The match that should have decided Salernitana's fate turned out to be one of the darkest moments in the club's recent history. Not because of the result on the pitch, but because of what happened off it. The second leg of the Serie B play-off against Sampdoria was suspended due to serious disturbances in the stands at the Arechi Stadium, and the Granata team was defeated 3-0 by default, thus sealing their relegation to Serie C.
The decision came a few hours later from sports judge Ines Pisano, who defined the situation as “of absolute gravity,” also imposing the sanction of two home games to be played behind closed doors. A heavy but inevitable punishment, given the dynamics reconstructed in the official ruling, based on the reports of the referee and the federal prosecutor.
In the 18th minute of the second half, a group of fans from the Curva Sud attempted to break down the gates to enter the pitch, but were only repelled by the intervention of the police. A few minutes later, an attempt was made to enter the pitch from the Distinti. Firecrackers, smoke bombs and even torn-off seats rained down on the pitch from various sectors of the stadium. A surreal scene that forced the referee to suspend the match. The attempt to restart the match, after more than half an hour of suspension, failed: the violence in the stands resumed, making the definitive suspension inevitable.
It's a truly awful situation that we've seen. I don't understand why the fans can't behave in a more civilized manner. Relegation is a harsh punishment for Salernitana, but perhaps it will serve as a lesson.