Almost all of Ligurian football was ”rooting” for Cairese as they competed in the Eccellenza national play-offs. The yellow-blues’ promotion to D kicks off a series of repechages in the regional championships. Not only that: the victory of Cairese (over FC Terni) and that of Fossano in the other play-off against Ciliverghe could also change the fate of Fezzanese, who could be diverted from group A of Serie D with the Ligurians and Piedmontese to the Tuscan group E -Umbrian. In fact, in group A will arrive the fallen noble Alessandria relegated from C, the newly promoted from the Ligurian Excellence Imperia and Cairese, those of the Piedmontese Excellence Borgaro, Saluzzo and Fossano. Total, 21 teams with the need to move one of them: the most probable hypothesis is that Varese could be included in group B, thus finding their ‘cousins’ of Varesina, the other is Fezzanese’s move to nearby Tuscany where they also play already the national Junior team. While waiting to know the composition of the groups, the National Amateur League has established the dates of the next Serie D championship which will be 8 September, preceded by the Italian Cup which will start on 25 August; for the national junior championship kicks off on September 14th.
As mentioned, Cairese’s promotion to Serie D frees up a place in Eccellenza which will be occupied by Praese, in a championship which will no longer have teams from La Spezia among its participants after the relegation of Forza e Coraggio. There are 8 teams from La Spezia in promotion: Forza e Coraggio, Canaletto Sepor, Don Bosco, Intercomunale Beverino, Levanto, Magra Azzurri, Tarros Sarzanese and the newly promoted Follo. These teams will be included as usual in group B with the 8 Genoese teams, among these the Panchina Chiavari which, thanks to Cairese’s passage to D, was fished out having finished third in the regional final phase of the First Category playoffs, which had already established the promotion of Superba and Argentina.
Brugnato, which finished fourth in the playoffs, therefore remains in the first category where it will find Amegliese Iron Fox, Arcola Garibaldina (even if the future of the club is at great risk), Bolanese, Castelnovese, Colli di Luni, Marolacquasanta, Riccò Le Rondini, Santerenzina and the two newly promoted Riomaior and Romito Magra Auser. To complete the group, which will be made up of 16 teams, there will be 5 Genoese clubs. In fact, from next season the First Category groups will go from the current 5 with 14 teams each to 4 with 16 participants.
Paolo Gaeta
