1921–22 Prima Divisione (C.C.I.)

The 1921-22 Prima Divisione was the equal twenty-first edition of the Italian Football Championship. In a highly political season of Italian football, to rival the Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio (FIGC) organised 1921-22 Prima Categoria, Italy's richest clubs created the Prima Divisione. The rivalry lasted only this one season. Afterwards, the FIGC recognised the Prima Divisione format as the official championship. 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. The 1921-22 Prima Divisione was the seventh and most recent Italian Football Championship won by Pro Vercelli.

Regulation

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 Prima Divisione that ran concurrent to the FIGC championship.

This rivalry only lasted one season. The following summer 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. 1921-22 was the last season in which the Prima Categoria winners were awarded Italian Football Champions.

Northern League

As a private league, the Northern League was composed by the 24 richest clubs of 1920–21 Prima Categoria.

Regular season

Group winners went to the final. Under original regulations, bottom clubs went to a salvation play-off against the two best clubs of the Second Division.

Group A

=Classification

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=Results table

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Group B

=Classification

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=Results table

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Finals

:''Played on May 7 and 14, 1922.''

Southern League

The Southern League was a separate amatorial league, still divided in five regions. The winner were Fortitudo Rome.

National Finals

:''Played on June 11 and 18, 1922.''

Play-offs

Preliminary play-offs

:''Played on July 2, 1922.''

(*) This match was invalidated due to a referee's technical error. The match was repeated a week later:

:''Played on July 9, 1922, in Legnano.''

Vicenza were relegated to 1922–23 Seconda Divisione.

Internazionale received a walkover as their opponents Sport Club Nazionale Lombardia went bankrupt and disbanded.

Barrage play-offs

The CCI was very rich but it suffered the lack of international recognition by the FIFA, so an agreement with the FIGC was found. On July 9 and 16, Inter and Derthona and the other four bottom clubs of the Northern League were challenged by six FIGC’s clubs.

Venezia was the sole CCI club to be relegated to the 1922–23 Seconda Divisione following the defeat by FIGC’s Rivarolese. Spezia was re-elected when CCI’s Livorno bought and merged with its FIGC's counterpart Pro Livorno, freeing a slot.

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

:''Played on July 23, 1922, in Piacenza.''

Extra play-offs

After U.S. Livorno and Pro Livorno's merger, a spot in the ''Prima Divisione'' was freed and extra-rounds had to be organized.

Extra Round 1

:''Played on September 17, 1922.'' Libertas Firenze and Piacenza forfeited.

Extra Round 2

:''Played on September 24, 1922, in Reggio Emilia.''

References and sources

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

Footnotes

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