*** Welcome to piglix ***

2009–10 Serie B

Serie B TIM
Season 2009–10
Champions Lecce
Promoted Lecce
Cesena
Brescia (by Play-off)
Relegated Salernitana
Gallipoli
Mantova
Ancona (excluded from Italian leagues)
Top goalscorer Éder (26 goals)
Biggest home win Cittadella 6–0 Mantova
Biggest away win Gallipoli 0–5 Vicenza

The 2009–10 Serie B season is the seventy-eighth edition since its establishment in 1929. Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the Serie A and Serie B.

A total of 22 teams contest the league, 15 of which returned from the 2008–09 season, four of which have been promoted from Lega Pro Prima Divisione, and three relegated from Serie A.

The list does not include Giuseppe Giannini's resignation from Gallipoli, who were announced on February 8, 2010 and withdrawn two days later following a meeting with club chairman Daniele D'Odorico.

The 2009–10 Serie B season will feature the return of seven-times Italian champions Torino, who were relegated from Serie A. Other teams relegated from the top flight include Reggina (after seven consecutive seasons in the Serie A) and Lecce (after only one season in the highest tier).

Four teams were promoted from Lega Pro Prima Divisione: Cesena, Crotone, Padova and newcomers Gallipoli. As of 10 August, Gallipoli did not manage to organize a squad for the league and were even without a head coach due to club issues (the club chairman being in talks with several third parties regarding a possible takeover); this also forced the club to play the Under-19 team for the second round of the Coppa Italia tournament, lost 6–1 to lower league outfit Lumezzane. The following day, Giuseppe Giannini returned to coach Gallipoli after a company from Udine took over the club.


...
Wikipedia

...