Serie B Execs Deny The League Is Suspended

Serie B execs "denied the league has been suspended amid a legal row over how many teams it should have," according to the BBC. The Italian second tier has had 22 teams since '04 but Avellino, Bari and Cesena "went bankrupt over the summer." It was decided to start the new season without replacing them, "prompting legal challenges from relegated teams" and from those that missed out on promotion. An Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) official had said that a court in Rome suspended the league until Oct. 9. Serie B President Franco Frattini said that a meeting on Friday would seek to "review the issue in a completely new composition" as a result of the verdict. However, a Serie B statement released following his comments criticized "damaging" and "untruthful news." The statement said, "Serie B is not suspended and the championship continues because it is what millions of fans want" (BBC, 9/18).