It almost seems unbelievable: at the end of June, the 2024-25 Serie C roster has already been defined, without the fearsome X or Y and without any legal repercussions. The hottest issue that ended up on the table of the Lega Pro Board of Directors, which met this morning in Florence, was the sorting of the second teams. For the first time, with three teams at the starting line (with Milan Futuro joining Juventus Next Gen and Atalanta U23), one team was to be placed in each group. And, in the absence of an agreement, the draw was held. Here are the official groups, which respond as closely as possible to strictly geographical criteria (North, Center, South).
group A
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The teams: AlbinoLeffe, Alcione, Arzignano, Atalanta U23, Caldiero, Clodiense, Feralpisalò, Giana, Lecco, Lumezzane, Novara, Padova, Pergolettese, Pro Patria, Pro Vercelli, Renate, Trento, Triestina, Vicenza, Virtus Verona. Atalanta U23 is the only B team to which the draw has granted respect for territoriality. The young Nerazzurri – who are based in Caravaggio, for home games – will challenge all the Lombard teams, starting with the third Milanese team (Alcione) who, however, will play in Fiorenzuola as they cannot rely (at least initially) on the Arena Civica. The northern group hosts two teams relegated from B – Feralpisalò and Lecco who have just changed ownership – and Vicenza, fresh from the playoff finals. Among the others, Padova and Triestina will still try to build teams aimed at jumping up a category.
group B
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The teams: Arezzo, Ascoli, Campobasso, Carpi, Entella, Gubbio, Legnago, Lucchese, Milan Futuro, Perugia, Pescara, Pianese, Pineto, Pontedera, Rimini, Sestri Levante, Spal, Ternana, Torres, Vis Pesaro. Milan Futuro will take its first steps in the heart of Italy. The draw has in fact placed Daniele Bonera’s boys in group B, which in the last season hosted Juventus Next Gen. Here too two were relegated from B: Ternana (led by Ignazio Abate: it will be a Rossoneri derby with Bonera) who lost the playout with Bari and Ascoli, which will start with Massimo Carrera on the bench but is in the limbo of a possible change of ownership. The balance of power needs to be deciphered: Perugia and Pescara are necessarily considered big due to their past, but they must try to rekindle the enthusiasm which is not that of the best days, in a city full of great passion. Joe Tacopina’s Spal is certainly looking for redemption, having not even reached the playoffs last season. For the young Rossoneri, in any case, fascinating away games will be planned: physiologically the one to the Adriatic is fascinating, the stadium where in the 1992-93 championship – the last of his career as a footballer – Marco Van Basten in a dominant version scored a hat-trick ( 5-4) easily findable on the web. Francesco Camarda wasn’t born yet, but – after recently receiving the “blessing” of the Dutch champion – he has material to study in view of “his” Pescara-Milan (Future).
group c
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The teams: Altamura, Avellino, Benevento, Casertana, Catania, Cavese, Cerignola, Crotone, Foggia, Giugliano, Juventus Next Gen, Latina, Messina, Monopoli, Picerno, Potenza, Sorrento, Taranto, Turris, Trapani. As often happens, the southern one gives the idea – at least on the eve – of expressing the highest average level, at least for those registered for the fight at the top. Juventus Next Gen ends up there for the first time in its history, entrusted to Paolo Montero and probably destined to gather enthusiasm when it shows up in squares in the South where Juventus support is widespread (in Foggia, among other things, the crossover is planned with the fresh ex Massimo Brambilla). To compete for B, they are ready to relaunch Avellino and Benevento, as disappointed semi-finalists in the last playoff. At the same time, fireworks are expected in Sicily: Catania, fresh from a headache-inducing year (in which they nevertheless lifted the Italian Cup), has chosen to rely on promotion wizard Mimmo Toscano. Trapani is a freshman, but the ambitions of president Valerio Antonini (“I will invest to win another championship immediately”) are clear.
