Ischia, the Cup marks the beginning: debut against Paganese on August 31st

Ischia Calcio is preparing to officially open the new season with the Coppa Italia Serie D, now in its 25th year. The competition kicks off on August 24th with the preliminary round, but the Gialloblù will make their debut a week later, on Sunday, August 31st, in the First Round. The match will be a challenging one right from the start: their opponent will be Paganese, an ambitious team with a long history of success in this category. Kick-off is at 3:00 PM.

The Cup format remains unchanged: all matches, up to and including the semifinals, will be played as one-offs. Only the final can be played as a two-legged tie—home and away—or as a single match on neutral ground. If the score is tied after 90 minutes, extra time will not be played: the match will go straight to penalties.

The preliminary round, scheduled for August 24, will feature 68 teams, including newly promoted teams, teams relegated from the Lega Pro, playout winners, and clubs with lower finishes in the Disciplinary Cup. The winners of these 34 matches will advance to the First Round, where 94 other teams will enter. Ischia, which is among the eligible teams, will therefore advance directly to this second round.

The Cup will follow a predetermined schedule, starting with the round of 32, scheduled for October 8th. Subsequent stages will be played in the autumn and winter months, with two-legged semifinals on January 7th and 21st, 2026. The final, if played over two legs, will be held on February 25th and March 11th; alternatively, it will be a single-leg match on March 11th.

For Ischia, the Coppa Italia represents more than just a prelude to the championship: it's a real opportunity to gauge the ambitions and competitiveness of a team aiming to build on last season's progress. Against Paganese, it will be an important test right away.