1921–22 Prima Categoria

Formation of Prima Divisione and downfall of Prima Categoria

During the summer of 1921, Italy's most powerful clubs asked the Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio (FIGC) to reduce the number of clubs in Prima Categoria. Vittorio Pozzo developed a plan to accommodate the request. However, smaller clubs fearing they would disappear if such a reduction was passed, voted against Pozzo's plan and causing the plan to be rejected. That led to the creation of a rival new Italian football federation, the Confederazione Calcistica Italiana (CCI). The CCI organised the 1921–22 Prima Divisione that ran concurrent to the FIGC championship.

This rivalry only lasted one season. The following summer the FIGC accepted a reduction in the number league participants. Subsequently the FGCI recognised the 1921-22 CCI championship as an official title, alongside the 1921–22 Prima Categoria. Prima Divisione was accepted as the new format from the summer of 1922 onwards, lasting until 1926. Hence, 1921-22 was the last season in which the Prima Categoria winners were awarded Italian Football Champions. The winners of each of the 1921-22 Prima Categoria and Prima Divisione are both officially recognised as Italian Champions that season.

Regulation

Tuscany was added to the main championship as the sixth region. The regional FAs remained with 48 clubs. The preliminary regional phase was the bulk of the tournament, with even twelve matchdays and regular regional football champions, while the following national phase was reduced to a spring tournament of two little groups and a final.

The main tournament was completely divided in six independent sections, and each region had its own football champions that joined the national championship.

Teams

Consequently to the controversy with the secessionist clubs, the Regional FAs quite respected the promotion rules. Only two clubs were added to the six rightful winners of the lower secondary regional tournaments.

Qualifications

Piedmont

Classification

Results table

Liguria

Classification

Results table

Lombardy

Group A

;Classification

;Results table

Group B

;Classification

;Results table

Group C

;Classification

;Results table

Group D

;Classification

;Results table

Final round

;Classification

;Results table

Veneto

Classification

Results table

Emilia

Group A

;Classification

;Results table

Group B

;Classification

;Results table

;Qualification playoff :Played on 8 January 1922.

;Tie-breaker :Played on 15 January 1922 in Bologna.

Relegation playoff

:Played on 22 and 29 January 1922.

Since the aggregate rule wasn't applied, a tie-breaker was needed.

;Tie-breaker :Played on 5 February 1922 in Ferrara.

Final round

;Classification

;Results table

Tuscany

Classification

Results table

Semifinals

Group A

Classification

Results table

Group B

Classification

Results table

Qualification playoff

:Played on April 30, 1922, in Milan.

National Finals

:Played on May 7 and 14, 1922.

;Repetition :Played on May 21, 1922, in Cremona.

Qualifications to Prima Divisione

This FIGC was very poor, and risks of a general bankruptcy was real. The FIGC had a sole resource, its FIFA membership, during the talks that started with the Northern League.

The rich League proposed that FIGC’s Prima Categoria became the Second Division of its CCI’s championship. An agreement was found in late June: the Colombo Compromise by the boss of newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport.

The League imposed its idea of a 24 clubs First Division and a 48 clubs Second Division from 1923. The FIGC obtained a special 36 clubs championship for 1922-23, including champions and runner-ups of the disbanded Regional FAs. More, a third club of each regional FA could test its strength against a League bottom club.

To respect as possible its clubs, the FIGC decided a test-match between the third and the forth clubs of each region. All other clubs went directly to Division Two.

:Played on July 2, 1922.

On mid-July Sundays, the six FIGC’s qualification winners could try to match the Northern League’s six bottom clubs. :Home/away matches on July 9 and 16. On July 16 the match was repeated, again in Piacenza, and Livorno won 4-1. Anyway, Piacenza retired before playing the second leg. | 0-2 |}}

(*) Since the away goal rule wasn't applied, a tie-break was needed:

:Played on July 23, 1922, in Piacenza.

Rivarolese and Pastore Turin were the sole two FIGC clubs which joined the regional champions and runners-up in the new First Division.

References and sources

• Almanacco Illustrato del Calcio - La Storia 1898-2004, Panini Edizioni, Modena, September 2005

Footnotes

References

1. [[wiktionary:forfeit. Forfeit]].
2. After [[extra time]].