The 2017–18 Serie C was the 59th season of the Serie C, the third tier of the Italian football league system, organized by the Lega Pro (which restored the classic name of the championship).
Livorno, Padova and Lecce won their respective groups and were promoted directly to Serie B. Cosenza secured the fourth promotion place by defeating Siena 3-1 in the play-off final in Pescara, returning to Serie B after 15 years.
Teams
A total of 60 teams were expected to contest the league, including 4 sides relegated from the 2016–17 Serie B season, 47 sides who played the 2016–17 Lega Pro season, and 9 sides promoted from the 2016–17 Serie D.
On 24 May 2017 Latina, just relegated to Lega Pro from Serie B, was declared insolvent and excluded from the Italian football league system, thus creating a first vacancy in the league composition.
Como did not obtain the necessary federal licence before 30 June 2017, the latest possible date to enrol in the 2017–18 league, and were subsequently excluded creating a second vacancy.
On 6 July, FIGC's Co.Vi.So.C announced that Akragas, Maceratese, Mantova and Messina did not submit a copy of their bank guarantees. Maceratese, Mantova and Messina chose not to file appeals and were excluded from the division, however, Akragas, Arezzo, Fidelis Andria, Juve Stabia and Modena all successfully appealed the initial decision and on 20 July it was confirmed that they would all remain in the division.
On 4 August, Triestina was declared the only eligible club to compete in Serie C as a replacement for the excluded ones. This brought the number of clubs that will compete in the 2017–18 Serie C down from 60 to 56.
On 11 August Rende was also declared eligible to compete in Serie C, so the final number of teams was 57, divided into three groups of 19 teams each.
On 6 November, Modena was officially excluded from the league and dissolved after failing to attend four consecutive matches due to financial irregularities. All matches involving Modena were annulled and the Group B standings were recalculated.
Format changes Because only 57 clubs were admitted to the league, the competition was divided into three groups of 19 teams. For the 2017-18 season, the number of regulations to Serie D was temporarily reduced from nine to six. The promotion play-offs involved 28 teams: the clubs finishing between second and tenth place in each group, together with the winner of the Coppa Italia Serie C.
Relegated from Serie B Trapani Vicenza Pisa
Promoted from Serie D Cuneo (Girone A winners) Monza (Girone B winners) Mestre (Girone C winners) Ravenna (Girone D winners) Gavorrano (Girone E winners) Fermana (Girone F winners) Arzachena (Girone G winners) Bisceglie (Girone H winners) Leonzio (Girone I winners) Triestina (Girone C runner-up and playoff winner)
Stadia and locations
Group A (North & Central West) 10 teams from Tuscany, 2 teams from Lombardy, 2 teams from Piedmont, 2 teams from Sardinia, 2 teams from Emilia-Romagna and 1 team from Lazio.
Club City Stadium Capacity Alessandria Alessandria Giuseppe Moccagatta 5,827 Arezzo Arezzo Città di Arezzo 13,128 Arzachena Arzachena Biagio Pirina 3,100 Carrarese Carrara Dei Marmi 9,500 Cuneo Cuneo Fratelli Paschiero 4,000 Gavorrano Gavorrano Romeo Malservisi 2,000 Giana Erminio Gorgonzola Città di Gorgonzola 3,766 Livorno Livorno Armando Picchi 19,238 Lucchese Lucca Porta Elisa 7,386 Monza Monza Brianteo 18,568 Olbia Olbia Bruno Nespoli 3,200 Piacenza Piacenza Leonardo Garilli 21,668 Pisa Pisa Arena Garibaldi – Romeo Anconetani 25,000 Pistoiese Pistoia Marcello Melani 13,195 Pontedera Pontedera Ettore Mannucci 5,000 Prato Prato Lungobisenzio 6,750 Pro Piacenza Piacenza Leonardo Garilli 21,668 Siena Siena Montepaschi Arena 15,373 Viterbese Viterbo Enrico Rocchi 5,500
Group B (North & Central East) 4 teams from Emilia-Romagna, 4 teams from Veneto, 3 teams from Marche, 3 teams from Lombardy, 2 teams from Friuli-Venezia Giulia, 1 team from Abruzzo, 1 team from Trentino-Alto Adige and 1 team from Umbria.
Club City Stadium Capacity AlbinoLeffe Albino and Leffe Atleti Azzurri d'Italia (Bergamo) 21,300 Bassano Virtus Bassano del Grappa Rino Mercante 2,952 Fano Fano Raffaele Mancini 8,800 FeralpiSalò Salò Lino Turina 2,500 Fermana Fermo Bruno Recchioni 9,500 Gubbio Gubbio Pietro Barbetti 5,300 Mestre Venice Francesco Baracca 2,000 ModenaOn 6 November, Modena was officially excluded from the league and dissolved after failing to attended four consecutive matches due to financial irregularities. Modena Alberto Braglia 21,151 Padova Padua Euganeo 19,740 Pordenone Pordenone Ottavio Bottecchia 3,000 Ravenna Ravenna Bruno Benelli 12,020 Reggiana Reggio Emilia Città del Tricolore 20,084 Renate Renate Città di Meda (Meda) 3,000 Sambenedettese San Benedetto del Tronto Riviera delle Palme 14,995 Santarcangelo Santarcangelo di Romagna Valentino Mazzola 3,000 Südtirol Bolzano/Bozen Druso 3,500 Teramo Teramo Gaetano Bonolis 7,498 Triestina Trieste Nereo Rocco 32,454 Vicenza Vicenza Romeo Menti 12,000
Group C (South) 5 teams from Sicily, 5 teams from Apulia, 4 teams from Calabria, 3 teams from Campania, 1 team from Lazio and 1 team from Basilicata.
Club City Stadium Capacity Akragas Agrigento Esseneto 15,000 Bisceglie Bisceglie Gustavo Ventura 5,000 Casertana Caserta Alberto Pinto 12,000 Catania Catania Angelo Massimino 20,266 Catanzaro Catanzaro Nicola Ceravolo 14,650 Cosenza Cosenza San Vito 24,479 Fidelis Andria Andria Degli Ulivi 9,140 Fondi Fondi Domenico Purificato 2,500 Juve Stabia Castellammare di Stabia Romeo Menti 7,642 Lecce Lecce Via del Mare 33,876 Matera Matera Stadio XXI Settembre-Franco Salerno 8,500 Monopoli Monopoli Vito Simone Veneziani 6,880 Paganese Pagani Marcello Torre 5,900 Reggina Reggio Calabria Oreste Granillo 27,454 Rende Rende Marco Lorenzon 5,000 Sicula Leonzio Lentini Angelino Nobile 2,500 Siracusa Siracusa Nicola De Simone 6,870 Trapani Trapani Polisportivo Provinciale 7,000 Virtus Francavilla Francavilla Fontana Giovanni Paolo II 5,000
League tables
Group A (North & Central West)
Group B (North & Central East)
Group C (South)
Promotion play-offs
First round If tied, higher-placed team advances.
Second round If tied, higher-placed team advances.
Third round If tied on aggregate, higher-placed team advances
Notes
Fourth round If tied on aggregate, higher-placed team advances
Final four
No away goal rule applies. If tied after regular time, semifinal winner decided by extra-time and penalty shootout
Cosenza promoted to Serie B.
Relegation play-outs Loser on aggregate is relegated. Higher-placed team plays at home for second leg. If tied on aggregate, lower-placed team is relegated.
Top goalscorers
RankPlayerClubGoals1 Simone Guerra2Feralpisalò212 Daniele VantaggiatoLivorno193 Francesco TavanoCarrarese184 Rocco Costantino3Südtirol175 Davis Curiale1Catania166 Daniele RagatzuOlbia157 Salvatore BrunoGiana Erminio14 Fabio Perna Massimiliano Pesenti2Piacenza Andrea SaranitiVirtus Francavilla
Note 1Player scored 1 goal in the play-offs. 2Player scored 2 goals in the play-offs. 3Player scored 3 goals in the play-offs.
References