Latest news with #Covisoc
The Independent
3 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Sampdoria handed relegation lifeline as former Italian champions look to avoid new low
Former Italian champions Sampdoria have been handed a dramatic relegation reprieve despite finishing the season in the bottom three after Brescia were dealt a points deduction. The club appeared to have sealed their fate of a first-ever demotion to the Italian third tier when ending the Serie B campaign in 18th, one of three automatic relegation places. However, Brescia have now suffered a four-point deduction for financial irregularities, meaning Sampdoria have leapt above them into the relegation play-off, which are contest between 16th and 17th. Having never competed outside of Italy's top two divisions in their 79-year history, the club will now have the chance to avoid an ignominious new low against Salernitana, who are hoping to avoid back-to-back relegations after finishing rock bottom of Serie A in 2023/24. Sampdoria are not the only beneficiary of Brescia's punishment, with Frosinone - originally due to vie for survival in the play-off on May 19 - moving one place up and out of the play-off places. Italian football watchdog Covisoc's investigation of Brescia threw Serie B relegation proceedings into disarray, informing the league of their probe into the club five days after the conclusion of the regular season. This led to the play-off to be suspended amid the uncertainty of Brescia's status in the league. On top of the four-point deduction in the 2024/25 campaign, Brescia will also start their 2025/26 Serie C season with a four-point penalty. Their owner, former Leeds United chief Massimo Cellino, and his son and board member Edoardo, have been handed sixth-month bans. Sampdoria won Serie A in 1991 and last played in the top flight in 2023, having spent 18 of their last 19 seasons at the highest level of Italian football. Despite teetering on the brink of a first-ever relegation to Serie C, their squad boasts notable ex-Premier League stars in former Liverpool and Sunderland striker Fabio Borini, as well as M'Baye Niang, once of Watford and AC Milan.
New York Times
3 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
Brescia relegated to Serie C after points deduction, Sampdoria in relegation play-off
Brescia have been relegated to Italy's Serie C after being deducted four points for financial irregularities, meaning Sampdoria will now take part in a relegation play-off game, despite finishing the season in the relegation places. Frosinone, who were originally scheduled to play Salernitana in the play-off on May 19, move up one place as a result of Brescia's docked points and are now safe from relegation. Advertisement Three teams are relegated automatically from Serie B, with 16th and 17th contesting a relegation play-off. The Italian football watchdog has been investigating financial irregularities at Brescia, throwing the conclusion of the Serie B season into chaos. The investigation was related to an irregularity in their payment of salaries and tax contributions in February. Covisoc — Italian football's supervisory body — informed the league of the investigation five days after the conclusion of the regular season and the play-off was postponed amid the uncertainty. Brescia originally finished 15th in Serie B on 43 points. Having been found to have breached the rules, their four-point deduction takes them into 18th and into the automatic relegation places. This moves previously-relegated Sampdoria into the relegation play-off, where they will take on Salernitana, and guarantees Frosinone's Serie B safety. Sampdoria have never played outside the top two divisions of Italian football in their 79-year history. Brescia have also been handed a four-point penalty for the 2025-26 season. Brescia most recently played in Serie A in 2019-20 and are owned by former Leeds United owner Massimo Cellino, who, alongside his son and board member Edoardo, have been handed a sixth-month ban. Following the announcement of the investigation, Brescia released a statement reading: 'Brescia announces that it will appeal to any sporting and non-sporting body to protect its position, believing that it has correctly complied with the federal deadlines.' (Image)
New York Times
20-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Serie B left in limbo as Brescia financial investigation hands Sampdoria, Frosinone possible relegation reprieves
The conclusion of the Serie B season has been thrown into chaos due to an investigation into financial irregularities at Brescia by the Italian football watchdog. On Sunday, five days after the conclusion of the regulation season, Covisoc — Italian football's supervisory body — informed the league of the investigation into Brescia, who could be levied with a four-point deduction if they are found to have breached the rules. Advertisement That potential deduction, subject to an appeal which the club have pre-emptively confirmed, would relegate Brescia, hand a play-off reprieve to previously-relegated Sampdoria and confirm Frosinone's safety above the play-off spot. The league's scheduled relegation play-off between Frosinone and Salernitana has been postponed amid the uncertainty and no teams or dates will be confirmed until a final legal decision is reached. Around 700 Brescia fans protested on Monday against club chairman and former Leeds United owner Massimo Cellino, the FIGC (Italian Football Federation) and Serie B, leading to security being stepped up at the club's training ground and headquarters as well as at Cellino's house, per La Gazzetta dello Sport. 'Following the disturbing news reports that emerged today and the conclusion of the investigation conducted by the FIGC into alleged irregularities in payments,' a Brescia statement on Sunday read. 'Brescia announces that it will appeal to any sporting and non-sporting body to protect its position, believing that it has correctly complied with the federal deadlines.' Brescia, who most recently played in Serie A in 2019-20, are subject to the potential points deduction over an irregularity in their payment of salaries and tax contributions in February. Three teams are automatically relegated from Italy's second division, with the 16th- and 17th-place sides contesting a play-off to avoid the final relegation spot to Serie C. The regulation season, which ended on Tuesday, had seen Cosenza (30 points), Cittadella (39) and Sampdoria (41), the 1992 European Cup finalists, all automatically relegated, with Salernitana (42) going into the relegation play-off against Frosinone (43). However, a potential points deduction for Brescia — who finished on the same points tally as Frosinone but above them in the standings courtesy of a superior goal difference — would put the club onto 39 points, meaning Sampdoria move into the play-off zone while Frosinone would be safe. Advertisement Salernitana had been due to host Frosinone in the first leg of the play-off on Monday, May 19, with the return leg the following week but both matches have now been postponed amidst the uncertainty. Sampdoria have never previously played outside the top two divisions of Italian football, with the Genoa-based club's glory days coming in the early 1990s. Sampdoria reached successive Cup Winners' Cup finals in 1989 and 1990, the latter of which they won, while they were crowned Italian champions in 1991 and were defeated by Barcelona in the European Cup final at Wembley the following year.
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
🚨Serie B shock: Brescia face -4 and drop, Samp to play-offs?
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here. Incredible earthquake in Serie B after the season has ended. Due to serious irregularities, Brescia is heading towards a 4-point penalty and consequent relegation to Serie C, which would potentially save Frosinone directly and allow Sampdoria to play the playouts against Salernitana. The scoop was reported by Gazzetta dello Sport. "The upheaval is due to an irregularity committed by Brescia at the February deadline for the payment of salaries and contributions. Massimo Cellino's club allegedly covered the tax portion with tax credits that turned out to be non-existent. When such operations occur, Covisoc carries out the necessary checks with the Revenue Agency, and the response times were extremely long. In fact, Covisoc's letter was dated February 28, while the Agency's response only arrived last Friday, May 16, notifying that the credits declared by Brescia were actually non-existent. On Saturday the 17th, Covisoc forwarded the documents to the FIGC Prosecutor's Office, which on Sunday the 18th sent the notice of conclusion of the investigation. In short, the FIGC sped up its entire procedure as much as possible, but the timing of the Revenue Agency disrupted everything." Meanwhile, Lega B has officially suspended the playouts. Below is the statement. The President of the National Professional League B, • having seen the notice of conclusion of the investigation sent to the LNPB by the Federal Prosecutor's Office today, following the findings and the investigative activities carried out as a result of the report; • having acknowledged the statement therein of the facts for which the Federal Prosecutor's Office communicates its current intention to proceed with referral, the rules that are assumed to have been violated, as well as the invitation to make the appropriate assessments regarding the regular conduct of the Competition and the consequent scheduling of matches; • considering the potential impact of the above on the final standings and, as a result, on the scheduling of the Play-Out matches of the Serie BKT 2024/2025 Championship; • considering the need to protect fair competition and safeguard the regularity of the Championship, as well as the organizational and sporting planning needs of the Clubs; • taking into account art. 27.2 of the LNPB Statute; orders the postponement of the Play-Out matches of the Serie BKT 2024/2025 Championship, scheduled for May 19 and 26, 2025 as per 202 of May 10, 2025 and 209 of May 14, 2025, to a date to be determined. 📸 Emilio Andreoli - 2020 Getty Images
