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Italian Playoff Sytstem: It's just not built to handle this.
As far as i'm aware, the Italian Serie A doesn't use a goal difference system to decide which teams finish aead of each other, but if teams are on equal points then the prise money is shared, and if it is to decide a crucial placing, such as european spots, relegation, or the title, then there is a playoff.
Please correct me if I'm wrong on this, as it's a bit crucial for my point.
What I'd expect to happen is those four teams to take part in a mini league, with the top two qualifying for the CL.
What happened was the teams in 4th and 5th (as when sorted by goal difference) had a playoff, which Bari won (which is why they are shown as 4th in the table, before the playoff they and Ascoli were the other way round, and it was sorted on goal diffeence). The 3rd and 6 teams did not play for their places in europe, despite being level on points.
Please can someone confirm if:
A: My understanding of the rules is correct.
B: Whether this situation is the same in FM08, or has been cured somewhere along the way.
and C: If i read the rules correctly, and it is still not like that in the game, then is it something SI should be fixing for the next game, or is it just too incredibly rare to be bothering with.
02-09-2008, 06:31 PM
Italian Playoff Sytstem: It's just not built to handle this. Post #2
I don't know if this helps or not, but Wikipedia says :
"Previously there were playoffs (spareggio) used to separate teams if they finished the season with the same number of points, this was abolished in 2005–06. Currently if two teams end the season with the same number of points, they are separated by head-to-head records (classifica avulsa) in which the two teams' records against each other for that season are the deciding factor. In case two or more teams have same total points and same classifica avulsa, goal difference is used to separate them."
02-09-2008, 06:57 PM
Italian Playoff Sytstem: It's just not built to handle this. Post #3
If it helps to illustrate, in the 04/05 season Fiorentina avoided a relegation play-off thanks to their head to head record against Bologna and Parma, while Bologna and Parma had two-legged play-off (Parma winning 2-1 on aggregate.). This was even though Bologna had the better goal difference, Fiorentina had beaten both Parma and Bologna (with a draw against each as well), whilst Bologna had only beaten Parma, and Parma only beaten Bologna. So their mini-table at the end of the season went:
Fiorentina: Won 2, Drew 2, Lost 0 = 8pts
Bologna: Won 1, Drew 1, Lost 2 = 4pts
Parma: Won 1, Drew 1, Lost 2 = 4pts
So from their head to head results, Fiorentina were safe and Bologna and Parma went into the play-off.
Italian Playoff Sytstem: It's just not built to handle this. 
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