Messina has another card to play to return to Serie D. Not only the championship (where the Giallorossi hope with the appeal to eliminate the -20 penalty and therefore return to the top): also the Italian Cup can open the doors to the higher category for the Giallorossi. This is provided for by the regulations of the National Amateur League. But to achieve the goal you have to get to the end of the national phase.
Messina, the first stop is Acireale
Meanwhile, the path passes through the semi-final of the Italian Cup of Sicilian Excellence against Acireale. Departed on Wednesday 25th November, returning on 9th December. In the other semi-final Marsala and Lascari face each other. In case of a draw, the match goes directly to penalties, without extra time. If successful in the semi-final, they will reach the final, scheduled for a single match in Sciacca in mid-January. Winning the Sicilian trophy would only be the first step. The winner will access the national phase of the Italian Amateur Cup, which involves 19 teams qualified through regional competitions. The first obstacle will be the Calabrian representative, to be faced in a double challenge. Then quarter-finals, semi-finals and national final in a single match.
The prize is important: the winner of the national Italian Amateur Cup acquires the sporting title to request admission to the 2027/2028 Serie D. It is therefore not an automatic registration.
Serie D even losing the final? That’s when
However, there is another possibility. Messina could obtain the sporting title even by losing the national final, if the winning team had already been promoted to Serie D through the championship. A fundamental condition: the Giallorossi should still maintain the category, because relegation to Promotion would exclude this right. The road is long, but the stakes are high. For Messina, the Italian Cup can become much more than a trophy: a real opportunity to return to Serie D.