At least eight players from Italian Serie B side Salernitana have been hospitalized after reportedly suffering from food poisoning following their return from a crucial relegation play-off match in Genoa.
The incident occurred shortly after the club lost 2–0 to Sampdoria in the first leg of the relegation play-off, a match that could determine their demotion to the third tier of Italian football.
As gathered, the players began exhibiting symptoms while traveling home from Genoa on a chartered flight.
The illness was believed to have been triggered by a meal prepared earlier in the day at the team’s hotel.
Further findings revealed that a total of 21 team members, including players and coaching staff, were affected by the suspected foodborne illness.
While the majority of those affected have since been discharged and allowed to return home, a few remain under medical care in the hospital.
In light of the situation, Salernitana was forced to suspend Monday’s training sessions and has formally requested a postponement of the second leg of their relegation play-off against Sampdoria, which was originally scheduled for Friday.
Reacting to this, club CEO Maurizio Milan expressed concern over the impact on the team’s preparations and the integrity of the competition.
“We are sincerely shocked by what happened and by the series of events that risk undermining Salernitana’s regular and peaceful approach to the final and fundamental minutes of the season,” Milan said in a statement.
“We have already interfaced informally with Lega Serie B, receiving a general openness to evaluate our requests. Many players and staff, at the moment, are not even able to show up at the sports centre to resume training.
“We trust in the availability of the relevant bodies so that this serious situation can be taken into account and, at the same time, ascertain the causes of this widespread and serious episode,” Milan added.
Meanwhile, health authorities have launched a formal investigation into the hotel and its food service providers in Genoa to determine the exact source of the contamination and prevent a possible recurrence.
