GdS: Milan Futuro hoping for play-offs or repechage as slide continues – the regulations

It would be fair to say the Milan Futuro project has not gone entirely to plan for AC Milan so far, at least on the field.

As La Gazzetta dello Sport write, the Futuro are hoping to avenge their relegation to Serie D via the play-offs in their debut season by getting instant promotion. Yet, 13 points separate Massimo Oddo’s side from top spot at the moment, the only place in the league guaranteed promotion.

The goal is to return to ‘professional’ football (Serie C) as quickly as possible. Doing so through the front door, however, remains anything but an easy task. Oddo’s team currently sit seventh in Group B, two points shy of the final play-off spot.

In short, their chances are slim and the margin for error is minimal. Among the options on the table is a repechage: a path not guaranteed, but one in which Milan Futuro could start with an advantage. This scenario inevitably raises the question of how the repechages from Serie D to Serie C work.

What the rules say

Should Milan Futuro fail to win the league or its respective play-offs, they would not be absolutely certain of promotion to Serie C, but would have to wait for the start of the federal procedures.

The first step is readmissions: Serie C clubs are required to submit their application for membership by mid-June, along with all necessary documentation (payments, sureties, infrastructure requirements, stadium availability, etc.).

Photo by Claudio Villa/AC Milan via Getty Images

If a club fails to apply, readmission would involve the teams recently relegated to Serie D. If one or more applications are rejected, the repechage phase would begin. In this case, the vacant spots would be assigned according to a priority order involving a second team from a Serie A club, a Serie C club, and a Serie D club.

As established by the FIGC, second teams enjoy priority over other categories. Ultimately, everything would depend on any exclusions among the Serie C clubs and only in that case would Milan Futuro be guaranteed promotion to the next division.

When Milan created their second team in the summer of 2024, they took advantage of Ancona’s failure to register, who currently play in Serie D. This precedent gives a good idea of ​​the mission that awaits Oddo’s boys, while the coach in the meantime stressed the importance of good play over results.

On the field, the Futuro were profoundly transformed in the January transfer window with some significant departures (Ibrahimovic Jr. and Dutu above all) and promising new additions (Dalpiaz, Idrissi and the two Cissés).