Delfino Pescara will play in Serie B in the future. © Delfino Pescara

FC Südtirol's new opponents

FC Südtirol will play in Serie B for the fourth consecutive season in the 2025/26 season. But which opponents will FCS face in the future? Here's an overview.

June 24, 2025

From: dl

Seven of the 7 teams are new: In addition to the three Serie A relegated teams, four teams have made the jump from Serie C to Italy's second-highest league. Of these teams, the most notable is Delfino Pescara The club from the Adriatic coast made a name for itself in the 2011/12 season, when it achieved promotion to Serie A under coach Zdenek Zeman and players like Marco Verratti, Lorenzo Insigne, and Ciro Immobile. Verratti, a native of this city, has since purchased a 40% stake in the club.

Also for Avellino It marks a return to Serie B after their last adventure in the second division ended in ignominious fashion. In 2018, the Campania club's license was revoked due to financial difficulties, forcing them to start afresh in Serie D. They immediately achieved promotion to Serie C before making the next step up in leagues at the end of April of this year.

Padova last played in Serie B six years ago. © Calcio Padova

To do this, Padova and Virtus Entella returned to the second division. FC Südtirol fought a long battle for promotion with the Padua club in its final Serie C season in 2022, before FCS prevailed in a long-distance duel on the final matchday. Virtus Entella last played in Serie B in the 2021/22 season. The club from Chiavari (a town in Liguria with a population of 30.000) plays its home games at the Stadio Comunale, which seats around 4.000 spectators and is thus smaller than the Drusus Stadium. The club's name is based on the Entella River.

The Descent

Monza has endured a dismal Serie A season, ultimately being relegated without a trace with 18 points. Adriano Galliani's club (who was Silvio Berlusconi's right-hand man at AC Milan for a long time) now has to reinvent itself in Serie B. The same applies to Venice, which recently had to struggle with financial problems and was relegated to the second division after only one year.

Former FCS midfielder Hans Nicolussi Caviglia in a Venezia jersey. After a strong season, he is attracting interest from many Serie A clubs.

However, the stadium in Venice is a popular away game for many fans. Empoli is likely to be one of the favorites for promotion. The Tuscan club was relegated on the final matchday of this year's Serie A after four years.

Serie B: 2025/26 season

Empoli (relegated Serie A)
Monza (relegated to Serie A)
Venezia (relegated Serie A)
Bari
Carrarese
Catanzaro
Cesena
Frosinone
Juve Stabia
Mantova
Modena
Palermo
Reggiana
Sampdoria
Spezia
FC Sudtirol
Avellino (promoted to Serie C)
Padova (promoted to Serie C)
Pescara (promoted to Serie C)
Virtus Entella (promoted to Serie C)