Fireworks, flying seats lead to Serie B playoff suspension in Salerno

Chaotic scenes marred the Serie B relegation playoff between Sampdoria and Salernitana on Sunday, as crowd trouble forced the match to be suspended midway through the second half. The clash, held in Salerno, was brought to an abrupt halt after Salernitana fans threw fireworks and stadium seats onto the pitch, prompting security concerns and intervention by authorities.

At the time of the suspension, Sampdoria held a commanding 2-0 lead in the second leg, giving them a 4-0 aggregate advantage in the two-legged tie. Tensions had been rising throughout the match, and the frustration of the home supporters boiled over as the prospect of relegation loomed large for Salernitana.

Tension & chaos in stands amid Salernitana’s Serie B playoff v Sampdoria.

It was suspended after 65 mins with Samp leading 2-0 on night (4-0 agg) as chairs were thrown onto field.

Salernitana set for relegation to Serie C, with Samp to stay in 2nd tier.pic.twitter.com/u4lQ7Glu8e

— Sacha Pisani (@Sachk0) June 22, 2025

According to disciplinary protocols established by the Italian football authorities, the match is now expected to be officially awarded as a 3-0 victory to Sampdoria. This outcome would confirm Sampdoria’s place in Serie B for the upcoming season, while condemning Salernitana to a drop into Serie C.

🔚 Follia totale a Salerno: il play out di #SerieB finisce in anticipo. I tifosi di casa contestano la Lega con il lancio di seggiolini in campo, la Samp vince comunque e strappa il pass per la salvezza. #SalernitanaSampdoria pic.twitter.com/PP3IRLi5WO

— Onorio Ferraro (@onorioferraro) June 22, 2025

This would be a historic low for Salernitana, who were competing in Serie A just last season (2023–24), but endured a sharp decline that saw them finish 16th in the Serie B standings. Sampdoria, who ended the season one spot below in 17th, appear to have secured their status in the second tier of Italian football thanks to their aggregate dominance in the playoff.

The result, once ratified, will also preserve Sampdoria`s proud record of never having been relegated to Serie C in their 79-year history. The club, which has faced significant turbulence both on and off the pitch in recent years, had made a nostalgic move earlier this season by recalling several key figures from its golden era in the 1990s to help stabilise the team and steer it away from crisis.

The disciplinary ruling on the suspended fixture is likely to be issued in the coming days, though the precedent for such crowd-related incidents suggests a default 3-0 result in favor of the non-offending side. Italian football authorities are also expected to impose sanctions on Salernitana, which may include fines or stadium bans, given the severity of the disruption caused by their supporters.

With emotions running high and a season’s worth of pressure boiling over, the incident served as a stark reminder of how quickly the passion of football can spiral into chaos when left unchecked. For Sampdoria, however, the end result may be survival, and a lifeline to rebuild with stability next season.

This article first appeared on Mid Day