| Direttorio Divisioni Superiori | |
| Abbreviation | DDS |
|---|---|
| Predecessor | Lega Nord |
| Successor | Lega Alta Italia |
| Founded | 1926 |
| Dissolved | 1945 |
| Headquarters | Milan–Rome |
Region served | Italy |
| Products | Divisione Nazionale as Serie A•Serie B•Serie C Coppa Italia |
| Membership | 60 – 124 |
Parent organization | FIGC |
TheDirettorio Divisioni Superiori (Italian forDirectory of Higher Divisions) was the ruling body of the major Italianfootball championships during thefascist era.[1]
The Directory was established through theCONI by the fascists. Italy was turning into a dictatorship, and the government imposed the new system to the sport too. In 1926 the FIGC had huge problems of governance, and the authorities profited by the situation to disband the Leagues replacing them with appointed committees.
The Directory organized the first football at national level, abolishing the division between North and South, and it legalized the professional football. A new championship was created, theDivisione Nazionale, alongside the diminishedPrima Divisione. The first one was divided betweenSerie A andSerie B in 1929, while the second one was substituted by theSerie C in 1935.
World War II interrupted the championships in 1943. At the fall of fascism in 1945, the Directory was automatically abolished. TheLega Calcio was created in its place in 1946.
