The play-off match against relegation from the Italian Serie B between Salernitana and Sampdoria was ended prematurely on Sunday. Salernitana fans threw fireworks and chairs onto the field, after which the match was definitively abandoned.
The match between Salernitana and Sampdoria had already been a topic of discussion last week. After the first leg (2-0 for Sampdoria), 21 players and staff members of Salernitana suffered food poisoning. They had to be transported to the hospital upon return from the airport.
Due to the many sick players at Salernitana, the return leg of the double-header was postponed from Wednesday to Sunday. In the postponed duel, Sampdoria again took a 2-0 lead against Salernitana, after which the home club’s fans had seen enough.
First, fireworks were thrown onto the field, and then chairs followed. For referee Daniele Doveri, abandoning the match in the 72nd minute was the only option.
Subsequently, it was decided not to finish the match, which means Salernitana will be relegated to Serie C. In the 2023/2024 season, the club played in Serie A, the highest level in Italy. Sampdoria, with the Dutch player Melle Meulensteen, remains in Serie B.
