2002–03 Serie B
The 2002–03 Serie B was the 71st season since its establishment in 1929. It is the second highest football league in Italy.
Season | 2002–03 |
---|---|
Promoted | Siena (1st title) Sampdoria Lecce Ancona |
Relegated | Cosenza (bankruptcy) |
Matches played | 380 |
Goals scored | 961 (2.53 per match) |
Top goalscorer | Igor Protti (23 goals) |
Longest winning run | Vicenza 7 matches |
Longest unbeaten run | Vicenza 14 matches |
← 2001–02 2003–04 → |
Teams
Livorno, Ascoli, Triestina and Catania had been promoted from Serie C, while Hellas Verona, Lecce, and Venezia had been relegated from Serie A and Fiorentina had lost their national professional licence.
Final classification
In June 2003, Catania was at the centre of a controversy that led to the enlargement of Serie B from 20 to 24 teams, known as Caso Catania. The club claimed that Siena fielded an ineligible player in a 1–1 tie, a result which saw Catania relegated, whereas the two extra points from a victory would have kept them safe. They were awarded a 2–0 victory before the result was reverted because the guilty player was a substitute which did not play the match, then Catania appealed to the judges of the Autonomous Region of Sicily who re-awarded the victory again. In August, the FIGC decided to let Catania, along with Genoa and Salernitana, stay in Serie B; the newly reborn Fiorentina were also added for the 2003–04 season. The ruling led to protests and boycotts by the other Serie B clubs that delayed the start of the season, until the intervention of the Italian government.
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Siena (P, C) | 38 | 17 | 16 | 5 | 46 | 26 | +20 | 67 | Promotion to Serie A |
2 | Sampdoria (P) | 38 | 17 | 16 | 5 | 53 | 31 | +22 | 67 | |
3 | Lecce (P) | 38 | 15 | 18 | 5 | 46 | 33 | +13 | 63 | |
4 | Ancona (P) | 38 | 16 | 13 | 9 | 53 | 40 | +13 | 61 | |
5 | Triestina | 38 | 16 | 10 | 12 | 54 | 46 | +8 | 58 | |
6 | Palermo | 38 | 15 | 13 | 10 | 45 | 42 | +3 | 58 | |
7 | Ternana | 38 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 45 | 37 | +8 | 55 | |
8 | Cagliari | 38 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 47 | 46 | +1 | 54 | |
9 | Vicenza | 38 | 13 | 15 | 10 | 55 | 50 | +5 | 54 | |
10 | Livorno | 38 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 48 | 43 | +5 | 49 | |
11 | Bari | 38 | 10 | 19 | 9 | 38 | 37 | +1 | 49 | |
12 | Venezia | 38 | 12 | 12 | 14 | 41 | 47 | −6 | 48 | |
13 | Ascoli | 38 | 13 | 9 | 16 | 46 | 52 | −6 | 48 | |
14 | Hellas Verona | 38 | 10 | 16 | 12 | 42 | 42 | 0 | 46 | |
15 | Messina | 38 | 10 | 16 | 12 | 51 | 54 | −3 | 46 | |
16 | Napoli | 38 | 10 | 15 | 13 | 42 | 49 | −7 | 45 | |
17 | Catania (T) | 38 | 12 | 7 | 19 | 45 | 60 | −15 | 43 | Readmitted[lower-alpha 1] |
18 | Genoa (T) | 38 | 9 | 12 | 17 | 47 | 51 | −4 | 39 | |
19 | Cosenza (D, E) | 38 | 10 | 6 | 22 | 29 | 52 | −23 | 36 | Revival in Serie D[lower-alpha 2] |
20 | Salernitana (T) | 38 | 4 | 11 | 23 | 28 | 63 | −35 | 23 | Readmitted[lower-alpha 1] |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) head-to-head goals scored; 5) goal difference; 6) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (D) Disqualified; (E) Eliminated; (P) Promoted; (T) Qualified, but not yet for the particular phase indicated
Notes:
- Relegated and later readmitted to Serie B after Caso Catania.
- Lost professional licence for bankruptcy and joined 2003–04 Serie D with a new club.