Ok you’ll have to bare with me on this one, because I only just about understand it myself. But there’s a “play out” happening tonight in Serie B. A play out, so much as I can figure out, is the same as a play off. But they don’t always happen. They only sometimes happen.
Welcome to another Calcio madness…
So the relegation from Serie B is settled by the bottom three going down. Sometimes it’s the bottom four though. But sometimes you can finish 5th bottom and be relegated. How? Well it depends how fair ahead of 4th bottom you finish. Still with me?
If you finish the Serie B campaign in 20th, 19th or 18th you’re down no matter what. Now normally the 17th place team will also be relegated. But there could also be a play out between the 17th and 16th place team as long as the gap between them is 4 points or fewer. So finishing 16th guarantees you safety as long as you finish 5 points ahead of 17th placed team.
But the season finished three weeks ago, so what’s been the hold up? We all saw the scenes of Sampdoria being relegated and the top class shithousing from Genoa supporters celebrating? How come they’re playing tonight.
Well, it’s “simple” really. Sampdoria finished 18th, so were relegated. Salernitana were 17th and Frosinone were 16th, separated by a point and Brescia were 15th by dint of having better goal difference than Frosinone.
And then the news broke that broke hearts of Calcio fans of a certain vintage. Brescia had gone bust, they probably won’t be around anymore and their financial misfortune could cost them points. The FIGC acted swiftly and dished out a 4 point penalty at the end of the season.
That meant that Sampdoria have been briefly spared. Brescia took the 18th place after that and Sampdoria escaped automatic relegation to move into 17th. The biggest winners? Frosinone. They’re now not involved in the relegation picture at all.
Cue absolute legal pandemonium. Brescia are obviously challenging the ruling, Salernitana aren’t happy and Sampdoria are remaining suspiciously quiet. There’s suits and countersuits going on all over the place and beneath it all, Sampdoria take on Salernitana in the first leg tonight.
Sampdoria haven’t been spared some shenanigans from their city rivals Genoa though. The Genoa fans are determined to make sure Sampdoria play in front of an empty stadium and have taken advantage of Samp putting tickets on at €5 each to fill the ground. They’re purchasing up tickets in the name of Genoa legends past and present and plan to then leave the seats empty.
Whatever happens tonight and next week, it’s not a situation where the FIGC covered themselves in glory and it doesn’t reflect well on Italian football that these situations come up. But it can’t take away the excitement of two winner takes all games.
Keep your eyes on this one, even when the football is done, I don’t think we’ve heard the last of this relegation battle.
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