Prima Divisione
Encyclopedia
Prima Divisione was the name of the first level of the Italian Football Championship
from 1921 to 1926. The competition was initially founded in opposition to the FIGC by the richest clubs of Northern Italy, which disagreed the old format of the championship, based on plethoric regional groups. In 1921/22, two concurrent championships took place, before FIGC accepted the new format for 1922/23.
The Prima Divisione was divided in two leagues: Lega Nord (Northern League) and Lega Sud (Southern League). The Lega Nord championship was the main competition, and it was divided in two groups of twelve teams each. The winners of the two groups qualified for the final (Northern League Final) while the last team was relegated in Seconda Divisione (Second Division). The Lega Sud championship was still divided in many regional groups; the best two teams of Campania
, Lazio and Apulia
and the winners of the Sicily
and Marches
groups qualified for the semifinals (Southern League Semifinals) of two groups. The winners of the semifinals qualified to the final. The winners of the two leagues qualified for the Finalissima (literally The Biggest Final). The team that won the national final won the scudetto, firstly introduced for the 1923-24 champions Genoa CFC.
Because of the fascist Carta di Viareggio, in 1926 the Prima Divisione championship was renamed as Divisione Nazionale
(National Division), merging the best southern clubs into the Northern League. The second level of the Italian football consequently took the name of Prima Divisional, as it happened in England in 1992. In 1929 with the creation of the Serie A
and Serie B
championships the Prima Divisione became the third level of the Italian Football. In 1935 with the creation of the Serie C
championship the Prima Divisione became the fourth level of the Italian football. In 1948 with the creation of the Promozione
championship the first division became the fifth level of the Italian championship. In 1952 with the creation of the IV Serie
championship the Prima Divisione became the sixth level. In 1959 the Prima Divisione championship was replaced by local Prima Categoria
, Seconda Categoria
and Terza Categoria
championships.
Winners
Winners Lega Nord
Winners Lega Sud
Italian Football Championship
The Italian Football Championship was the most senior football championship in Italy from the 1897/1898 season to the 1921/1922 season. In that last season, a concurrent championship, the Prima Divisione, was played by the richest clubs, which wanted to improve their income with a more elitarian...
from 1921 to 1926. The competition was initially founded in opposition to the FIGC by the richest clubs of Northern Italy, which disagreed the old format of the championship, based on plethoric regional groups. In 1921/22, two concurrent championships took place, before FIGC accepted the new format for 1922/23.
The Prima Divisione was divided in two leagues: Lega Nord (Northern League) and Lega Sud (Southern League). The Lega Nord championship was the main competition, and it was divided in two groups of twelve teams each. The winners of the two groups qualified for the final (Northern League Final) while the last team was relegated in Seconda Divisione (Second Division). The Lega Sud championship was still divided in many regional groups; the best two teams of Campania
Campania
Campania is a region in southern Italy. The region has a population of around 5.8 million people, making it the second-most-populous region of Italy; its total area of 13,590 km² makes it the most densely populated region in the country...
, Lazio and Apulia
Apulia
Apulia is a region in Southern Italy bordering the Adriatic Sea in the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, and the Strait of Òtranto and Gulf of Taranto in the south. Its most southern portion, known as Salento peninsula, forms a high heel on the "boot" of Italy. The region comprises , and...
and the winners of the Sicily
Sicily
Sicily is a region of Italy, and is the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Along with the surrounding minor islands, it constitutes an autonomous region of Italy, the Regione Autonoma Siciliana Sicily has a rich and unique culture, especially with regard to the arts, music, literature,...
and Marches
Marche
The population density in the region is below the national average. In 2008, it was 161.5 inhabitants per km2, compared to the national figure of 198.8. It is highest in the province of Ancona , and lowest in the province of Macerata...
groups qualified for the semifinals (Southern League Semifinals) of two groups. The winners of the semifinals qualified to the final. The winners of the two leagues qualified for the Finalissima (literally The Biggest Final). The team that won the national final won the scudetto, firstly introduced for the 1923-24 champions Genoa CFC.
Because of the fascist Carta di Viareggio, in 1926 the Prima Divisione championship was renamed as Divisione Nazionale
Divisione Nazionale
Divisione Nazionale was the name of the first level of the Italian Football Championship from 1926 to 1929.The competition was the evolution of former Prima Divisione which had two main problems: it was divided between the northern and the southern part of the country, and was formally faithful...
(National Division), merging the best southern clubs into the Northern League. The second level of the Italian football consequently took the name of Prima Divisional, as it happened in England in 1992. In 1929 with the creation of the Serie A
Serie A
Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...
and Serie B
Serie B
Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...
championships the Prima Divisione became the third level of the Italian Football. In 1935 with the creation of the Serie C
Serie C
The Lega Italiana Calcio Professionistico , commonly known as Lega Pro , is the governing body that runs the third and fourth highest football divisions in Italy, the Prima Divisione and Seconda Divisione respectively. It also includes the sole professional club of San Marino...
championship the Prima Divisione became the fourth level of the Italian football. In 1948 with the creation of the Promozione
Promozione
Promozione is the name of a level of football in Italy. It is considered to be the 7th level in the Italian football league system. Each individual league winner within the Promozione level progresses to their closest regional league in the Eccellenza level...
championship the first division became the fifth level of the Italian championship. In 1952 with the creation of the IV Serie
Serie D
Serie D is the top level of the Italian non-professional football association called Lega Nazionale Dilettanti. The association represents over a million football players and thousands of football teams across Italy. Serie D ranks just below Lega Pro Seconda Divisione , and is thus considered the...
championship the Prima Divisione became the sixth level. In 1959 the Prima Divisione championship was replaced by local Prima Categoria
Prima Categoria
Prima Categoria is the name of a level of football in Italy. It is considered to be the eighth level in the Italian football league system and is organized by the National Amateur League by the Regional Committees. Each individual league winner within the Prima Categoria level progresses to their...
, Seconda Categoria
Seconda Categoria
Seconda Categoria is the actual name of a level of football in Italy. It is considered to be the 9th level in the Italian football league system. Each individual league winner within the Seconda Categoria level progresses to their closest regional league in the Prima Categoria level...
and Terza Categoria
Terza Categoria
Terza Categoria is the name of the lowest level of "amateur" football in Italy. It is considered to be the 10th and lowest level in the Italian football league system. Each individual league winner within the Terza Categoria level progresses to their closest regional league in the Seconda...
championships.
Winners
| Year | Winner | Runners-up | Top scorer (club) (goals) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1921–22 Italian Football Championship 1921-22 (C.C.I.) Italian Football Championship 1921-22 was formed during the summer of 1921, as a result of a dispute between the Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio and the main teams.... |
Pro Vercelli | Fortitudo Roma A.S. Roma Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s... |
|
| 1922–23 Italian Football Championship 1922-23 The winner was Genoa C.F.C.-Pre-league qualifications:Due to the high numbers of partecipants, the FIGC had to organize a qualification tournament, in order to reduce them to three rounds of 12 sides each.Moreover, after U.S... |
Genoa Cricket & Football Club | SS Lazio | |
| 1923–24 Italian Football Championship 1923-24 The winner was Genoa C.F.C..-Classification:-Results table:* Please note that the home teams are read down the left hand side while the away teams are indicated along the top.-Classification:-Results table:... |
Genoa Cricket & Football Club | Savoia F.C. Savoia 1908 Associazione Sportiva Dilettantistica Calcio Savoia is an Italian association football club located in Torre Annunziata, Campania. It currently plays in Serie D. Its colors are all-white.... |
 Heinrich Schoenfeld (Torino FC) (22) |
| 1924–25 Italian Football Championship 1924-25 The winner was Bologna F.C..-Classification:-Results table:* Please note that the home teams are read down the left hand side while the away teams are indicated along the top.-Classification:-Results table:... |
Bologna FC Bologna F.C. 1909 Bologna Football Club 1909, known simply as Bologna, is an Italian Football League club based in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, formed in 1993. The club are nicknamed the rossoblù because of the red and blue striped shirts they wear. Red and Blue are the official colours of the town.During its history... |
Alba Roma |  Mario MagnozziMario Magnozzi Mario Magnozzi was an Italian football player who competed in the 1928 Summer Olympics.Magnozzi was born in Livorno, for whose team he played until 1930. In 1920 Livorno won the Torneo del Sud, after which it was defeated by FC Internazionale in the final for the Italian overall title... (AS Livorno) (19) |
| 1925–26 Italian Football Championship 1925-26 The winner was Juventus F.C..-Pre-League qualifications:A.C. Legnano, A.C. Mantova, U.S. Novese and F.C. Como were enlisted to participate in the qualification round, but Novese and Como retired, letting Legnano and Mantova to maintain their places in the Italian First... |
Juventus FC | Alba Roma | Ferenc Hirzer Ferenc Hirzer Ferenc Hirzer known in Hungarian as Ferenc Híres was a Hungarian football player during the 1910s and 1920s, he is perhaps best known for his time with Italian side Juventus... (Juventus FC) (35) |
Winners Lega Nord
| Year | Winner | Runners-up | Top scorer (club) (goals) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1921–22 Italian Football Championship 1921-22 (C.C.I.) Italian Football Championship 1921-22 was formed during the summer of 1921, as a result of a dispute between the Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio and the main teams.... |
Pro Vercelli | Genoa Genoa Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria.... |
|
| 1922–23 Italian Football Championship 1922-23 The winner was Genoa C.F.C.-Pre-league qualifications:Due to the high numbers of partecipants, the FIGC had to organize a qualification tournament, in order to reduce them to three rounds of 12 sides each.Moreover, after U.S... |
Genoa Cricket & Football Club | Pro Vercelli | |
| 1923–24 Italian Football Championship 1923-24 The winner was Genoa C.F.C..-Classification:-Results table:* Please note that the home teams are read down the left hand side while the away teams are indicated along the top.-Classification:-Results table:... |
Genoa Cricket & Football Club | Bologna F.C. 1909 Bologna F.C. 1909 Bologna Football Club 1909, known simply as Bologna, is an Italian Football League club based in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, formed in 1993. The club are nicknamed the rossoblù because of the red and blue striped shirts they wear. Red and Blue are the official colours of the town.During its history... |
Heinrich Schoenfeld (Torino FC) (22) |
| 1924–25 Italian Football Championship 1924-25 The winner was Bologna F.C..-Classification:-Results table:* Please note that the home teams are read down the left hand side while the away teams are indicated along the top.-Classification:-Results table:... |
Bologna FC Bologna F.C. 1909 Bologna Football Club 1909, known simply as Bologna, is an Italian Football League club based in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, formed in 1993. The club are nicknamed the rossoblù because of the red and blue striped shirts they wear. Red and Blue are the official colours of the town.During its history... |
Genoa | Mario Magnozzi Mario Magnozzi Mario Magnozzi was an Italian football player who competed in the 1928 Summer Olympics.Magnozzi was born in Livorno, for whose team he played until 1930. In 1920 Livorno won the Torneo del Sud, after which it was defeated by FC Internazionale in the final for the Italian overall title... (AS Livorno) (19) |
| 1925–26 Italian Football Championship 1925-26 The winner was Juventus F.C..-Pre-League qualifications:A.C. Legnano, A.C. Mantova, U.S. Novese and F.C. Como were enlisted to participate in the qualification round, but Novese and Como retired, letting Legnano and Mantova to maintain their places in the Italian First... |
Juventus FC | Bologna | Ferenc Hirzer Ferenc Hirzer Ferenc Hirzer known in Hungarian as Ferenc Híres was a Hungarian football player during the 1910s and 1920s, he is perhaps best known for his time with Italian side Juventus... (Juventus FC) (31) |
Winners Lega Sud
| Year | Winner | Runners-up | Top scorer (club) (goals) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1921–22 Italian Football Championship 1921-22 (C.C.I.) Italian Football Championship 1921-22 was formed during the summer of 1921, as a result of a dispute between the Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio and the main teams.... |
Fortitudo Roma A.S. Roma Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s... |
Puteolana | |
| 1922–23 Italian Football Championship 1922-23 The winner was Genoa C.F.C.-Pre-league qualifications:Due to the high numbers of partecipants, the FIGC had to organize a qualification tournament, in order to reduce them to three rounds of 12 sides each.Moreover, after U.S... |
SS Lazio | Savoia | |
| 1923–24 Italian Football Championship 1923-24 The winner was Genoa C.F.C..-Classification:-Results table:* Please note that the home teams are read down the left hand side while the away teams are indicated along the top.-Classification:-Results table:... |
Savoia F.C. Savoia 1908 Associazione Sportiva Dilettantistica Calcio Savoia is an Italian association football club located in Torre Annunziata, Campania. It currently plays in Serie D. Its colors are all-white.... |
Alba Roma | Fulvio Bernardini Fulvio Bernardini Fulvio Bernardini was an Italian footballer and coach.During his playing career, he played for Lazio, Inter, Roma and M.A.T.E.R.... (SS Lazio) (19) |
| 1924–25 Italian Football Championship 1924-25 The winner was Bologna F.C..-Classification:-Results table:* Please note that the home teams are read down the left hand side while the away teams are indicated along the top.-Classification:-Results table:... |
Alba Roma | Anconitana | Fulvio Bernardini Fulvio Bernardini Fulvio Bernardini was an Italian footballer and coach.During his playing career, he played for Lazio, Inter, Roma and M.A.T.E.R.... (SS Lazio) (16) |
| 1925–26 Italian Football Championship 1925-26 The winner was Juventus F.C..-Pre-League qualifications:A.C. Legnano, A.C. Mantova, U.S. Novese and F.C. Como were enlisted to participate in the qualification round, but Novese and Como retired, letting Legnano and Mantova to maintain their places in the Italian First... |
Alba Roma | Internaples | Bukovich (Alba Roma) (25) |
Founding members
| Club |
Appearances in First Division |
Appearances in Second Division |
League left |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alessandria U.S. Alessandria Calcio 1912 Unione Sportiva Alessandria Calcio 1912 is the professional Italian football club based in Alessandria, Piedmont.In the current season, it plays in Lega Pro Seconda Divisione group A.- Brief history :... |
5 | ||
| Andrea Doria | 5 | ||
| Brescia Brescia Calcio Brescia Calcio , known simply as Brescia, is the largest football club in the Lombard city of Brescia, where it was founded in 1911.In the 2009–10 season, in the return leg of the Serie B playoff final, they defeated Torino 2-1 at home , returning to Serie A after a 5-year absence... |
5 | ||
| Bologna Bologna F.C. 1909 Bologna Football Club 1909, known simply as Bologna, is an Italian Football League club based in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, formed in 1993. The club are nicknamed the rossoblù because of the red and blue striped shirts they wear. Red and Blue are the official colours of the town.During its history... |
5 | ||
| Casale A.S. Casale Calcio Associazione Sportiva Casale Calcio is an Italian football club, based in Casale Monferrato, Piedmont.The club currently plays in Lega Pro Seconda Divisione.... |
5 | ||
| Genoa Genoa C.F.C. Genoa Cricket and Football Club, commonly referred to simply as Genoa , is a professional Italian football club based in the city of Genoa, Liguria... |
5 | ||
| Internazionale F.C. Internazionale Milano Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always... |
5 | ||
| Juventus Juventus F.C. Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont... |
5 | ||
| Legnano | 5 | ||
| Livorno A.S. Livorno Calcio Associazione Sportiva Livorno Calcio is an Italian football club based in Livorno, Tuscany. The club was formed in 1915 and currently plays in Italian Serie B. The team's colors are dark red or maroon... |
5 | ||
| Mantova | 4 | 1 | |
| Milan A.C. Milan Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others... |
5 | ||
| US Milanese | 2 | 3 | |
| Modena | 5 | ||
| Novara Novara Calcio Novara Calcio is an Italian football club based in Novara, Piedmont.-History:In December 1908 the F.A.S. was created by eight students of Liceo Carlo Alberto, aged between 15–16 years; among them an engineer, Gianni Canestrini, and a lawyer, Piero Omodei Zorini... |
5 | ||
| Padova Calcio Padova Calcio Padova is an Italian football club, based in Padua, Veneto. The club was founded in 1910. Padova is playing in Serie B, having last been in Serie A in 1996... |
5 | ||
| Pisa Pisa Calcio Associazione Calcio Pisa 1909 is an Italian association football club, based in Pisa, Tuscany. The club was founded in 1909 as Pisa Sporting Club and refounded in 1994 as A.C. Pisa , after the cancellation of the old one because of economical troubles... |
5 | ||
| Pro Vercelli | 5 | ||
| Savona Savona 1907 F.B.C. Savona 1907 Foot-Ball Club is an Italian football club located in Savona, Liguria.It currently plays in Lega Pro Seconda Divisione.-U.S. Savona Calcio:The club was founded in 1907 as Unione Sportiva Savona Calcio.... |
2 | |3 | |
| Spezia | 4 | 1 | |
| Torino | 5 | ||
| Venezia | 1 | 4 | |
| Verona | 5 | ||
| Vicenza Vicenza Calcio Vicenza Calcio is an Italian football club based in Vicenza, Veneto. The club was formed in 1902 and currently plays in Italy's Serie B, having spent the entire 1960s and a large part of the 1990s in Serie A... |
1 | 3 | left in 1923–24 |
See also
- Italian Football ChampionshipItalian Football ChampionshipThe Italian Football Championship was the most senior football championship in Italy from the 1897/1898 season to the 1921/1922 season. In that last season, a concurrent championship, the Prima Divisione, was played by the richest clubs, which wanted to improve their income with a more elitarian...
- Prima CategoriaPrima CategoriaPrima Categoria is the name of a level of football in Italy. It is considered to be the eighth level in the Italian football league system and is organized by the National Amateur League by the Regional Committees. Each individual league winner within the Prima Categoria level progresses to their...
- Divisione NazionaleDivisione NazionaleDivisione Nazionale was the name of the first level of the Italian Football Championship from 1926 to 1929.The competition was the evolution of former Prima Divisione which had two main problems: it was divided between the northern and the southern part of the country, and was formally faithful...
- Serie ASerie ASerie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...