December 22, (THEWILL) – Italian top flight club Salernitana will be kicked out of Serie A if a new owner is not found by December 31st, according to Italian Football Federation (FIGC) head Gabriele Gravina.
Unione Sportiva Salernitana 1919, commonly referred to as Salernitana, is based in Salerno, Campania. The club returned to Serie A in 2021, after a break of 23 seasons, having finished second in Serie B. They had previously gained promotion to Serie B in 2015, when they finished first in Lega Pro Prima Divisione – Girone C.
This season, to meet up to the demands of the top division Salernitana brought in some experienced Serie A players to their first-team squad including Nigeria’s Simy Nwankwo from relegated side Crotone, on a season-long loan deal. The player had distinguish himself in the previous season but could not help Crotone stay in Serie A.
This threat of losing their top flight status has therefore come as unsavoury news.
But, the fact that Salernitana’s owner, Claudio Lotito, also owns Lazio, a Serie A team, is not good news either. Such dual ownership is not permitted. Therefore, Salernitana requires a new owner, and the FIGC has imposed a strict deadline.
After a meeting of the FIGC council, Gravina stated, “There won’t be any let-offs when it comes to the Dec. 31 deadline for the sale of Salernitana.
“If there are not any new developments by Dec.31, Salernitana are out.”
Coupled with this dangling elimination is the very troubling fact that Salernitana, even with Nwankwo spearheading their attack, remains at the bottom of the league after 18 matches with two wins, two draws and 14 losses.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
