Lega Serie A

For the basketball league, see Lega Basket Serie A. For the volleyball league, see Lega Pallavolo Serie A.
Lega Nazionale Professionisti Serie A
Country Italy
Confederation UEFA
Founded 2010
Divisions Serie A
Number of teams 20
Level on pyramid 1
Relegation to Lega Serie B
Domestic cup(s) Coppa Italia
Supercoppa Italiana
International cup(s) Champions League
Europa League
Current champions Juventus
(2012–13)
Most championships Juventus (29 titles)
TV partners SKY
Mediaset Premium
Website legaseriea.it
2014–15 Serie A

The Lega Nazionale Professionisti Serie A (Italian for National League of Professionals Serie A), commonly known as Lega Serie A (Serie A League), is the governing body that runs the major professional football competitions in Italy, most prominently the Serie A.

It was founded on 1 July 2010. In the past the television rights of the Serie A clubs were sold separately, and the league "Serie A" had to financial support Serie B through divided part of the Serie A TV revenues to Serie B clubs. On 30 April 2009, Serie A announced a split from Serie B. Nineteen of the twenty clubs voted in favour of the move. Relegation-threatened Lecce voted against.[1][2][3][4]

The governing body took over most of the competitions formerly held by Lega Calcio, namely Serie A, Coppa Italia, Supercoppa Italiana, and youth competitions Campionato Nazionale Primavera, Coppa Italia Primavera, and Supercoppa Primavera. The Serie B, instead, is now organised by the Lega Serie B, also created in 2010.

Competition

League

Main article: Serie A

There are 20 clubs in Serie A. During the course of a season (generally from August to May) each club plays the others twice (a double round robin system), once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents, for a total of 38 games. Teams receive three points for a win and one point for a draw; no points are awarded for a loss. Teams are ranked by total points; the club with the most points is crowned champion at the end of each season. If two teams are equal on points, they're ranked by points scored in head-to-head matches, then by goal difference in said games, then by goal difference in all games and then by total numbers of goals scored. If still equal, teams are deemed to occupy the same position. However, if following the application of the above-mentioned tiebreaker criteria there is still a tie for the championship, for relegation, or for qualification to other competitions, positions will be decided by drawing of lots.[5] The three lowest placed teams are relegated in Serie B and the top two teams from Serie B, together with the winner of play-offs involving the third to sixth placed clubs, are promoted in their place.[5]

Cup

Main article: Coppa Italia

The Lega Serie A organizes the main Italian cup competition, the Coppa Italia, which is open also to all Serie B clubs and some clubs from the Lega Pro and the LND.

Super Cup

Main article: Supercoppa Italiana

The Lega Serie A also organizes the Supercoppa Italiana, a yearly match between the champions of the Serie A and the winners of the Coppa Italia.

Youth competitions

Youth teams of Lega Serie A clubs play in the Campionato Nazionale Primavera, as well as competing in their own cup competitions, such as the Coppa Italia Primavera and the Supercoppa Primavera.

Footballs

The Nike Seitiro is the official match football of the Lega Serie A and is used by all 20 teams in league games. The same football is used in all Coppa Italia games and the Supercoppa Italiana.[6]

List of Lega Serie A presidents

References

  1. ↑ "Serie A to form breakaway league". BBC Sport. 30 April 2009. Retrieved 2 July 2010.
  2. ↑ Serie A clubs to set up their own league - Washington Post
  3. ↑ "Serie A set for breakaway". Sky Sports. 30 April 2009. Retrieved 2 July 2010.
  4. ↑ Italian league splits in two after meeting ends in stalemate - Guardian
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Comunicato ufficiale n. 28/a" (PDF) (in Italian). Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio. 18 July 2008. Retrieved 3 July 2010.
  6. ↑ "Presentato il Nike Seitiro". legaseriea.it (in Italian) (Lega Nazionale Professionisti Serie A). 30 June 2011. Retrieved 4 September 2011.
  7. ↑ "Lega di A: gli organi dirigenti". FC Internazionale Milano (in Italian) (www.inter.it). 1 July 2010. Retrieved 2 July 2010.
  8. ↑ "Comunicato Ufficiale n° 1". Comunicati Segreteria - Lega Serie A (in Italian). 1 July 2010. Retrieved 2 July 2010.

External links