Italian Soccer Promotion Places Settled After Pescara Win On Penalties

Pescara have clinched the last Serie B promotion spot after defeating Ternana in the Serie C play-off final.

Dolphins goalkeeper Alessandro Plizzari was decisive, saving three penalties during the shootout to allow Silvio Baldini’s side to return to the Italian second division after a four-year absence.

Despite winning the match 1-0, Ternana needed a two-goal victory to avoid penalties, as Pescara had secured a 1-0 away first-leg win at the Stadio Libero Liberati.

Plizzari singlehandedly kept Pescara in the contest throughout the match, making multiple saves during regular and extra time. The 25-year-old would later repeat his heroics by denying Alfredo Donnarumma, Tiago Casasola and Alexis Ferrante from the spot, sparking fireworks at the Stadio Adriatico in front of a sellout crowd.

With defeat, Ternana stay in the third tier for a second successive season, and the future of interim coach Fabio Liverani remains unknown. The former Italy midfielder came out of retirement to take over from Ignazio Abate who was sacked in April.

Despite losing at home in the first leg courtesy of Gaetano Letizia’s long-range goal, fortunes changed at the Adriatico for Ternana when Pescara midfielder Matteo Dagasso was sent off for a mistimed tackle on Samuele Damiani in the 62nd minute.

With the numerical advantage, the Rossoverdi piled on the pressure, and second-half substitute Kees de Boer levelled the tie with a superb strike from outside the area with 15 minutes remaining on the clock.

Ternana were relentless throughout extra-time but couldn’t find the winner. There was no way past Plizzari, the Pescara captain suffering an injury to his left knee while making a fingertip save from Damiani’s curling effort. Still, the former Milan youth player recovered to ensure Pescara would limp their way to penalties.

Brando Moruzzi, Antonino De Marco and Riccardo Tonin then converted from 12 yards for Pescara, and Plizzari palmed away Donnarumma’s attempt to finish the job. Baldini’s side deservedly won the shootout 3-1, a result which sees Pescara join automatically promoted teams Padova (Group A), Entella (Group B) and Avellino (Group C) in Serie B for the 2025-26 season.

“The team asked me to gift them something, we are a family and this has been our strength,” Plizzari told Sky Italia.

“I don’t know how many years I dreamed of this night, it has been such a long wait. I know what it means to feel the pain of going out on penalties. This team has given me the opportunity to be reborn as a footballer and as a person. I gave my all.”

How Promotion and Relegation Works in Italy

In all, 28 of 60 Serie C teams take part in the play-offs, a knockout system where teams as low as tenth can participate. Pescara’s path to glory included a narrow 2-1 win against Giana Erminio, a 2-2 draw with Catania, and respective blowout victories over Vis Pesaro (6-2) and Audace Cerignola (5-2).

Adding to the complicated process, nine teams are promoted from the fourth tier which is deemed as semi-professional. Known as Serie D, it contains 165 clubs categorised geographically into nine regional groups.

Next Season 2025-26

The quartet of successful third-division clubs replace Brescia, Cosenza and Cittadella, plus the loser of the Serie B relegation play-out between Sampdoria and Salernitana, to be played over two legs on 15 and 20 June.

Further up the Italian football pyramid, Cremonese beat Spezia in the Serie B promotion play-off final. The Grigiorossi join Sassuolo and Pisa in Serie A next season while Monza, Venezia and Empoli make the shift down.

Last week, Lega Serie A announced their fixture list for 2025-26, with reigning champion Napoli facing an away trip to newly-promoted Sassuolo.

All three professional leagues – Serie A, Serie B and Serie C – are scheduled to restart on 23 August.