The 2020–21 Serie D was the seventy-third edition of the top level Italian non-professional football championship. It represents the fourth tier in the Italian football league system.
Changes from 2019–20
A total 166 clubs were admitted to the season, including the new incarnation of former Serie A club Siena.
Teams
The composition of the league will involve nine divisions, grouped geographically and named alphabetically.
Teams relegated from Serie C
A total of eight teams from the 2019–20 Serie C were admitted: Siena (phoenix club, admitted after the previous club's incarnation did not apply for membership), Picerno (relegated by office due to match-fixing) and the relegated teams Pianese, Gozzano, Arzignano, Rimini, Rende and Rieti.
Teams promoted from Eccellenza
Due to the COVID-19 related suspension of all amateur sports leagues in Italy, promotions were picked explicitly by the Italian Football Federation based on the leagues' provisional standings at the premature conclusion of the season. No promotion playoffs were held, nor was the final phase of the Coppa Italia Dilettanti (whose winning team is normally automatically admitted into Serie D).
^ merged with Grumellese under the new denomination of Real Calepina
^ merged with Tre Pini Matese under the new denomination FC Matese
Events
Due to the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy, the Lega Nazionale Dilettanti, who is responsible for the organization of the league, decided on 5 November 2020 to suspend the regular Serie D programme until 29 November, instead using this prolonged break to reschedule all games that could not be played due to COVID-19 related health concerns.[1]
^Gozzano renounced promotion to Serie C due to financial issues. All players were released and the club was initially excluded, but was later readmitted to Serie D with a FIGC extraordinary pardon following the COVID-19 pandemic.[2][3]
^2 point deducted for fielding an ineligible player during the previous season.
^Both Borgosesia and Vado were relegated to Eccellenza but were later readmitted to fill the vacancies created.[4][5]
^ abcBelluno and Union San Giorgio didn't submit their application for the following season, thus being excluded from the league.[7] Then they merged with Union Feltre under the new denomination of Dolomiti Bellunesi.[8]
^Since Virtus Bolzano and Montebelluna finished tied on points, they played a relegation play-out game which was won 2–1 by Montebelluna, thus relegating Virtus Bolzano to Eccellenza.
^Real Giulianova were disbanded and gave their sports title to Nereto. Their football history continued under ASD Giulianova, club playing in Eccellenza.[11]
^Savoia were disbanded and gave their sports title to Giugliano.[12]
^ abVis Artena finished ahead of Nocerina on head-to-head points: Nocerina 1–2 Vis Artena, Vis Artena 0–0 Nocerina.
^1 point deducted for delaying the salary payment to a player during the 2018–19 season.
^Both Nola and Giugliano were relegated to Eccellenza but were later readmitted. The former due to vacancies created, the latter was given the sports title of Savoia.[4][12]