Why Venezia And Como Joining Serie A Could Boost Italian Soccer Tourism

12.03.2024 - 23:53 / forbes.com / Lake Como

Imagine a weekend away, exploring exquisite mountain villages that overlook Lake Como, then making your way to the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia to round out your evening with newly-promoted Como 1907 at home to seven-time European champions AC Milan.

How about Florence on a Saturday evening for Fiorentina vs Juventus, then a casual Sunday afternoon gondola ride to the picturesque Stadio Pierluigi Penzo for Venezia vs Inter Milan?

Topped off with the finest food and drink that Veneto has to offer, this is a palatable sporting and culinary package that would appeal to men, women, children and everyone in between. And with Venice and Lake Como potentially hosting Serie A games fortnightly, Italy's tourism industry will be taken to the next level during the autumn and winter months by soccer, the nation's religion away from religion.

As Inter runs away with the Serie A title, our attention naturally turns to the battle for UEFA spots, Serie A relegation and the promotion race in Serie B. It's here in Italy's second division where a gripping three-way fight for automatic promotion is unfolding between Cremonese and two clubs that are based in the nation’s most iconic holiday destinations, Venezia FC and Como 1907.

Kyle Krause’s Parma leads the division (at the time of writing) with Cremonese in second place, while Venezia and Como occupy third and fourth respectively. Nine rounds are remaining before the Serie B Playoff Finals - a knockout contest that decides the third and final promotional spot to Serie A paradiso.

It’s not as complicated as a newcomer to Serie B may think. In short, teams that finish in first and second places after 38 rounds are automatically granted entry to Serie A, replacing two of the three relegated sides from the top division. Then, clubs that clinched third to eighth placings in Serie B knock each other out: the last team standing, which was Cagliari in 2023, is then granted the third and final Serie A place for 2024-25.

Since the turn of the century, the Lagunari and Lariani have each contested just one Serie A season. Venezia, which is owned by the former CEO of the New York Stock Exchange, Duncan Niederauer, was relegated from Serie A in 2021-22. Despite their stylish attire on the field - labelled Fashion FC by Esquire - and the additions of USMNT midfielders Gianluca Busio and Andrew Tessman, they finished in 20th position under former coach Paolo Zanetti. Returning to Serie B in 2022-23, Paolo Vanoli’s side was then eliminated during the Playoffs by Claudio Ranieri’s Cagliari.

Como’s last involvement at the top level was in 2002-03, back when Eugenio Fascetti was head coach and Nicola Amoruso and Fabio Pecchia led the scoring. Much like Venezia, who also suffered bankruptcy,