Pro Vercelli’s President describes Serie B “chaos”, as it’s not clear who will replace Bari and Cesena.
The two clubs failed to register for the 2018-19 season due to financial difficulties, and will be declared bankrupt.
Provided the mayor of the respective cities can find new investors, the two clubs will start again in Serie D, while Avellino have been granted more time to come up with a guarantor so they can register.
Pro Vercelli’s President describes Serie B “chaos”, as it’s not clear who will replace Bari and Cesena.
The two clubs failed to register for the 2018-19 season due to financial difficulties, and will be declared bankrupt.
Provided the mayor of the respective cities can find new investors, the two clubs will start again in Serie D, while Avellino have been granted more time to come up with a guarantor so they can register.
What is certain though is that there will be two, possibly three vacancies in next year's second division.
That leaves the situation in Serie B unclear, with Ternana, Pro Vercelli, Novara and Virtus Entella relegated.
Some of those clubs could be granted a reprieve, since there will be at least two spaces, but it’s not clear who will take the places.
Novara, who finished 20th, were not eligible to take Cesena’s place, as in 2015 they were sanctioned for failing to play salaries and contributions for May, June, November and December 2014.
However, the club appealed to the FIGC, pointing out that the rules at the time were different, so they couldn’t have known that not paying salaries would incur such a penalty.
Yesterday they won that appeal, so they would now appear to be eligible to replace one of the bankrupt teams.
Previously Virtus Entella and Siena – who reached the Lega Pro play-off final – were believed to be the top two candidates to replace Bari and Cesena, with Pro Vercelli in third.
With this judgement though, Novara would now be eligible, shunting Pro down since they finished above them last season.
“Until the official table is released it’s pointless to speculate,” Massimo Secondo, the Pro Vercelli President, told ItaSportPress.
“This is chaos.”