus Lanciano 2,184 21 Pro Vercelli 1,895 22 Grosseto 1,511Source:
References