In a shocking turn of events, Italian football club Salernitana has been rocked by a mass food poisoning incident that left eight players and 13 staff members hospitalised following their Serie B match against Sampdoria. The health scare occurred just hours after their 0-2 defeat on June 16, as the team prepared to depart Genoa.
Salernitana food poisoning case
According to reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport, the symptoms began mid-flight after the squad consumed a takeaway meal allegedly containing rice prepared at the team’s hotel. The food was handed out just before departure, and soon after, several team members began suffering from intense gastrointestinal issues.
The scene quickly turned chaotic. On arrival at Salerno-Costa d’Amalfi Airport, emergency services including four ambulances were waiting to rush the affected individuals to hospitals in Salerno and Battipaglia. All 21 have since been discharged and are currently recovering under medical supervision, having been prescribed rest and pharmacological treatment.
The next morning, Genoa’s state police began investigating the hotel where the meal was prepared. Early statements from hotel management suggest the food was made under the direction of Salernitana’s team nutritionist. Authorities are now looking into how the food may have become contaminated.
Salernitana requests match postponement
The club is currently battling relegation, and that is why it has formally requested that their upcoming play-off match against Sampdori scheduled for Friday, June 20 to be postponed. The club has submitted medical documents to support their appeal.
In an official statement, the club said,“US Salernitana 1919 announces that it has cancelled today’s training session due to serious food poisoning that affected twenty-one members of the team, including players and staff... The situation required the intervention of ambulances upon the group’s arrival at Salerno Costa d’Amalfi airport and the subsequent hospitalisation of a large part of those involved.”
“...Therefore, pending investigative feedback on the incident, US Salernitana 1919 announces that it has forwarded a formal request to the LNPB to postpone the match against Sampdoria... in hope that their request to postpone their next game will be met.”
