Potentially good enough to avoid the relegation zone, but unlikely to have enough to challenge the play-off contenders, a number of Serie B teams may find themselves having to settle for a season of consolidation.

In the case of newly-promoted Avellino and Pescara that would be welcome news as promotion to Italian football’s second tier more often than not comes with a ticket back to Serie C.

For Sampdoria, meanwhile, securing survival well before the end of the season would represent a major step in the right direction following last season’s historically dismal showing.

Here, Destination Calcio takes a look at the best of the rest in Serie B.

All fees according to Transfermarkt.

Avellino

Back in calcio’s second tier for the first time in seven years after finishing top of Serie C Group C last season, Avellino face an uphill battle to avoid a swift return to the third tier.

Over the past 10 campaigns, just three times have all four promoted teams survived the drop back down.

But the Irpini have all it takes to join that list after a summer of adding Serie B experience to Raffaele Biancolino’s squad.

They lost just three games en route to the Serie C title, scoring 61 goals and conceding just 26 in the process.

After scoring six goals in just 12 league appearances last season, Facundo Lescano has made his move to the Partenio permanent after joining from Trapani for £870,000.

But he may not be guaranteed a starting spot in Biancolino’s 4-3-1-2 after Andrea Favilli and Gennaro Tutino joined on loan from Genoa and Sampdoria respectively.

The pair have a combined 89 Serie B goals between them and will be eager to prove their detractors wrong after a difficult season with Bari (on loan) and Sampdoria respectively.

A free transfer from Palermo, Roberto Insigne is expected to operate behind the two strikers and his signing continues the trend of Avellino adding Serie B experience to their squad.

As do the arrivals of Lorenco Simic and Michele Besaggio, who joined on free transfers from Maccabi Haifa and Brescia respectively.

Simic, who spent last season on loan at Bari, should immediately slot in the back four, while Besaggio will anchor a midfield containing Sassuolo starlet Justin Kumi, who has joined on loan alongside Luca D’Andrea.

Avoiding relegation is the goal for Avellino and they should have enough to pull it off. 

Expected starting XI (4-3-1-2):  Iannarilli; Cancellotti, Simic, Rigione, Cagnano; Besaggio, Palmiero, Kumi; Insigne; Favilli, Tutino

Notable arrivals: Roberto Insigne (Palermo, free transfer), Andrea Favilli (Genoa, free transfer), Lorenco Simic (Maccabi Haifa, free transfer), Michele Besaggio (Brescia, free transfer), Justin Kumi (Sassuolo, loan), Luca D’Andrea (Sassuolo, loan), Gennaro Tutino (Sampdoria, loan).

Loans made permanent: Facundo Lescano (Trapani, £870,000), Martin Palumbo (Juventus Next Gen, £870,000), Andrea Cagnano (Sudtirol, undisclosed fee), Giuseppe Panico (Carrarese, undisclosed fee).

Notable departures: Salvatore Pezzella (Caserta, undisclosed fee), Daniel Sannipoli (Guidonia, free transfer), Francesco Maisto (Potenza, loan)

Juve Stabia

Arguably last season’s biggest surprise package in Serie B, the summer has brought significant changes for Juve Stabia.

Guido Pagliuca, who guided the Stabians back to the second tier two years ago and led them to the play-off semi-final last term, has gone and so has Andrea Adorante, whose 17 goals in 36 appearances were crucial in that unexpected promotion bid.

Romano Floriani Mussolini and Yuri Rocchetti also left gaping holes in the starting XI after returning to Lazio and Cremonese respectively, while Demba Thiam returned to Spal following the conclusion of his loan spell.

Thiam will be replaced by Alessandro Confente, who joined from Vicenza on a free transfer, while the arrival of fellow free agent Lorenzo Carissoni should lessen Rocchetti’s absence.

Up front, with Adorante gone, most of the goalscoring burden will rest on Leonardo Candellone’s shoulders.

The 27-year-old scored only six goals last season and the Stabians will need Kevin Piscopo and Nicola Mosti to chip in. The arrival of Rares Burnete from Lecce on loan is an interesting move, as the Romanian scored 29 in two seasons with the Salentini’s youth team, before making the jump to Serie A last term.

The most significant change of all, however, is arguably Pagliuca’s departure to Empoli. His successor, Ignazio Abate, won 21 of his 34 games in charge of Ternana last season with nine draws and just four defeats as they finished with the most prolific attack and the best defensive record in Serie C Group B.

Abate was sacked in early February, only for the club to rehire him a day later, before firing him again on April 1, a decision which raised eyebrows as Ternana were second in Group B behind Virtus Entella and ultimately ended up losing the play-off final to Pescara after he was sacked.

Abate stuck to a four-man defence last season, mostly in a 4-2-3-1 formation and occasionally switching to a more prudent 4-3-2-1, while Juve Stabia’s colours were firmly tied to the 3-4-2-1 mast under Pagliuca.

Whether the shift in formation will deliver results remains to be seen. The feeling is that Juve Stabia may have already reached their ceiling.

Expected starting XI (4-3-2-1): Confente; Carissoni, Ruggero, Bellich, D’Amore; Pierobon, Leone, Battistella; Piscopo, Mosti; Candellone

Notable arrivals: Thomas Battistella (Modena, undisclosed fee), Alessandro Confente (Vicenza, free transfer), Lorenzo Carissoni (Cittadella, loan), Mattia Mannini (Roma, loan), Rares Burnete (Lecce, loan)

Notable departures: Andrea Adorante (Venezia, £2.1m), Romano Floriani Mussolini (Lazio, end of loan), Demba Thiam (Spal, end of loan), Lorenzo Sgarbi (Napoli, end of loan), Yuri Rocchetti (Cremonese, end of loan)

Mantova

While Juve Stabia and Cesena took the league by storm on their return to Serie B last season, Mantova and Carrarese treaded water for most of the campaign.

The Virgilians ultimately secured survival in the second tier by finishing two points clear of the relegation play-off spots.

It was a case of job done for Mantova, but it also illustrated the need for reinforcements after a season that threatened to veer off the road until four wins and two draws in the final eight games steered them clear of trouble.

Mantova deserve credit for staying the course with boss Davide Possanzini even as the season looked to have turned sour, but the former Brescia striker faces another uphill battle to avoid relegation.

The Biancorossi have been forced to operate on a budget this summer, but the free-transfer arrivals of Zan Majer and Cesar Falletti from Cremonese are shrewd additions.

The former will bring passing and bite to Mantova’s midfield, while the Argentine should bring much-needed creativity. 

Meanwhile, the arrivals of Valerio Mantovani from Ascoli for £260,000 and Alessio Castellini on loan from Catania are expected to shore up a defence that conceded 56 goals last season, the joint-second worst in the league.

Mantova’s survival may well hinge on that.

Expected starting XI (4-2-3-1): Festa; Radaelli, Mantovani, Castellini, Panizzi; Trimboli, Majer; Galuppini, Falletti, Fiori; Mancuso

Notable arrivals: Valerio Mantovani (Ascoli £260,000), Cesar Falletti (Cremonese, free transfer), Zan Majer (Cremonese, free transfer), Lorenzo Andrenacci (Brescia, free transfer), Alessio Castellini (Catania, loan)

Notable departures: Fabrizio Brignani (Castellon, £1m), Alex Redolfi (Cittadella, undisclosed fee), Matteo Solini (Ravenna, free transfer), Simone Giordano (Sampdoria, end of loan), Mattia Aramu (Genoa, end of loan), Alessandro Debenedetti (Genoa, end of loan)

Pescara

Back in calcio’s second tier after successfully navigating their way through the play-offs and beating Ternana on penalties in the final, Pescara are determined to avoid a swift return to Serie C.

Vincenzo Vivarini has replaced Silvio Baldini in charge and that means a move from 4-3-3 to a more defensive 4-4-2, but with minimal changes in personnel. 

Gianmarco Cangiano has made his loan move from Bologna permanent to the tune of £870,000 and will retain his spot on the left wing, while Giacomo Olzer will strengthen the midfield after joining on a free transfer from Brescia.

Marco Balzano also joined on a free from Puteolana and will be tasked with filling the gap left by Brando Moruzzi, who joined Juventus Next Gen.

Davide Merola, Andrea Ferraris and Riccardo Tonin combined for 30 goals last season and they will again be tasked with shouldering the scoring responsibilities. 

Vivarini knows Pescara well having spent three seasons at the Adriatico as assistant manager and his contract includes an automatic renewal clause should they avoid relegation.

If that’s not a big enough incentive, nothing will be.

Expected starting XI (4-4-2): Desplanches; Letizia, Corbo, Pellacani, Balzano; Olzer, Dagasso, Valzania, Cangiano; Merola, Sgarbi

Notable arrivals: Lorenzo Sgarbi (loan, Napoli), Sebastiano Desplanches (loan, Palermo), Gianmarco Cangiano (Bologna, £870,000), Marco Balzano (Puteolana, undisclosed fee), Giacomo Olzer (Brescia, free transfer), Gabriele Corbo (Cordoba, free transfer).

Notable departures: Brando Moruzzi (Juventus Next Gen, £260,000), Daniele Donnarumma (Catania, undisclosed fee), Edoardo Pierozzi (Fiorentina, end of loan), Thomas Alberti (Modena, end of loan), Lorenzo Lonardi (Sudtirol, end of loan).

Sampdoria

Initially relegated to Serie C for the first time in their 79-year history, Sampdoria pulled off one of Serie B’s great escapes as they beat Salernitana in a relegation play-off after being handed an unexpected lifeline courtesy of Brescia’s points deduction.

The question is where next for the Blucerchiati after a historically disastrous campaign. In the immediate term the answer is Massimo Donati, who has replaced Alberico Evani in charge after the Sampdoria legend secured Serie B survival at the second time of asking.

Donati will bring his 3-4-1-2 formation to the Marassi, with Massimo Coda, who needs one goal to become Serie B’s all-time record scorer, and new signing Marvin Cuni up front.

Nikola Sekulov, who has made his loan move from Juventus Next Gen permanent for £1.3m, will be tasked with providing the creativity and inspiration Sampdoria lacked far too often last term.

The Como trio of Alessandro Bellemo, Nikolas Ioannou and Simone Ghidotti have all signed permanently for a combined £3.7m after joining on loan last season.

Ghidotti is expected to be Donati’s first choice in goal after the Blucerchiati churned through five goalkeepers last season, while Ioannou will operate as one of the two wing-backs with Fabio Depaoli on the opposite flank.

Bellemo, meanwhile, will battle it out with new signing Jordan Ferri, who joined from Montpellier, for a spot in midfield, where Sampdoria have bid farewell to Melle Meulensteen.

The Dutchman returned to the Eredivisie, one of a list of departures which also included Giuseppe Sibilli and Remi Oudin, who returned to Bari and Lecce respectively after their loan spells ended.

Fabio Borini and M’Baye Niang have both been released and Gennaro Tutino has joined Avellino on loan.

In his first interview as Sampdoria manager, Donati announced himself as “hungry, driven and eager to make his mark”, while Blucerchiati owner Matteo Manfredi has urged his team to adopt a workmanlike approach this season.

That may be a salutary advice following last season’s dismal showing, with the Blucerchiati burning through three managers – Andrea Pirlo, Andrea Sottil and Leonardo Semplici – before Evani was appointed as a last roll of the dice.

Sampdoria began last season as promotion favourites, but never looked anywhere near being the sum of their parts and soon fell apart.

A return to Serie A may have to wait for now, a season of consolidation may be the best the Blucerchiati can hope for.

Expected starting XI (3-4-1-2): Ghidotti; Riccio, Ferrari, Romagnoli; Depaoli, Ferri, Henderson, Ioannou; Sekulov; Cuni, Coda

Notable arrivals: Liam Henderson (Empoli, free transfer), Jordan Ferri (Montpellier, undisclosed fee), Marvin Cuni (Rubin Kazan, loan).

Loans made permanent: Nikolas Ioannou (Como, £1.7m), Alessandro Bellemo (Como, £1.7m), Nikola Sekulov (Juventus Next Gen, £1.3m), Simone Ghidotti (Como, £345,000), Simone Romagnoli (Frosinone, £86,000).

Notable departures: Samuel Ntanda (Anderlecht £600,000), Melle Meulensteen (Go Ahead Eagles, £345,000), Pietro Beruatto (Pisa, end of loan), Ebenezer Akinsanmiro (Inter Milan, end of loan), Giuseppe Sibilli (Bari, end of loan), Remi Oudin (Lecce, end of loan), Bartosz Bereszyński (released), Fabio Borini (released), M’Baye Niang (released), Alessio Cragno (released), Ronaldo Vieira (San Jose Earthquakes €400,000).


Don’t forget, Destination Calcio will be bringing you live Serie B action during every round of the 2025-26 on DCTV.

Click HERE to find out the matches we will be showing across the first few weeks of the season.

Click HERE for the full 2025-26 calendar.

Read more: Familiar faces set to fight for the Serie B play-off spots

Read more: How the Relegation Candidates are Shaping Up to Stay Up