Following the
American liberation of
Tunisia and later
Sicily in 1943, Italy suffered heavy
bombings by the
Allied Powers. The consequent multiple damages on
railways and
streets imposed to the FIGC to plan a special mixed championship for the 1943–44 season, with three different regional groups to reduce the teams movements. However, at the eve of his dismissal,
Benito Mussolini suspended all sport activities. After Italy defeat in
World War II, with the country divided by the "Gothic Line", the Italian Football Federation split in two: while the official FIGC remained in the south, under the rule by the Kingdom of Italy, the northern FIGC, ruled by the Italian Social Republic, moved its headquarters to Milan and organized a "campionato di divisione nazionale misto" (mixed national division championship). The so-called
Campionato Alta Italia (High Italy Championship) was the only Italian championship organized on a more than regional basis: in Central and Southern Italy many regional championship were held. Originally, the Roman Championship won by Lazio was part of the Alta Italia qualifications, but the
Liberation of Rome changed the plan. Only in 2002 the Spezia title was officially recognised by FIGC as a decoration. Following the decision of FIGC in 2002,
Spezia Calcio is authorized by the Italian Federation to exhibit a tricolour badge on the official jerseys which is unique, being the only example of a permanent one in Italy. The badge has a different shape and size compared to the ordinary Scudetto. ==Qualifications==