TheSerie A (Italian pronunciation:[ˈsɛːrjeˈa]),[1] officially known asSerie AEnilive[2] in Italy andSerie A Made in Italy abroad for sponsorship reasons, is a professionalassociation football league inItaly and the highest level of theItalian football league system. Established in the1929–30 season, it restructured the existing Italian Football Championship, which had been played since1898, into a national round-robin format alongsideSerie B. It functions under apromotion and relegation system with Serie B.
The league was organised by theDirettorio Divisioni Superiori until 1943, theLega Calcio from 1946 to 2010, and theLega Serie A ever since. The 29 championships played from 1898 to the formation of the Serie A in 1929 are officially recognised by theItalian Football Federation (FIGC) as equal to later Serie A titles. Similarly the1945–46 season, played under a temporary format due toWorld War II, is also recognized as an official championship.[3] Since1924, the winner of Italy's top division has worn thescudetto emblem on its kit in the following season, and since1961, theCoppa Campioni d'Italia trophy has been awarded to the Serie A champion.
Known for tactical discipline and defensive rigor, the Serie A has been consistently ranked among the strongest leagues in global football.[4] As of 2024–25, Serie A ranks second in theUEFA coefficient rankings based on performances in European competitions over the past five seasons, behind England'sPremier League and ahead of Spain'sLa Liga.[5]
The Serie A is home to several of football's most successful and renowned clubs, includingJuventus,Inter Milan, andAC Milan. These teams have played key roles in European football governance and competition history. Juventus, themost decorated club in Italy,[6][7] has achieved international success across all majorUEFA and intercontinental tournaments. Milan and Inter have also earned significant honors, with Milan joint-third among clubs for most UEFA titles,[8] and Inter achieving a continentaltreble in2009–10. AlongsideRoma,Napoli,Lazio, andFiorentina, these clubs form the "seven sisters" (sette sorelle) of Italian football.[9][10][11][12][13][note 1] The Serie A has historically attracted top global talent, producing numerousBallon d'Or winners.[14]
From 1904, the tournament was namedPrima Categoria, structured into regional groups. The winners of each group participated in a playoff to declare the champions.
The FIF joinedFIFA and was renamed in 1909 to Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio (FIGC). The FIGC usurped the rival Federazione Ginnastica Nazionale Italiana (FGNI) as a football administration. The FGNI organised football tournaments in Italy between 1895 and 1913.
Argument in 1921 on the number of teams to be allowed in the set up, led to a split forming the Confederazione Calcistica Italiana (CCI). In 1921–22 the CCI conducted a rival tournament namedPrima Divisione with Northern Italy's wealthiest clubs, in opposition to the competition organised separately by the FIGC. The FIGC then accepted the Prima Divisione as the new format from 1922 to 1923 with its reduced number of teams.
Prima Divisione played from 1921 to 1926. Prima Divisione was divided into Lega Nord (Northern League) and Lega Sud (Southern League). Lega Nord was divided into two non-regional, 12 team groups of which the winners played off in the Northern League Final. Lega Sud was sub-divided regionally with winners playing off in a finals series. The winners of the Northern and Southern Leagues then played off in the Finalissima (literally The Biggest Final), to be national champions.
In 1926 theFascist regime placed the FIGC under control of politicianLeandro Arpinati. Prima Divisione was replaced withDivisione Nazionale. Divisione Nazionale initially comprised the previous Liga Nord plus 2 of the 3 Roman teams that would merge in 1927 intoAS Roma, andSSC Napoli (newly formed from the merger of 2 previously separate Neapolitan clubs). Divisione Nazionale was based as per the previous Lega Nord on two non-regional groups, now composed of only ten clubs each. The top 3 teams in each of the 2 groups then played in a round robin finals competition to decide the national champion.
Italian football was re-organised in 1929 to form a national 2 division hierarchic meritocracy, with end of season promotion and relegation between the 2 divisions. The two new divisions were branded Serie A and Serie B. The inaugural Serie A was won byInternazionale during the period they were calledAmbrosiana.
AfterWorld War II the North - South divisions of Divisione Nazionale were restored for the single 1945–46 season. Serie A was re-stored in 1946 and has continued to today.
The Italian league championship title is often referred to as thescudetto ("small shield"). That is since from 1923 to 1924 season, the winner of the Italian football league set up adorned a small coat of arms with theItalian tricolour on their strip in the following season.
An actual trophy is awarded to the winning club since1960–61 season. The trophy is called theCoppa Campioni d'Italia. Until 2004 it was presented to the winning club at the head office of theLega Nazionale Professionisti. Since then the trophy has been presented on-pitch at the end of the last round of games.[15]
In April 2009, Serie A announced a split from Serie B. Nineteen of the twenty clubs voted in favour of the move in an argument over television rights; the relegation-threatenedLecce had voted against the decision. Maurizio Beretta, the former head of Italy's employers' association, became president of the new league.[16][17][18][19]
In April 2016, it was announced that Serie A was selected by theInternational Football Association Board to test video replays, which were initially private for the2016–17 season, allowing them to become a live pilot phase, with replay assistance implemented in the2017–18 season.[20] On the decision, FIGC PresidentCarlo Tavecchio said: "We were among the first supporters of using technology on the pitch and we believe we have everything required to offer our contribution to this important experiment."[21]
Serie A will continue the 20 club format after sixteen clubs voted against reducing the division to 18 teams in February 2024.[22]
For most of Serie A's history, there were 16 or 18 clubs competing at the top level. Since2004–05, however, there have been 20 clubs in total. One season (1947–48) was played with 21 teams for political reasons, following post-war tensions with Yugoslavia. Below is a complete record of how many teams played in each season throughout the league's history:
During the season, which runs from August to May, each club plays each of the other teams twice; once at home and once away, totalling 38 games for each team by the end of the season. Thus, in Italian football a trueround-robin format is used. In the first half of the season, called theandata, each team plays once against each league opponent, for a total of 19 games. In the second half of the season, called theritorno, the teams play another 19 games, once more against each opponent, in which home and away matches are reversed. The two halves of the season had exactly the same order of fixtures until the2021–22 season, when an asymmetrical calendar was introduced, following the format of theEnglish,Spanish andFrench leagues.[23] Since the1994–95 season, teams are awarded three points for a win, one point for a draw, and no points for a loss. Prior to this, a win was worth two points. The three lowest-placed teams at the end of the season arerelegated toSerie B, and three Serie B teams are promoted to replace them for the next season.
In 2023–24, Serie A was ranked as the best league byUEFA coefficient.[24] This was due to a combination of all seven Serie A teams progressing into the knockout stages in European competition, picking up extra coefficient points. Additionally, Atalanta won theEuropa League Final and Fiorentina were losing finalists in theUEFA Europa Conference League. This continued a strong recent record where five of the six European club finals have featured at least one Serie A side over the past two seasons. As a result of this ranking the top 5 clubs in Serie A qualify for the champions league in 2024.
If after all 38 games, two teams are tied on points for either first place or for 17th (the last safety spot), the outcome is decided by a single-legged play-off match. This match consists of 90 minutes of regulation time followed by penalties if necessary (no extra time). The game is to be held at a neutral venue, with the designated "home" team determined by the performance-based criteria listed below.[25][26][27] In cases where there are at least three teams tied for one of these positions, a mini table is created using the same tiebreakers to determine which two teams will play in the decider. For ties concerning all other league positions, the following tiebreakers are applied:
Play-off game at a neutral venue if relevant to decide European qualification or relegation; otherwise by coin flip[28]
Between 2006–07 and 2021–22, the tiebreakers currently used for all places to decide the scudetto winner if necessary, though this was never needed. Before 2005–06, a play-off would immediately be used if teams were tied for first place, a European qualification spot, or a relegation spot. In some past years, the playoff was a single game at a neutral site while in others it was a two-legged tie decided by aggregate score.
The only time a playoff was used to decide the champion occurred in the1963–64 season when Bologna and Inter both finished on 54 points. Bologna won the playoff 2–0 at theStadio Olimpico in Rome to win the scudetto.[28] Playoff games have been used on multiple occasions to decide European competition qualifications (most recently in1999–2000) and relegation (most recently in2022–23).
Before 1929, many clubs competed in the top level of Italian football as the earlier rounds were competed up to 1922 on aregional basis then interregional up to 1929. Below is a list of Serie A clubs who have competed in the competition since it has been a league format (68 in total).
There are 68 teams that have taken part in 94 Serie A championships in a single round that was played from the1929–30 season until the2025–26 season. The teams in bold compete in Serie A currently. The year in parentheses represents the most recent year of participation at this level.Inter Milan is the only team that has played Serie A football in every season.
Serie A had logos that featured its sponsorTelecom Italia Mobile (TIM). The logo that was introduced in 2010 had a minor change in 2016 due to the change of the logo of TIM itself.[29][30] In August 2018, a new logo was announced, and another one in August 2019.[31]
On 5 February 2024, Serie A signed a new sponsor deal withEni, otherwise known as Enilive, to take the main sponsor role of the Serie A.[32][33][34]
In the past, individual clubs competing in the league had the rights to sell their broadcast rights to specific channels throughout Italy, unlike in most other European countries. Currently, the two broadcasters in Italy are the satellite broadcasterSky Italia and streaming platformDAZN for its own pay television networks;RAI is allowed to broadcast only highlights (exclusively from 13:30 to 22:30CET).This is a list of television rights in Italy (since 2021–22):
Since the 2010–11 season, Serie A clubs have negotiated television rights collectively rather than on an individual club basis, having previously abandoned collective negotiation at the end of the 1998–99 season.[35]
In the 1990s, Serie A was at its most popular in the United Kingdom when it was shown onFootball Italia onChannel 4, although it has actually appeared on more UK channels than any other league, rarely staying in one place for long since 2002. Serie A has appeared in the UK onBSB's The Sports Channel (1990–91),Sky Sports (1991–1992), Channel 4 (1992–2002),Eurosport (2002–2004),Setanta Sports andBravo (2004–2007),Channel 5 (2007–2008),ESPN (2009–2013),Eleven Sports Network (2018),Premier,FreeSports (2019–2021) and currentlyBT Sport (2013–2018; 2021–present).[36]
In the United States, Serie A is currently shown onCBS Sports and its streaming networkParamount+. Prior to 2021–22 it was shown on theESPN family of networks.[37]
For the 2024–29 cycle, the Serie A sold its international rights to the Infront agency (except in United States and MENA), which is in charge of reaching an agreement with the interested companies.[38]
The FIGC officially recognises 29 Italian Football Championships held prior to the 1929 reorganisation of the top division into Serie A. Themost successful club in terms of national championships isJuventus, with a total of 36 titles. The second most successful club isInter Milan, with 20 championships, followed byAC Milan, with 19 titles. In recognition of domestic success, the FIGC awards a star for every ten championships won, which may be displayed on a club's jersey.
No national titles were awarded for the1926–27 and2004–05 seasons. In both instances, the championships were revoked from Torino and Juventus respectively, due to their involvement in football-related scandals.
In 2002, the FIGC awardedSpezia a special decoration for their victory in the1944 wartime championship. However, the federation clarified that this recognition does not constitute an officialscudetto.
UnlikeLa Liga, for example, which has long imposed a quota on the number of players able to play for each club who hold passports from countries that are not in theEuropean Union, Serie A has undergone many rule changes concerning the number ofnon-EU players clubs could sign.
In the middle of the 2000–01 season, the old quota system, which limited each team to having no more than five non-EU players and using no more than three in each match, was abolished.[47][48] Concurrent with the abolishment of the quota, the FIGC had investigated footballers that used fake passports.Alberto andWarley,Alejandro Da Silva andJorginho Paulista of Udinese;[49]Fábio Júnior andGustavo Bartelt of Roma;[50]Dida of Milan;Álvaro Recoba of Inter;Thomas Job,Francis Zé,Jean Ondoa of Sampdoria; andJeda andDede of Vicenza were all banned in July 2001 for lengths ranging from six months to one year.[51] However, most of the bans were subsequently reduced.
At the start of the 2003–04 season, a quota was imposed on each of the clubs limiting the number of non-EU, non-EFTA and non-Swiss players who may be signed from abroad each season,[52] following provisional measures[47] introduced in the 2002–03 season, which allowed Serie A and B clubs to sign only one non-EU player in the 2002 summer transfer window.
The rule underwent minor changes in August 2004,[53] June 2005,[54] June 2006,[55][56] and June 2007.[57]
The number of non-EU players was reduced from 265 in 2002–03 season to 166 in 2006–07 season.[58] This reduction also included players who received EU status after their respective countries joined the EU (see2004 and2007 enlargement), which made players such asAdrian Mutu,Valeri Bojinov,Marek Jankulovski andMarius Stankevičius EU players.
The quota system changed again at the beginning of the 2008–09 season: three quotas were awarded to clubs that do not have non-EU players in their squad (previously only newly promoted clubs could have three quotas); clubs that had one non-EU player had two quotas. Those clubs that had two non-EU players were awarded one quota and one conditional quota, which was awarded after: 1) Transferred 1 non-EU player abroad, or 2) Release 1 non-EU player as free agent, or 3) A non-EU player received EU nationality. Clubs with three or more non-EU players had two conditional quotas, but releasing two non-EU players as free agent only gave one quota instead of two.[59] Serie B and Lega Pro clubs could not sign non-EU players from abroad, except those that followed a club promoted fromSerie D.
On 2 July 2010, the above conditional quota was reduced back to one, though if a team did not have any non-EU players, that team could still sign up to three non-EU players.[60][61][62] In 2011 the signing quota reverted to two.[63]
Large clubs with many foreigners usually borrow quotas from other clubs that have few foreigners or no foreigners in order to sign more non-EU players. For example,Adrian Mutu joinedJuventus viaLivorno in 2005, as at the time Romania was not a member of the EU. Other examples includeJúlio César,Victor Obinna andMaxwell, who joined Inter fromChievo (first two) andEmpoli, respectively.
Serie A also imposed Homegrown players rule, a modification ofHomegrown Player Rule (UEFA). Unlike UEFA, Serie A at first did not cap the number of players in first team squad at 25, meaning the club could employ more foreigners by increasing the size of the squad.[64] However, a cap of 25 (under-21 players were excluded) was introduced to 2015–16 season (in 2015–16 season, squad simply require 8 homegrown players but not require 4 of them from their own youth team).[65] In the 2016–17 season, the FIGC sanctioned Sassuolo for fielding ineligible player,Antonino Ragusa.[66] Although the club did not exceed the capacity of 21 players that were not from their own youth team (onlyDomenico Berardi was eligible as youth product of their own) as well as under 21 of age (born 1995 or after, of which four players were eligible) in their 24-men call-up,[67] It was reported that onLega Serie A side the squad list was not updated.[68]
In 2015–16 season, the following quota was announced.
^In the 1990s, when the term originated,Parma was seen as one of the Seven Sisters and Napoli was not included.
^Pursuant to the Federal Internal Organizational Rules of the Italian Football Federation (NOIF, art. 20, subsection 5), Unione Calcio Sampdoria inherits and continues the sporting tradition of its most valuable ancestor, A.C. Sampierdarenese, which spent8 seasons in Serie A, for a total of74 appearances. However, Sampdoria and Sampierdarenese are treated as separate clubs in history and statistics.
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