TORINO, Italy, June 12 (SW) - Torino will return to Italy’s Serie A next season, ending a 3 year spell in Serie B. After a dramatic play-off battle with Mantova on Sunday, Torino won through, but the margin could not have been narrower.

60,000 fans at Turin's Stadio delle Alpi watched Torino seal their Serie A place after a 3-1 victory in extra time. The result left the two teams locked at 5-5 on aggregate, but Torino were promoted by virtue of their higher league standing, having finished in 3rd place.

“We did something extraordinary that will remain in the history of Toro,” said Coach Gianni De Biasi

“We reached this great pinnacle thanks to the dedication and incredible team spirit. The locker room was a crucial element during difficult times.”

There will be a strange sense of dejas vous about all of this however. Torino actually qualified for promotion last season through a play-off win over Perugia, but after an investigation into the clubs finances showed up irregularities, the club were penalised and forced to remain in Serie B.

Torino will accompany Atalanta, who finished as Serie B champions on 81 points, and Catania, who finished 3 points behind Atalanta as runners up