1914–15 Prima Categoria

Prima Categoria
Season1914–15
ChampionsGenoa
7th title

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

Classification
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Genoa 10 9 0 1 61 5 +56 18 Qualified for Semi-Finals
2 Alessandria 10 6 2 2 36 7 +29 14
3 Andrea Doria 10 6 1 3 20 18 +2 13
4 Savona (T) 10 4 2 4 17 23 −6 10 1915–16 Cat.B never played
5 Acqui (R) 10 1 1 8 5 62 −57 3 Relegated
6 AC Ligure (H) 10 0 2 8 8 32 −24 2 Acquired by Sampierdarena[3]
Source: Panini
(H) Hosts; (R) Relegated; (T) Qualified, but not yet for the particular phase indicated
Results table
Home \ Away LIG ACQ ALE ADO GEN SVN
AC Ligure 2–2 0–3 1–3 1–4 2–2
Acqui 3–1 0–9 0–3 0–16 0–5
Alessandria 5–0 6–0 2–2 3–0 5–0
Andrea Doria 4–1 4–0 2–1 0–8 1–0
Genoa 3–0 12–0 2–1 3–0 7–0
Savona 3–0 4–0 1–1 2–1 0–6
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: Almanacco Illustrato del Calcio - La Storia 1898-2004, Panini Edizioni, Modena, September 2005 (in Italian)
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Group B

Classification
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Torino 10 9 1 0 37 8 +29 19 Qualified for Semi-Finals
2 Juventus 10 7 1 2 46 14 +32 15
3 Vigor Torino 10 7 0 3 27 20 +7 14
4 Valenzana (T) 10 2 2 6 10 30 −20 6 1915–16 Cat.B never played
5 Piemonte (E) 10 2 1 7 12 33 −21 5 Disbanded
6 Veloces (T) 10 0 1 9 8 35 −27 1 1915–16 Cat.B never played
Source: Panini
(E) Eliminated; (T) Qualified, but not yet for the particular phase indicated
Results table
Home \ Away JUV PIE TOR VAL VEL VTO
Juventus 8–1 2–7 6–0 5–0 2–3
Piemonte 2–6 0–2 2–2 2–0 2–6
Torino 1–1 4–0 4–0 4–1 5–2
Valenzana 0–9 2–0 0–3 4–1 0–2
Veloces 0–4 2–3 1–2 1–1 1–3
Vigor Torino 0–3 1–0 1–5 2–1 7–1
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: Almanacco Illustrato del Calcio - La Storia 1898-2004, Panini Edizioni, Modena, September 2005 (in Italian)
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Group C

Savoia Milano forfeited before the start of the Championship.

Classification
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Pro Vercelli 8 6 1 1 20 6 +14 13 Qualified for Semi-Finals
2 Casale 8 5 2 1 14 3 +11 12
3 Novara 8 4 0 4 12 8 +4 8
4 Nazionale Lombardia (T) 8 3 1 4 10 22 −12 7 1915–16 Categoria B never played
5 Racing Libertas Milan (T) 8 0 0 8 4 21 −17 0
6 Savoia Milan (E) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Disbanded
Source: Panini
(E) Eliminated; (T) Qualified, but not yet for the particular phase indicated
Results table
Home \ Away CSL NLO NOV PVE RAC
Casale 6–0 1–0 2–0 1–0
Nazionale Lombardia 1–1 1–2 1–3 4–1
Novara 1–0 0–1 1–2 5–0
Pro Vercelli 1–1 9–0 1–0 2–1
Racing Libertas Milano 0–2 0–2 2–3 0–2
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: Almanacco Illustrato del Calcio - La Storia 1898-2004, Panini Edizioni, Modena, September 2005 (in Italian)
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Group D

Classification
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Milan 10 9 1 0 52 3 +49 19 Qualified for Semi-Finals
2 Juventus Italia 10 4 5 1 27 16 +11 13
3 Bologna 10 2 5 3 15 24 −9 9
4 AC Milanese (E) 10 3 2 5 26 19 +7 8 Disbanded
5 Chiasso (T) 10 2 3 5 24 37 −13 7 1915–16 Cat.B never played
6 Audax Modena (E) 10 2 0 8 14 59 −45 4 Disbanded
Source: Panini
(E) Eliminated; (T) Qualified, but not yet for the particular phase indicated
Results table
Home \ Away USM AMO BOL CHI JIT MIL
AC Milanese 9–0 1–2 10–1 0–0 0–3
Audax Modena 2–4 4–1 2–0 2–4 0–2
Bologna 1–1 4–2 3–3 0–0 0–1
Chiasso 3–1 9–1 2–2 4–4 1–7
Juventus Italia 2–0 13–1 1–1 2–1 0–6
Milan 5–0 13–0 9–1 5–0 1–1
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: Almanacco Illustrato del Calcio - La Storia 1898-2004, Panini Edizioni, Modena, September 2005 (in Italian)
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Group E

Classification
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Internazionale 10 9 0 1 60 8 +52 18 Qualified for Semi-Finals
2 Como 10 5 2 3 22 20 +2 12
3 US Milanese 10 3 4 3 21 32 −11 10
4 Brescia (T) 10 3 2 5 10 18 −8 8 1915–16 Categoria B never played
4 Cremonese (T) 10 4 0 6 15 25 −10 8
6 Modena (T) 10 1 2 7 13 38 −25 4
Source: Panini
(T) Qualified, but not yet for the particular phase indicated
Results table
Home \ Away BRE COM CRE INT MOD USM
Brescia 2–0 2–0 0–2 3–1 1–1
Como 2–0 1–0 3–2 7–0 2–2
Cremonese 2–1 1–2 1–5 4–2 5–4
Internazionale 8–0 6–0 6–0 8–0 12–1
Modena 1–1 4–2 0–1 1–7 3–3
US Milanese 1–0 3–3 2–1 2–4 2–1
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: Almanacco Illustrato del Calcio - La Storia 1898-2004, Panini Edizioni, Modena, September 2005 (in Italian)
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Group F

Classification
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Vicenza 10 8 0 2 43 13 +30 16 Qualified for Semi-Finals
2 Hellas Verona 10 7 1 2 28 15 +13 15
3 Venezia 10 4 4 2 23 18 +5 12
4 Padova (T) 10 3 1 6 23 37 −14 7 1915–16 Categoria B never played
5 Udinese (T) 10 2 2 6 15 24 −9 6
6 Petrarca Padova (T) 10 2 0 8 11 36 −25 4
Source: Panini
(T) Qualified, but not yet for the particular phase indicated
Results table
Home \ Away HEL PAD PET UDI VEN VIC
Hellas Verona 7–2 4–3 2–0 1–1 1–0
Padova 2–5 2–0 4–1 3–5 1–3
Petrarca Padova 1–5 3–2 2–1 0–2 2–7
Udinese 0–4 2–0 3–2 1–0 0–1
Venezia 3–0 2–4 2–0 2–2 0–2
Vicenza 3–2 10–2 6–0 5–1 6–1
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: Almanacco Illustrato del Calcio - La Storia 1898-2004, Panini Edizioni, Modena, September 2005 (in Italian)
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Semifinals

Group A

Classification
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Genoa 6 5 0 1 25 5 +20 10 Qualified for Final Group
2 Casale 6 4 0 2 9 9 0 8
3 Juventus 6 3 0 3 13 15 −2 6
4 Venezia 6 0 0 6 4 22 −18 0
Source: Panini
Results

Group B

Classification
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Milan 6 4 1 1 9 6 +3 9 Qualified for Final Group
2 Alessandria 6 3 1 2 7 5 +2 7
3 Vigor Torino 6 2 0 4 9 10 −1 4
3 Novara 6 2 0 4 9 13 −4 4
Source: Panini
Results

Group C

Classification
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Torino 6 6 0 0 18 3 +15 12 Qualified for Final Group
2 Pro Vercelli 6 4 0 2 12 6 +6 8
3 Hellas Verona 6 1 0 5 10 16 −6 2
3 Como 6 1 0 5 4 19 −15 2
Source: Panini
Results

Group D

Classification
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Internazionale 6 4 1 1 27 2 +25 9 Qualified for Final Round
2 Andrea Doria 6 3 1 2 11 10 +1 7
3 Vicenza 6 2 1 3 8 23 −15 5
3 Juventus Italia 6 1 1 4 6 17 −11 3
Source: Panini
Results

Final round

Classification

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 Genoa (C) 5 3 1 1 13 11 +2 7 Champions (officially after WWI)
2 Torino 5 1 3 1 11 7 +4 5
2 Internazionale 5 2 1 2 11 12 −1 5
4 Milan 5 0 3 2 4 9 −5 3
Source: Panini
(C) Champions

Results table

Southern Italy tournament

Main article: Football in Southern Italy in 1914–15

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.

Footnotes

  1. ^ "War, weather and working weeks: the previous times football has been halted in England". BBC Sport. 26 March 2020. Retrieved 27 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: Francesco Saverio Intorcia (21 July 2016). "Lazio, scudetto 1915, ecco la relazione". Retrieved 22 February 2019.
  3. ^ Following bankruptcy, AC Ligure players were acquired by a Sampierdarena new management which consequently became AC Sampierdarenese. However, FIGC did not ratified the merger so the club had to play a test match in 1919 to confirm its championship spot.

References and sources

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