1914–15 Prima Categoria Explained

Competition:Prima Categoria
Season:1914–15
Winners:Genoa
7th title
Prevseason:1913–14
Nextseason:1919–20

The 1914–15 Prima Categoria season was won by Genoa.

This championship was suspended due to Italy entering World War I.

Despite the season not concluding, Genoa was declared champion by the Federation after the end of the War, because it was on top of the table with one game remaining in Northern Italy Final Round.[1] [2]

Regulation

Struggles between minor and major clubs continued. As a compromise, the championship was divided in a preliminary regional phase of ten matchdays, while the following national phase was split into a semifinal round and a final round of six matchdays each. More, the championship would be split in two categories, A and B, for 1915–16 season. However, finally the championship was expanded to 36 clubs.

The main tournament was split in six groups of six clubs. First and second clubs, together with the four best third teams, advanced to the national championship. Fourth place and worse clubs would be relegated to the new "Category B".

National championship was split in four groups of four clubs. Group winners advanced to the final group of four clubs. The whole tournament consequently had twenty-two matchdays.

The experimental Southern groups had their own special regulations.

Teams

Veloces Biella for Piedmont, Cremonese for Lombardy, Padova for Veneto and Audax Modena for Emilia had been promoted. Two relegated clubs were re-elected. More, minor clubs voted to expand the championship so Acqui, Valenzana, Savoia Milan and Swiss side FC Chiasso were invited to join.

Main tournament

Qualifications

The first two teams of every group and the best four teams that finished third, advanced to the semifinals.

Group A and B were organized by the Turin committee, group C and D and E by the Milan committee, and group F by the Venice committee.

Group A

Results table

Group B

Results table

Group C

Savoia Milano forfeited before the start of the Championship.

Results table

Group D

Results table

Group E

Results table

Group F

Results table

Semifinals

Group A

Results

Group B

Results

Group C

Results

Group D

Results

Final round

Results table

Southern Italy tournament

Central and Southern Italy Final Round not played because Italy entered World War I on May 24, 1915. Consequently, even the National Finals could not be played.

References and sources

Notes and References

  1. News: War, weather and working weeks: the previous times football has been halted in England . 27 March 2020 . BBC Sport . 26 March 2020.
  2. In 1920, Torino and Inter appealed against Genoa’s victory, but FIGC finally rejected the request in 1922: [Carlo F. Chiesa, 1915-1920, in "La grande storia del calcio italiano", nº 8 (C), [[Guerin Sportivo]], August 2012]. After a hundred years, in 2015, a group of Lazio supporters asked the Italian Football Federation to assign the title to both Genoa and Lazio, because Lazio was the winner of the Central Italy Semifinal Round even if Southern Italy Round was not completed: Web site: Lazio, scudetto 1915, ecco la relazione. Francesco Saverio Intorcia. 21 July 2016. 22 February 2019.