Serie A News: so who is coming up from Serie B?

By Dave Eadevic
May 27 2004

This weekend could see four Serie B clubs promoted to Serie A, with three games to spare. On a normal season that would be that, but next season sees Serie A increased to 20 teams and five Serie A sides will earn automatic promotion this summer,

with a sixth club battling Perugia over a 2 legged play-off to decide the last place.

So despite having the sort of season that would normally gaurantee relegation Perugia still have a chance to survive, in next months play off.

Palermo, Livorno, Cagliari and Messina could all be promoted this weekend, depending on their results and on how Fiorentina get on against Catania. If Plamero win against Triestina and Fiorentina fail to win then the Sicilians will earn promotion.

Likewise, Cagliari and Livorno could join Palermo if they triumph over Piacenza and Salernitana respectively and Fiorentina fail to beat Catania.

Catania - owned by Perugia president Luciano Gaucci - will have added motivation to beat the Viola club.

A Catania win could see sixth-placed Fiorentina drop out of the promotion zone which would no doubt please Gaucci who wants to avoid Perugia having to face the Florence club in the play-offs.

"To be perfectly honest, I want to avoid facing Fiorentina in the play-offs for what it represents as a city, as a club and as a team," said Gaucci.

Instead, Gaucci would prefer to meet Atalanta and Piacenza currently in fifth and seventh position, respectively.

"It would be a level game against them, they have similar squads to Perugia," he added.