In the 2004–05 season, the Serie A, the highest professional football league in Italy, was expanded to contain 20 clubs, which played 38 matches against each other, rather than the 34 matches in previous seasons. The first two teams qualified directly to UEFA Champions League, teams ending in the 3rd and 4th places had to play Champions League qualifications, teams ending in the 5th and 6th places qualified to UEFA Cup (another spot was given to the winner of Coppa Italia), while the last three teams were to be relegated in Serie B, the Italian second division.