Eight players from Italian club Salernitana required hospital treatment after a severe outbreak of food poisoning affected the team.
The incident occurred just hours after Salernitana`s 2-0 defeat against Sampdoria on Sunday. This match was the first leg of a crucial play-off tie aimed at avoiding relegation to the Italian third tier.
Members of the Salernitana squad began feeling ill while on their chartered flight back home to Salerno from Genoa.
Reports suggest that many started experiencing symptoms after consuming a meal served onboard, which was reportedly prepared at the team`s hotel prior to departure.
In total, twenty-one individuals associated with the club, including eight players, were reported to be suffering from significant gastrointestinal problems and intense pain.
Upon arrival at Salerno-Costa d`Amalfi Airport, four ambulances were called to the scene to attend to the affected individuals. Some were subsequently transported to hospital for further treatment.
While the majority of those hospitalized were discharged within a few hours, some players and staff remained under medical care.
Due to the widespread illness, the team`s training session scheduled for today has been canceled as many are still feeling unwell.
Salernitana has submitted a formal request for the postponement of the second leg of their play-off match against Sampdoria, which is currently scheduled for Friday night.
In a statement, the club expressed its deep concern, highlighting that the events “risk undermining Salernitana`s regular and peaceful approach to the final and fundamental minutes of the season.” They added that many players and staff were currently unable to train and that informal discussions with Lega Serie B had shown a “general openness” to evaluating their request. The club hopes that the relevant authorities will take this serious situation into account and work to determine the causes of the outbreak.
Police in Genoa have reportedly commenced an investigation into the incident, visiting the hotel where the team stayed to gather information.
Salernitana and Sampdoria finished the Serie B season in 16th and 17th place respectively. Serie B is Italy`s second division, comparable to the English Championship.
Under the Italian football system, the bottom three teams in Serie B are automatically relegated. The 16th and 17th placed teams then play a two-legged tie, with the loser also dropping down to the third tier.
Echoes of Spurs` Past
The food poisoning incident at Salernitana may evoke unwelcome memories for fans of Tottenham Hotspur, who suffered a similar fate ahead of a critical match in the past.
In the notorious `Lasagne-gate` incident during the 2005/06 season, a number of Spurs players were struck down by food poisoning before their final game, where they needed to match Arsenal`s result to secure a Champions League spot.
Tottenham ultimately lost that match 2-1 to West Ham United, resulting in their rivals Arsenal claiming the final Champions League qualification place.
Years later, Spurs have seemingly found a way to humorously reference the unfortunate episode, even doing so during a recent kit launch.
