2021–22 Serie C
# 2021–22 Serie C

The 2021–22 Serie C was the eighth season of the unified Serie C division, the third tier of the Italian football league system.

## Changes

The league is composed by 60 teams, divided into three different groups. On 31 May 2021, the league committee decreed the three groups would be split horizontally in geographical terms, from north to south. The group composition was decided and formalized by the committee on 9 August.

The following teams have changed division since the 2020–21 season:

### Vacancies

On 6 July 2021, the Lega Pro football league announced Serie D Group A winners Gozzano had renounced on their promotion right, thus automatically creating a vacancy in the league.

On 9 July 2021, the Co.Vi.So.C. rejected league application of Carpi, Casertana, Novara, Paganese and Sambenedettese. All these clubs successively requested being admitted on appeal; in case that is denied, they would still have the opportunity for a further appeal at the Italian National Olympic Committee level. On 26 July 2021 the Italian National Olympic Committee admitted Paganese's reclaim.

## Events

On 9 April 2022, Catania was excluded from the league with immediate effect due to financial issues, with only four games left for them to play till the end of the regular season; all of the club's results were subsequently expunged.

## Group A (North)

### Stadia and locations

10 teams from Lombardy, 3 teams from Veneto, 2 teams from Emilia-Romagna, 2 teams from Piedmont, 2 teams from Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol and 1 team from Friuli Venezia Giulia.

| Club | City | Stadium | Capacity |
| - | - | - | - |
| AlbinoLeffe | Albino and Leffe | AlbinoLeffe Stadium (Zanica) Città di Gorgonzola (Gorgonzola) | 1,791 3,766 |
| Feralpisalò | Salò and Lonato del Garda | Lino Turina | 2,364 |
| Fiorenzuola | Fiorenzuola d'Arda | Comunale di Fiorenzuola d'Arda | 4,000 |
| Giana Erminio | Gorgonzola | Città di Gorgonzola | 3,766 |
| Juventus U23 | Turin | Giuseppe Moccagatta (Alessandria) | 5,926 |
| Lecco | Lecco | Rigamonti-Ceppi | 4,997 |
| Legnago | Legnago | Mario Sandrini | 2,152 |
| Mantova | Mantua | Danilo Martelli | 14,884 |
| Padova | Padua | Euganeo | 32,420 |
| Pergolettese | Crema | Giuseppe Voltini | 4,095 |
| Piacenza | Piacenza | Leonardo Garilli | 21,668 |
| Pro Patria | Busto Arsizio | Carlo Speroni | 5,000 |
| Pro Sesto | Sesto San Giovanni | Breda | 4,501 |
| Pro Vercelli | Vercelli | Silvio Piola | 5,505 |
| Renate | Renate | Città di Meda (Meda) | 2,500 |
| Seregno | Seregno | Ferruccio Carlo Speroni (Busto Arsizio) | 3,700 5,000 |
| Südtirol | Bolzano | Druso | 2,800 |
| Trento | Trento | Briamasco Lino Turina (Salò) | 4,200 2,364 |
| Triestina | Trieste | Nereo Rocco | 26,500 |
| Virtus Verona | Verona | Mario Gavagnin-Sinibaldo Nocini | 1,500 |

### Table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Südtirol (C, P) | 38 | 27 | 9 | 2 | 49 | 9 | +40 | 90 | Promotion to Serie B. Qualification for the Supercoppa di Serie C |
| 2 | Padova | 38 | 25 | 10 | 3 | 60 | 26 | +34 | 85 | Qualification for the promotion play-offs |
| 3 | Feralpisalò | 38 | 20 | 9 | 9 | 56 | 29 | +27 | 69 | Qualification for the promotion play-offs |
| 4 | Renate | 38 | 18 | 8 | 12 | 59 | 43 | +16 | 62 | Qualification for the promotion play-offs |
| 5 | Triestina | 38 | 15 | 10 | 13 | 41 | 41 | 0 | 55 | Qualification for the promotion play-offs |
| 6 | Lecco | 38 | 16 | 7 | 15 | 51 | 42 | +9 | 55 | Qualification for the promotion play-offs |
| 7 | Pro Vercelli | 38 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 41 | 40 | +1 | 55 | Qualification for the promotion play-offs |
| 8 | Juventus U23 | 38 | 15 | 9 | 14 | 43 | 43 | 0 | 54 | Qualification for the promotion play-offs |
| 9 | Piacenza | 38 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 44 | 46 | −2 | 50 | Qualification for the promotion play-offs |
| 10 | Pergolettese | 38 | 12 | 11 | 15 | 42 | 55 | −13 | 46 | Qualification for the promotion play-offs |
| 11 | Pro Patria | 38 | 10 | 15 | 13 | 38 | 45 | −7 | 45 | Qualification for the promotion play-offs |
| 12 | AlbinoLeffe | 38 | 10 | 15 | 13 | 42 | 43 | −1 | 45 | |
| 13 | Virtus Verona | 38 | 9 | 18 | 11 | 35 | 38 | −3 | 45 | |
| 14 | Fiorenzuola | 38 | 11 | 10 | 17 | 33 | 48 | −15 | 43 | |
| 15 | Mantova | 38 | 9 | 15 | 14 | 37 | 42 | −5 | 42 | |
| 16 | Trento (O) | 38 | 9 | 15 | 14 | 31 | 36 | −5 | 42 | Qualification for the relegation play-outs |
| 17 | Pro Sesto (O) | 38 | 8 | 14 | 16 | 33 | 46 | −13 | 38 | Qualification for the relegation play-outs |
| 18 | Seregno (R) | 38 | 7 | 13 | 18 | 41 | 55 | −14 | 34 | Qualification for the relegation play-outs |
| 19 | Giana Erminio (R) | 38 | 6 | 16 | 16 | 25 | 41 | −16 | 34 | Qualification for the relegation play-outs |
| 20 | Legnago (R) | 38 | 7 | 9 | 22 | 32 | 65 | −33 | 30 | Relegation to Serie D |

* 1 2 3 Triestina (5th placed) 9 points; Lecco 4 (-1); Pro Vercelli 4 (-2). (LEC-PVE 0-0; LEC-TRI 2-0; PVE-LEC 1-0; TRI-LEC 2-0; TRI-PVE 4-2; PVE-TRI 1-2). Lecco qualifies as sixth-placed due to higher head-to-head goal difference over Pro Vercelli.
* ↑ 1 point deducted due to financial irregularities.
* 1 2 3 Pro Patria qualifies to playoffs due to head-to-head matches: Pro Patria 7; Albinoleffe 6; Virtus Verona 2. (ALB-VVE 0-0; VVE-PPA 0-2; VVE-ALB 0-0; PPA-VVE 1-0; ALB-PPA 1-1; PPA-ALB 1-2)
* 1 2 Mantova escapes relegation playoffs due to head-to-head advantage over Trento. (Trento-Mantova 2-2; Mantova-Trento 1-0)
* 1 2 Seregno placed above Giana Erminio due to head-to-head advantage (Seregno-Giana Erminio 2-0; Giana Erminio-Seregno 0-0).

## Group B (Centre)

### Stadia and locations

7 teams from Tuscany, 4 teams from Emilia-Romagna, 3 teams from Marche, 2 teams from Abruzzo, 1 team from Lazio, 1 team from Liguria, 1 team from Sardinia and 1 team from Umbria.

| Club | City | Stadium | Capacity |
| - | - | - | - |
| Ancona-Matelica | Ancona | Del Conero | 23,976 |
| Carrarese | Carrara | Dei Marmi | 9,500 |
| Cesena | Cesena | Orogel Stadium-Dino Manuzzi | 20,194 |
| Fermana | Fermo | Bruno Recchioni | 8,850 |
| Grosseto | Grosseto | Carlo Zecchini | 9,988 |
| Gubbio | Gubbio | Pietro Barbetti | 4,939 |
| Imolese | Imola | Romeo Galli | 4,000 |
| Lucchese | Lucca | Porta Elisa | 12,800 |
| Modena | Modena | Alberto Braglia | 21,151 |
| Montevarchi | Montevarchi | Gastone Brilli Peri Ettore Mannucci (Pontedera) | 4,500 2,700 |
| Olbia | Olbia | Bruno Nespoli | 4,000 |
| Pescara | Pescara | Adriatico – Giovanni Cornacchia | 20,515 |
| Pistoiese | Pistoia | Marcello Melani | 13,195 |
| Pontedera | Pontedera | Ettore Mannucci | 2,700 |
| Reggiana | Reggio Emilia | Mapei Stadium – Città del Tricolore | 21,515 |
| Siena | Siena | Artemio Franchi | 15,373 |
| Teramo | Teramo | Gaetano Bonolis | 7,498 |
| Virtus Entella | Chiavari | Comunale di Chiavari | 5,587 |
| Vis Pesaro | Pesaro | Tonino Benelli | 4,898 |
| Viterbese | Viterbo | Enrico Rocchi | 5,460 |

### Table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Modena (C, P) | 38 | 27 | 7 | 4 | 69 | 25 | +44 | 88 | Promotion to Serie B. Qualification for the Supercoppa di Serie C |
| 2 | Reggiana | 38 | 25 | 11 | 2 | 72 | 26 | +46 | 86 | Qualification for the promotion play-offs |
| 3 | Cesena | 38 | 18 | 13 | 7 | 53 | 31 | +22 | 67 | Qualification for the promotion play-offs |
| 4 | Virtus Entella | 38 | 19 | 8 | 11 | 62 | 40 | +22 | 65 | Qualification for the promotion play-offs |
| 5 | Pescara | 38 | 17 | 14 | 7 | 56 | 41 | +15 | 65 | Qualification for the promotion play-offs |
| 6 | Ancona-Matelica | 38 | 16 | 9 | 13 | 61 | 50 | +11 | 57 | Qualification for the promotion play-offs |
| 7 | Gubbio | 38 | 12 | 16 | 10 | 53 | 44 | +9 | 52 | Qualification for the promotion play-offs |
| 8 | Lucchese | 38 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 39 | 39 | 0 | 50 | Qualification for the promotion play-offs |
| 9 | Olbia | 38 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 44 | 47 | −3 | 46 | Qualification for the promotion play-offs |
| 10 | Carrarese | 38 | 10 | 15 | 13 | 39 | 55 | −16 | 45 | Qualification for the promotion play-offs |
| 11 | Vis Pesaro | 38 | 11 | 12 | 15 | 35 | 56 | −21 | 45 | |
| 12 | Montevarchi | 38 | 12 | 9 | 17 | 41 | 55 | −14 | 45 | |
| 13 | Siena | 38 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 40 | 41 | −1 | 44 | |
| 14 | Pontedera | 38 | 11 | 10 | 17 | 38 | 56 | −18 | 43 | |
| 15 | Teramo (D) | 38 | 10 | 12 | 16 | 36 | 57 | −21 | 42 | Excluded |
| 16 | Viterbese (O) | 38 | 8 | 15 | 15 | 44 | 51 | −7 | 39 | Qualification for the relegation play-outs |
| 17 | Imolese (O) | 38 | 8 | 13 | 17 | 42 | 56 | −14 | 37 | Qualification for the relegation play-outs |
| 18 | Pistoiese (R) | 38 | 8 | 12 | 18 | 40 | 59 | −19 | 36 | Qualification for the relegation play-outs |
| 19 | Fermana | 38 | 7 | 14 | 17 | 31 | 49 | −18 | 35 | Readmitted |
| 20 | Grosseto (R) | 38 | 5 | 15 | 18 | 30 | 47 | −17 | 30 | Relegation to Serie D |

* 1 2 Virtus Entella qualifies as fourth-placed due to goal difference, as head-to-head matches against Pescara ended in two draws (ENT-PES 2-2; PES-ENT 0-0).
* 1 2 3 Carrarese qualifies to playoffs as having achieved more points in head-to-head matches against Vis Pesaro and Montevarchi. Carrarese 6 points; Vis Pesaro 5; Montevarchi 3. (CAR-MON 2-2; VPE-CAR 0-0; MON-CAR 1-1; CAR-VPE 4-1; MON-VPE 1-1; VPE-MON 2-0)
* ↑ Imolese were originally deducted 2 points due to irregularities in the club takeover. The deduction was successively revoked on appeal.

## Group C (South)

### Stadia and locations

6 teams from Apulia, 4 teams from Campania, 3 teams from Sicily, 2 teams from Basilicata, 2 teams from Calabria, 2 teams from Lazio and 1 team from Molise.

| Club | City | Stadium | Capacity |
| - | - | - | - |
| ACR Messina | Messina | San Filippo-Franco Scoglio Luigi Razza (Vibo Valentia) | 38,722 6,000 |
| Avellino | Avellino | Partenio-Adriano Lombardi | 26,308 |
| Bari | Bari | San Nicola | 58,270 |
| Campobasso | Campobasso | Nuovo Romagnoli | 25,000 |
| Catania | Catania | Angelo Massimino | 20,016 |
| Catanzaro | Catanzaro | Nicola Ceravolo | 14,650 |
| Fidelis Andria | Andria | Degli Ulivi | 9,140 |
| Foggia | Foggia | Pino Zaccheria | 25,085 |
| Juve Stabia | Castellammare di Stabia | Romeo Menti | 7,642 |
| Latina | Latina | Domenico Francioni | 9,398 |
| Monopoli | Monopoli | Vito Simone Veneziani | 6,880 |
| Monterosi | Monterosi | Enrico Rocchi (Viterbo) | 5,460 |
| Paganese | Pagani | Marcello Torre | 5,093 |
| Palermo | Palermo | Renzo Barbera | 36,365 |
| Picerno | Picerno | Donato Curcio Alfredo Viviani (Potenza) | 1,500 4,977 |
| Potenza | Potenza | Alfredo Viviani | 4,977 |
| Taranto | Taranto | Erasmo Iacovone | 26,884 |
| Turris | Torre del Greco | Amerigo Liguori | 3,566 |
| Vibonese | Vibo Valentia | Luigi Razza | 6,000 |
| Virtus Francavilla | Francavilla Fontana | Giovanni Paolo II | 2,137 |

### Table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Bari (C, P) | 36 | 22 | 9 | 5 | 52 | 26 | +26 | 75 | Promotion to Serie B. Qualification for the Supercoppa di Serie C |
| 2 | Catanzaro | 36 | 19 | 10 | 7 | 57 | 26 | +31 | 67 | Qualification for the promotion play-offs |
| 3 | Palermo (O, P) | 36 | 18 | 12 | 6 | 64 | 33 | +31 | 66 | Qualification for the promotion play-offs |
| 4 | Avellino | 36 | 17 | 13 | 6 | 45 | 26 | +19 | 64 | Qualification for the promotion play-offs |
| 5 | Monopoli | 36 | 17 | 8 | 11 | 38 | 31 | +7 | 59 | Qualification for the promotion play-offs |
| 6 | Virtus Francavilla | 36 | 16 | 8 | 12 | 48 | 38 | +10 | 56 | Qualification for the promotion play-offs |
| 7 | Foggia | 36 | 13 | 15 | 8 | 62 | 51 | +11 | 54 | Qualification for the promotion play-offs |
| 8 | Turris | 36 | 16 | 4 | 16 | 52 | 49 | +3 | 52 | Qualification for the promotion play-offs |
| 9 | Monterosi | 36 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 40 | 38 | +2 | 51 | Qualification for the promotion play-offs |
| 10 | Picerno | 36 | 14 | 8 | 14 | 41 | 45 | −4 | 50 | Qualification for the promotion play-offs |
| 11 | Juve Stabia | 36 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 44 | 36 | +8 | 49 | |
| 12 | Latina | 36 | 12 | 9 | 15 | 37 | 42 | −5 | 45 | |
| 13 | Campobasso (D) | 36 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 51 | 62 | −11 | 44 | Excluded |
| 14 | ACR Messina | 36 | 10 | 9 | 17 | 40 | 57 | −17 | 39 | |
| 15 | Taranto | 36 | 8 | 15 | 13 | 31 | 40 | −9 | 39 | |
| 16 | Potenza | 36 | 8 | 13 | 15 | 37 | 51 | −14 | 37 | |
| 17 | Fidelis Andria (O) | 36 | 6 | 12 | 18 | 26 | 45 | −19 | 30 | Qualification for the relegation play-outs |
| 18 | Paganese (R) | 36 | 6 | 8 | 22 | 36 | 69 | −33 | 26 | Qualification for the relegation play-outs |
| 19 | Vibonese (R) | 36 | 3 | 12 | 21 | 24 | 60 | −36 | 21 | Relegation to Serie D |
| 20 | Catania (D) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Excluded |

* ↑ Foggia were deducted 2 points due to administrative irregularities in the club's ownership change procedure. The point deduction was reversed on appeal on 22 April 2022.
* ↑ 2 points deducted due to irregularities in the payment of the salaries.
* 1 2 ACR Messina is 14th placed due to head-to-head advantage over Taranto: Taranto-ACR Messina 0-0; ACR Messina-Taranto 3-1.
* ↑ Automatically relegated for having more than eight points of distance from 16th-placed team Potenza.
* ↑ Excluded due to financial issues. Before that, they were deducted 4 points due to unpaid salaries.

## Promotion play-offs

As Padova and Südtirol, respectively winners and runners-up of the 2021–22 Coppa Italia Serie C, concluded the season in the first two spots from Group A, an additional spot in the national phase of the playoffs will be handed to the fourth-placed team from Group A itself.

Due to the exclusion of Catania, points for teams from Group C will be multiplied by a fixed coefficient of 1.05555556 in order to determine the best-placed team among different groups in the playoff rounds.

### First round

Matches were played on 1 May 2022.

| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| - | - | - |
| Lecco | 0–2 | Pro Patria |
| Pro Vercelli | 0–0 | Pergolettese |
| Juventus U23 | 0–0 | Piacenza |
| Pescara | 2–2 | Carrarese |
| Ancona-Matelica | 0–2 | Olbia |
| Gubbio | 1–0 | Lucchese |
| Monopoli | 1–1 | Picerno |
| Virtus Francavilla | 2–2 | Monterosi |
| Foggia | 2–0 | Turris |

### Second round

Matches were played on 4 May 2022.

| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| - | - | - |
| Triestina | 2–1 | Pro Patria |
| Pro Vercelli | 0–1 | Juventus U23 |
| Virtus Entella | 1–1 | Olbia |
| Pescara | 2–2 | Gubbio |
| Avellino | 1–2 | Foggia |
| Monopoli | 1–0 | Virtus Francavilla |

### Third round

The first legs were played on 8 May 2022 and the second legs were played on 12 May 2022.

| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Pescara | 4–5 | Feralpisalò | 3–3 | 1–2 |
| Monopoli | 4–2 | Cesena | 1–2 | 3–0 |
| Triestina | 2–3 | Palermo | 1–2 | 1–1 |
| Juventus U23 | 2–1 | Renate | 1–1 | 1–0 |
| Foggia | 2–2 | Virtus Entella | 1–0 | 1–2 |

### Quarter-finals

The first legs were played on 17 May 2022 and the second legs were played on 20 and 21 May 2022.

| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Juventus U23 | 1–1 | Padova | 0–1 | 1–0 |
| Feralpisalò | 3–1 | Reggiana | 1–0 | 2–1 |
| Monopoli | 1–3 | Catanzaro | 1–2 | 0–1 |
| Virtus Entella | 3–4 | Palermo | 1–2 | 2–2 |

### Final Four

The semi-finals legs were played on 25 and 29 May 2022 and the final legs were played on 5 and 12 June 2022.

| Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | Final | Final | Final | Final | Final |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2 | Catanzaro | 0 | 1 | 1 | | | | | |
| 2 | Padova | 0 | 2 | 2 | | | | | |
| 2 | Padova | 0 | 2 | 2 | 2 | Padova | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| | | | | | 3 | Palermo | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 3 | Feralpisalò | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | Palermo | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 3 | Palermo | 3 | 1 | 4 | | | | | |

Palermo promoted to Serie B.

## Relegation play-outs

The first legs were played on 7 May 2022 and the second legs were played on 14 and 15 May 2022.

| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Giana Erminio | 2–4 | Trento | 2–3 | 0–1 |
| Seregno | 2–2 | Pro Sesto | 1–1 | 1–1 |
| Fermana | 1–2 | Viterbese | 1–0 | 0–2 |
| Pistoiese | 2–2 | Imolese | 2–1 | 0–1 |
| Paganese | 1–1 | Fidelis Andria | 1–0 | 0–1 |

## Top goalscorers

| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Matteo $Brunori^1$ | Palermo | 29 |
| 2 | Luca Moro | Catania | 21 |
| 3 | Alex Rolfini | Ancona-Matelica | 18 |
| 3 | Luca Zamparo | Reggiana | 18 |
| 5 | Mirco Antenucci | Bari | 17 |
| 5 | Franco Ferrari | Pescara | 17 |
| 5 | Vito Leonetti | Turris | 17 |
| 8 | Simone Magnaghi | Pontedera | 16 |
| 8 | Tommy Maistrello | Renate | 16 |
| 10 | Alessio $Curcio^2$ | Foggia | 15 |
| 10 | Alexis Ferrante | Foggia | 15 |
| 10 | Eric Lanini | Reggiana | 15 |
| 10 | Jacopo Manconi | AlbinoLeffe | 15 |

### Note

$^1$ Player scored 4 goals in the play-offs. $^2$ Player scored 2 goals in the play-offs.

