Salernitana has formally requested the postponement of the second leg of their Serie B relegation play-off against Sampdoria after a significant number of players and staff were hospitalized with food poisoning.
The Italian club made the urgent plea after 21 members of their traveling party fell ill upon returning from Genoa, where they lost Sunday’s first leg 2-0. With the club facing potential relegation to Italy’s third tier just a year after dropping out of Serie A, many of their players are now too ill to train for Friday’s crucial return leg.
“We are truly shocked by what happened and by the series of events that risk jeopardizing Salernitana’s smooth and peaceful approach to the final and crucial minutes of the season,” stated club CEO Maurizio Milan. “Many players and staff, at the moment, are not even able to show up at the sports center to resume training.”
Salernitana confirmed they’ve made informal contact with Serie B officials and received “general openness” regarding their postponement request. The club has also called for a thorough investigation into the “causes of this widespread and serious episode.”
Adding to their tumultuous season, Salernitana was initially scheduled to play Frosinone in the relegation play-off. However, a four-point deduction for Brescia due to financial irregularities led to their automatic relegation, with Sampdoria replacing Frosinone in the tie.
