The only thing more difficult than winning promotion to Serie B is staying there. Over the past 10 campaigns, just three times have all four promoted teams avoided the drop back down.

Last season, however, not only did Cesena and Juve Stabia buck the trend but they both reached the play-offs, while fellow newcomers Mantova and Carrarese swerved a swift return to Serie C.

And yet, as a new term approaches, the promoted sides face a fierce fight to cement their status in Italian football’s second division and could be joined in the quagmire by a host of teams.

Here, Destination Calcio takes a look at the potential relegation candidates.

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Carrarese

In a season where the managerial revolving door never stopped swinging in Serie B, Carrarese deserved enormous credit for staying the course and backing Antonio Calabro.

Nobody would have blamed the Tuscans had they pulled the trigger, after five defeats in the opening six fixtures threatened to derail their first campaign back in Serie B in 76 years almost before it began, nor after five consecutive losses across January and February looked set condemn them to a swift return to the third tier.

Carrarese stuck with Calabro and reaped the rewards, celebrating survival with a game to spare and eventually finishing 12th. But the odds remain firmly stacked against them as they embark on their second Serie B campaign in a row.

Operating on a tight budget, the Blues have again had to rely on the loan market this summer, but there is genuine excitement around the arrivals of Kleis Bozhanaj from Modena and Fiorentina starlet Filippo Distefano.

A key figure of Carrarese’s promotion to Serie B two years ago when he scored five goals in 33 league appearances, Bozhanaj is expected to slot straight into Calabro’s 3-4-1-2 formation, with Distefano joining Mattia Finotto, last season’s joint-top scorer along with Nicolas Schiavi with six goals.

Marco Bleve has made his loan move from Lecce permanent and remains the first-choice goalkeeper.

Expected starting XI (3-4-1-2): Bleve; Oliana, Illanes, Imperiale; Bouah, Melegoni, Schiavi, Cicconi; Bozhanaj; Distefano, Finotto

Notable arrivals: Kleis Bozhanaj (Modena, loan), Filippo Distefano (Fiorentina, loan), Marco Bleve (Lecce, undisclosed fee), Federico Accornero (Genoa, undisclosed fee), Vincenzo Fiorillo (Salernitana, free transfer), Eliman Cham (Reggina, free transfer)

Notable departures: Tommaso Milanese (Cremonese, end of loan), Mauro Coppolaro (Modena, end of loan), Alessandro Fontanarossa (Inter U23, end of loan), Stiven Shpendi (Empoli, end of loan), Gabriele Guarino (Empoli, end of loan), Giuseppe Panico (Avellino, undisclosed fee)

Padova

Back in the second tier for the first time in six years after finishing top of Serie C Group A last season, Padova have pulled off one of the most spectacular signings of the summer so far in Papu Gomez.

By the time the Argentine takes to the pitch he will not have kicked a ball in a competitive setting for two years because of a doping ban, but Padova are betting on him still being more than good enough to play in Serie B, even at the age of 37.

During his prime years at Atalanta, Gomez was never the fastest player, but his brain was the greatest weapon in his arsenal and the Biancoscudati will hope that remains the case, with the 2022 World Cup winner set to join Mattia Bortolussi and Nicola Valente up top in Matteo Andreoletti’s 3-4-3.

Gomez is not the only experienced signing of the summer for Padova, who also snapped up former Torino midfielder Daniele Baselli and left-back Antonio Barreca, who spent last season on loan at Sampdoria, while Paolo Ghiglione arrived on loan from Salernitana and Alessandro Seghetti joined from Perugia for £260,000.

Mattia Fortin was sold to Lens for £1.3m but will remain in goal for at least another season after returning to the Stadio Euganeo on loan form the Ligue 1 club.

Expected starting XI (3-4-3): Fortin; Delli Carri, Pastina, Perrotta; Ghiglione, Bacci, Crisetig, Barreca: Buonaiuto, Bortolussi, Gomez. 

Notable arrivals: Mattia Fortin (Lens, loan), Paolo Ghiglione (Salernitana, loan), Jonathan Silva (Torino, loan), Alessandro Seghetti (Perugia, £260,000), Antonio Barreca (Sudtirol, free transfer), Papu Gomez (unattached, free transfer), Daniele Baselli (unattached, free transfer)

Notable departures: Mattia Fortin (Lens, £1.3m), Tommaso Ghirardello (Gubbio, £170,000), Nico Kirwan (Trapani, free transfer), Luca Villa (Salernitana, free transfer), Antonio Granata (Picerno, free transfer)

Reggiana

To suggest Reggiana pulled off one of Serie B’s great escapes would be quite the understatement. They looked destined for the drop after a run of one win in 12 matches left them in the bottom three, before they reeled off four consecutive wins between April and May to survive with a game to spare.

And there is little to suggest Davide Dionigi will enjoy an easier ride this season as he looks to steer the Granata to safety for the third consecutive year, with Reggiana again shaping up to be among those scrapping at the bottom.

Since taking over at the end of March, Dionigi has hardly put a foot wrong and has managed to strengthen his team while bowing to the financial constraints that are unavoidable for a club the size of Reggiana. Centre-back Danilo Quaranta has joined from Juve Stabia and is expected to partner fellow new arrival Andrea Papetti and Paolo Rozzio in Dionigi’s three-man defence.

Papetti arrived on a free transfer from Brescia along with Massimo Bertagnoli, while Manolo Portanova made his loan move from Genoa permanent.

Meanwhile, Matteo Rover’s arrival from Sudtirol gives Dionigi a new option on the wing in his preferred 3-4-1-2 and intrigue surrounds the loan signing of Elayis Tavsan from Hellas Verona. The former Netherlands Under-21 international scored four goals and set up three while on loan at Cesena last term, figures Reggiana ideally need him to improve on if they are to steer clear of trouble.

Elsewhere, Francesco Vallarelli is a shrewd signing from Empoli and he should add dynamism and creativity, while 21-year-old Damiano Basili is ready to take next step after impressing at Pergolettese in Serie C last season.

Expected starting XI (3-4-1-2): Sposito; Papetti, Rozzio, Quaranta; Sampirisi, Bertagnoli, Reinhart, Rover; Girma; Tavsan, Gondo

Notable arrivals: Francesco Vallarrelli (Empoli, £300,000), Andrea Papetti (Brescia, free transfer), Massimo Bertagnoli (Brescia, free transfer), Manolo Portanova (Genoa, free transfer), Damiano Basili (Pergolettese, free transfer), Matteo Rover (Sudtirol, undisclosed fee), Danilo Quaranta (Juve Stabia, undisclosed fee), Elayis Tavsan (Hellas Verona, loan).

Notable departures: Justin Kumi (Sassuolo, end of loan), Joaquin Sosa (Bologna, end of loan), Lorenzo Ignacchiti (Empoli, end of loan), Lorenzo Lucchesi (Venezia, end of loan).

Sudtirol

In a season awash with managers getting their teams to punch above their weight, Fabrizio Castori’s work at Sudtirol flew largely under the radar last term, but the Biancorossi owe their continued Serie B status to the 71-year-old. Second-bottom in the table on goal difference, Sudtirol had picked up just one point in seven matches when Castori replaced Marco Zaffaroni in December.

The change led to a remarkable turnaround in form, with Sudtirol picking up 33 points in their remaining 22 fixtures to not only secure survival but finish 10th, two places higher than the previous season.

Over the summer, Castori has overseen an evolution rather than a revolution with Mamadou Coulibaly the most high-profile arrival, as he joined from Catanzaro on a free transfer.

The 26-year-old midfielder should fit seamlessly in the Tyroleans’ 3-5-2 and will be tasked with filling the gap left by Mateusz Praszelik’s departure after he returned to Hellas Verona at the end of his loan spell and has since joined Polish side Cracovia.

Simone Tronchin will bolster Castori’s options in midfield after joining on a free transfer from Cittadella and Marius Adamonis remains the first-choice goalkeeper after making his loan move from Catania permanent.

Meanwhile, two new strikers arrived in the shape of Jonathan Italeng and Emanuele Pecorino from Atalanta U23 and Juventus Next Gen respectively.

With the Tyroleans still operating on a shoestring budget, Castori will need all of his experience to keep them up again. Whether it will be enough, remains to be seen.

Expected starting XI (3-5-2): Adamonis; Kofler, Giorgini, Pietrangeli; Molina, Coulibaly, Tait, Zedadka; Merkaj, Casiraghi, Pecorino

Notable arrivals: Mamadou Coulibaly (Catanzaro, free transfer), Simone Tronchin (Cittadella, free transfer), Jonathan Italeng (Atalanta U23, loan), Emanuele Pecorino (Juventus Next Gen, loan)

Loan made permanent: Marius Adamonis (Catania, undisclosed fee).

Notable departures: Mateusz Praszelik (Hellas Verona, end of loan), Antonio Barreca (Padova, free transfer), Andrea Cisco (Union Brescia free transfer), Andrea Cagnano (Avellino, undisclosed fee)

Virtus Entella

The Ligurians are back in Serie B for the first time in four years, but survival is no easy task. Like many of their rivals, Virtus have had to operate on a budget this summer with the modest £139,000 fee paid to make Trapani midfielder Nermin Karic’s loan move permanent so far their biggest investment of the window.

Right-back Francesco Mezzoni, goalkeeper Simone Colombi and midfielder Marco Nichetti all arrived on free transfers, while strikers Tommaso Fumagalli and Flavio Russo joined on loan from Como and Sassuolo respectively.

Colombi is expected to take over goalkeeping duties and Fumagalli to slot behind Russo, with fellow new signings Ahmad Benali to be deployed in midfield after his arrival from Bari.

Centre-back Federico Bonini made his switch to Catanzaro permanent for a £430,000 fee, while Andrea Corbari moved to Catania for £345,000.

The biggest change of all, however, came in the dugout where Andrea Chiappella has replaced Fabio Gallo. The former Giana Erminio manager is expected to ditch his predecessor’s 3-5-2 approach in favour of his preferred 4-2-3-1.

Expected starting XI (4-2-3-1): Colombi; Boccadamo, Tiritiello, Parodi, Di Mario; Benali, Karic; Bariti, Franzoni, Fumagalli; Russo

Notable arrivals: Simone Colombi (Rimini, free transfer), Marco Nichetti (Giana Erminio, free transfer), Ahmad Benali (Bari, undisclosed fee), Tommaso Fumagalli (Como, loan), Flavio Russo (Sassuolo, loan)

Loans made permanent: Nermin Karic (Trapani, £139,000).

Notable departures: Federico Bonini (Catanzaro, £430,000), Andrea Corbari (Catania, £345,000), Francesco Pio Cuccinella (Bra, free transfer), Marco Piredda (Ligorna, free transfer), Giacomo Tomaselli (Pergolettese, free transfer)

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.

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