Salernitana will return to Serie A after a 23-year absence as they successfully defended their second place in the final matchday. The Granata join Empoli, which had already secured the first position two rounds ago. They finished in front of few favorites as Monza, Lecce, Venezia, Cittadella, Brescia, and Chievo Verona will battle in the playoffs for the remaining spot. SPAL narrowly missed out.
Salernitana bested Pescara today, while the Brianzoli were defeated by Brescia once they learned the result on the other pitch. The Campani make their third appearance in the top division just two campaigns after avoiding relegation in the playout. They sprinted in particular in the final ten rounds, making up a lot of points on the other contenders in a heated race. They are helmed by Fabrizio Castori, the mastermind of Carpi’s stunning promotion few seasons ago.
The fact that the Bersagliera reached Serie A will create an awkward situation as they are partially owned by Lazio president Claudio Lotito. It is prohibited to possess two clubs in the same division. He helped re-establish the team in 2011 following bankruptcy alongside entrepreneur Marco Mezzaroma.
The head of the Italian Football association Gabriele Gravina discussed the situation in today’s interview with Radio Anch’io Lo Sport: “Our rulebook is clear and it mirrors UEFA’s one. Lotito was granted an exception in the past, even though we know what could have happened. I congratulate them on this historical achievement, but the law is the law. If the ownership situation stayed the same, they could not register to Serie A.”
As for the other verdicts, Virtus Entella, Pescara, Reggiana and Cosenza were relegated to Serie C. The playout will not take place because of the large gap between the 16 and the 17th-placed outfits.