FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Serie A - Juventus v Salernitana - Allianz Stadium, Turin, Italy - May 12, 2024 Salernitana players celebrate after Niccolo Pierozzi scores their first goal REUTERS/Massimo Pinca/File Photo
(Reuters) -Salernitana’s fight for survival has veered into chaos, with a bout of food poisoning hospitalising much of the squad halfway through their relegation showdown with Sampdoria.
The Serie B side, fighting to avoid dropping to Italy's third tier, have formally requested a postponement of Friday's second-leg match against Sampdoria as players and coaching staff remain too ill to train.
The incident risks prolonging a month-long saga that has seen Brescia being sent down to Serie C by court order, due to financial irregularities, and Sampdoria handed a chance to avoid a humiliating demotion.
The former Serie A champions were on course to slide down to the third division for the first time in their 79-year history before Brescia's troubles granted them an unexpected spot in the relegation playouts.
The latest drama unfolded on Salernitana's plane back home following Sunday's 2-0 loss in Genoa, with 21 players and staff struck down, a large part requiring hospitalisation upon disembarking.
"We are truly shocked by what happened and by the series of events that risk jeopardising Salernitana's smooth and peaceful approach to the final and crucial minutes of the season," club CEO Maurizio Milan said in a statement.
The mass sickness has left the southern Italian side in competitive limbo, with the team unable to prepare for a match that could determine their footballing future.
After suffering the drop from Serie A last season, Salernitana now face the prospect of consecutive relegations if they cannot overturn their first-leg deficit.
"Many players and staff, at the moment, are not even able to show up at the sports centre to resume training," Milan added.
The club said it had already made informal contact with Serie B officials and received "general openness" to evaluating their postponement request.
Salernitana have also called for an investigation into the "causes of this widespread and serious episode."
With the return leg scheduled for Friday and the team already facing a two-goal deficit, the clock is ticking on both the players' recovery and league authorities' decision on whether to grant additional time.
(Reporting by Alvise Armellini in Rome, Suramya Kaushik in Bengaluru; Editing by Ossian Shine and Christian Radnedge)
