Hot Lawyer Summer

The integrity of this year’s Serie B final table was thrown into chaos on Sunday afternoon when Gazzetta dello Sport broke a story that Brescia would be deducted points for financial irregularities, which would see them relegated to Serie C.

Heavens forbid a season ends in Italy and that’s it, that the result is respected and everyone goes off on their holidays. 

Instead, we’re now faced with a series of legal hearings that will leave the Serie B season in a state of limbo going into the summer, with a knock-on effect for Serie C.

So, what’s happening? 

Firstly, Brescia are alleged to have filled in the paperwork for February’s salary payments claiming tax credits they were not entitled to. Covisoc, the financial regulatory body, filed the required investigation letter with the Agenzia delle Entrate (Revenue Agency) on 28 February and only received a response last Friday, three days after the Serie B regular season ended. And that’s the first sign that we’re in for a long, long bureaucratic summer.

The findings mean that Brescia are expected to be deducted four points with a hearing to take place this Thursday (22 May). 

In the meantime, the relegation play-out between Salernitana and Frosinone has been postponed pending the investigation outcome because, if all goes as expected, Brescia will be relegated, Frosinone will be saved and Salernitana would face Sampdoria in the play-out. But more on that later.

After almost a week of global media coverage lamenting the plight of an Italian footballing institution, it seems reports of their demise are greatly exaggerated. For now, at least.

Those less sympathetic to Sampdoria’s situation have argued that this is part of a pattern of favouritism shown towards the club, referencing their ‘saving’ from bankruptcy in June 2023 as another prime example.

At that point, both Samp and Reggina were facing serious financial difficulty. Sampdoria’s debt management plan was accepted while the Reggina’s was rejected, a decision seen by some as north-south prejudice but, perhaps in hindsight, can be better understood as the sacrifice of a ‘smaller’ club in favour of one with Sampdoria’s prestige.

The millions pouring into Sampdoria that saved them from almost certain bankruptcy that summer came from Singaporean investors whose wealth was allegedly tied to illegal gambling, according to Josimar.

This was not made clear when new owners Andrea Radrizzani and Matteo Manfredi made their proposal to the authorities regarding Samp’s debt, and it likely would have seen the proposal rejected, having broken the Dignity Decree as per Italian state law, which effectively prohibits football clubs from taking gambling companies’ money.

FIGC president Gabriele Gravina has come under fire as this situation unravels further alongside the Brescia case, and at several other stages of his presidency. He hasn’t been helped by his chequered past as part of the Castel di Sangro team who rose and fell rapidly in the mid-1990s. 

Gravina’s inaction, as it appears, has allowed situations like this to fester. It’s the same ongoing issue in Serie C where, each summer, multiple clubs go bust as a result of mismanagement. 

Sportitalia journalist Michele Criscitello wrote on Monday: “The real guarantor of Sampdoria is Gravina because the Federation cannot afford Sampdoria in Serie C.” It’s a serious allegation to make, but one that has yet to be refuted publicly by Gravina.

The usual Cellino mind games are expected to ramp up a notch now the news of Brescia's charge has broken. He has a habit of making statements that he knows cannot be verified or challenged, but add a splash of intrigue (and chaos) to an already tense situation.

Brescia are claiming to have been defrauded and Cellino stated he’s been “betrayed”. Monday night saw Giornale di Brescia report that ex-Leeds and Sampdoria owner Radrizzani was prepared to purchase Brescia prior to the news of charges against the club, according to Cellino.

How true that may be, perhaps we’ll never know. Regardless, it’s merely a microcosm of the chaotic summer ahead.

History tells us that this case won’t be resolved quickly. Brescia may receive a four-point deduction on Thursday and be relegated, but that won’t be the end of it.

The case will drag on in one court after another, sporting and otherwise, until Brescia run out of legal road. Even if they can overturn their impending penalty, expect a counter from Sampdoria, who would no doubt feel aggrieved.

There’s no obvious solution right now and the latest proposal of a 22 team Serie B for 2025/26 seems flawed and unfair. Four teams would still come up from Serie C but only two go down, those who finished 19th and 20th in Serie B.

Why should the sporting rules apply to Cosenza and Cittadella - both relegated - but not Sampdoria and Brescia?

Sampdoria were relegated on the pitch. Therefore, they should go down. They have argued that they shouldn’t have to take part in the play-outs as they had dismissed the team for summer at the end of the season and haven’t been training.

Sampdoria are also said to be preparing legal challenges as an ‘injured party’ in Brescia’s case, which will add another dimension to proceedings.

If anything, the ‘fairest’ thing to do with this Serie B season would be to cancel the relegation play-out, punish Brescia and save both Salernitana and Frosinone. If not the fairest, it would at least be the most sensible approach.

But even that comes with complications. As does everything in Italian football. For a country that delivers so much entertainment and drama on the pitch, it is unfortunately hampered by the mentally draining bureaucracy off it.

This case will almost certainly drag on into the summer and obscure the picture of what 2025/26 Serie B might look like for some time. It’s a great time to be an Italian sports lawyer. Football fan? Not so much, certainly not if you support Brescia, Sampdoria, Frosinone or Salernitana.