| Competition: | Serie C |
| Season: | 2023–24 |
| Dates: | Regular season: 3 September 2023 – 28 April 2024 Play-offs: 7 May 2024 – 9 June 2024 |
| Promoted: | Mantova Cesena Juve Stabia Carrarese (via play-off) |
| Relegated: | Fiorenzuola Recanatese Monterosi Virtus Francavilla Pro Sesto Alessandria Fermana Olbia Brindisi |
| Matches: | 1140 |
| Matches Footnote: | [1] |
| Total Goals: | 2657 |
| Total Goals Footnote: | [2] |
| League Topscorer: | Cosimo Patierno (20+1 goals) |
| Biggest Home Win: | Entella 5–0 Perugia Rimini 5–0 Olbia Avellino 6–1 Picerno |
| Biggest Away Win: | Padova 0–5 Mantova Pontedera 0–5 Pescara Latina 0–5 Avellino |
| Highest Scoring: | Recanatese 4–5 Pontedera |
| Longest Wins: | 8 matches[3] [4] [5] Cesena (22–29) |
| Longest Unbeaten: | 28 matches Cesena (2–29) |
| Longest Winless: | 16 matches Brindisi (18–33) |
| Longest Losses: | 7 matches Brindisi (11, 2, 12–16) |
| Highest Attendance: | 19,739[6] [7] [8] Catania 0–1 Atalanta U23 |
| Lowest Attendance: | 26 Juventus Next Gen 2–0 Recanatese Juventus Next Gen 1–1 Lucchese |
| Attendance: | 3,073,976 |
| Average Attendance: | 2,685 |
| Prevseason: | 2022–23 |
| Nextseason: | 2024–25 |
The 2023–24 Serie C, officially known as Serie C NOW for sponsorship,[9] was the tenth season of the unified Serie C division, the third tier of the Italian football league system.
The league comprises 60 teams, geographically divided into three different groups. The Serie C league committee decided and formalized the group composition between July and August 2023.
The following teams have changed divisions since the 2022–23 season:
Relegated from Serie B
Promoted from Serie D
Promoted to Serie B
Relegated to Serie D
In early June 2023, the Italian Football Federation announced the rules to determine readmissions in the Serie C league.
Vacancies arising from clubs going bankrupt or not applying for a Serie C licence were filled by the league considering applications from teams relegated from Serie C, reserve teams of Serie A clubs, and Serie D playoff winners, in this order.[10] [11]
On 16 June 2023, Pordenone announced their intention to renounce their Serie C spot due to financial issues.[12] [13] On 24 July, the Federation replaced Pordenone with Mantova.[14]
Siena[15] and Reggina[16] have been excluded from their leagues. FIGC admitted Atalanta Under-23 to replace Siena.[17] Brescia was readmitted to Serie B in place of Reggina.[18] The remaining vacancy in Serie C was filled by Casertana.[19]
9 teams from Lombardy, 5 teams from Veneto, 3 teams from Piedmont, 1 team from Emilia-Romagna, 1 team from Friuli-Venezia Giulia and 1 team from Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol.
| Club | City | Stadium | Capacity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AlbinoLeffe | Albino and Leffe | AlbinoLeffe Stadium (Zanica) | ||
| Alessandria | Alessandria | Giuseppe Moccagatta | ||
| Arzignano Valchiampo | Arzignano | Dal Molin | ||
| Atalanta U23 | Bergamo | Comunale di Caravaggio (Caravaggio) | ||
| Fiorenzuola | Fiorenzuola d'Arda | Comunale di Fiorenzuola d'Arda | ||
| Giana Erminio | Gorgonzola | Città di Gorgonzola | ||
| Legnago | Legnago | Mario Sandrini | ||
| Lumezzane | Lumezzane | Tullio Saleri | ||
| Mantova | Mantua | Danilo Martelli | ||
| Novara | Novara | Silvio Piola (Novara) | ||
| Padova | Padua | Euganeo | ||
| Pergolettese | Crema | Giuseppe Voltini | ||
| Pro Patria | Busto Arsizio | Carlo Speroni | ||
| Pro Sesto | Sesto San Giovanni | Breda | ||
| Pro Vercelli | Vercelli | Silvio Piola (Vercelli) | ||
| Renate | Renate | Città di Meda (Meda) | ||
| Trento | Trento | Briamasco | ||
| Triestina | Trieste | Nereo Rocco | ||
| Vicenza | Vicenza | Romeo Menti | ||
| Virtus Verona | Verona | Mario Gavagnin-Sinibaldo Nocini |
4 teams from Marche, 4 teams from Tuscany, 3 teams from Emilia-Romagna, 2 teams from Abruzzo, 2 teams from Liguria, 2 teams from Sardinia, 2 teams from Umbria and 1 team from Piedmont.
7 teams from Campania, 6 teams from Apulia, 2 teams from Basilicata, 2 teams from Lazio, 2 teams from Sicily and 1 team from Calabria.
Rules and dates were confirmed on March 14, 2024.[20] Because of an appeal by Taranto against a 4-point deduction, without which the final positions in Group C would change,[21] all play-off rounds were postponed, with the new dates announced on 29 April.[22]
In each group, the 5th-placed team plays the 10th-placed team, the 6th-placed team plays the 9th-placed team and the 7th-placed team plays the 8th-placed team. In case of a draw, the highest-placed team qualifies.
Matches were played on May 7.
In each group, the 4th-placed team plays the worst-placed winner from the first round, and the best-placed winner from the first round plays the second-best winner. In case of a draw, the highest-placed team qualifies.
Matches were played on May 11.
The three 3rd-placed teams, the winner of Coppa Italia Serie C and the best winner from the group phase are seeded. In case of an aggregate draw, the seeded team qualifies.
The first legs were played on May 14, and the second legs on May 18.
The three 2nd-placed teams and the best winner from the previous round are seeded. In case of an aggregate draw, the seeded team qualifies.
The first legs were played on May 21, and the second legs on May 25. The game between Vicenza and Padova, originally scheduled for May 21, was postponed to May 22 due to bad weather.[23]
Pairings and teams hosting the second leg are drawn randomly. If the match ends in an aggregate draw, extra time is played, followed by penalties if necessary.
The first legs were played on May 28, and the second legs on June 2.
The first leg was played on June 5, and the second leg on June 9.
Rules and dates were confirmed on March 14, 2024.
The losers of each tie are relegated to Serie D. In case of an aggregate draw, the best-placed team avoids relegation. If the two teams involved in a tie are separated by more than 8 points, the matches are not played and the worst-placed team is automatically relegated.
The first legs were played on May 12 and the second legs on May 19.
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals[24] [25] [26] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cosimo Patierno1 | Avellino | 21 |
| 2 | Jacopo Murano | Picerno | 20 |
| Cristian Shpendi | Cesena | ||
| 4 | Claudio Morra | Rimini | 19 |
| 5 | Simone Guerra2 | Juventus Next Gen | 17 |
| Davide Merola | Pescara | ||
| 7 | Alessio Curcio1 | Casertana | 16 |
| Filippo D'Andrea1 | Audace Cerignola | ||
| Maguette Fall3 | Giana Erminio | ||
| Franco Ferrari3 | Vicenza | ||
| Facundo Lescano | Triestina |