JAKARTA - Salernitana has been confirmed for promotion to Serie A. Now, Lazio owner Claudio Lotito must sell his second club.
Salernitana earned promotion with a 3–0 win at Pescara on the final day of the Serie B season. However, Gabriele Gravina, president of the Italian FA, said Lotito's ownership of Salernitana "cannot continue" or they will not be allowed to register in Serie A next season.
Lotito could also sell Lazio to circumvent ownership rules, but the 64-year-old has been linked with the Roma-based club longer than Salernitana.
SERIE A!!!!!🇱🇻 #macteAnimo #uss1919 #finoallafine #salernitana pic.twitter.com/oRJpFcjIKA
— US Salernitana 1919 (@OfficialUSS1919) May 10, 2021
"This is a rule in line with FIFA rules that do not allow the ownership of more than one club at the professional level," Gravina told Italian radio broadcaster Radio Anch'io Lo Sport, as reported from The Athletic on Tuesday, May 11.
President Lotito has enjoyed dispensation for many years and everyone knows what will happen.
The rules are clear, his ownership cannot continue and if that happens, it will prevent Salernitana from taking part in Serie A next season.
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Article 16 of the club's licensing and registration rules prohibit individuals from owning multiple clubs in the same division.
In May, the rule was also amended to include having two professional clubs in Italy, regardless of their league; Serie A, Serie B, Serie C, or Serie D.
The amendment provided exceptions for pre-existing cases, such as Lotito and Aurelio De Laurentiis, who owned Napoli and Bari of Serie C, but Salernitana's promotion put Lotito in an untenable position.
Salernitana is based in Salerno, a coastal town southeast of Naples. In 2005, the club went bankrupt and reformed. They were bought with current ownership in 2011 and rebuilt from Serie D under Lotito.
They last played in Serie A in the 1998–99 season.
Bentorn𝗔ta in #SerieATIM 👏 ⭐ 🇱🇻#WeAreCalcio pic.twitter.com/Jg0gVMI2hx
— Lega Serie A (@SerieA) May 10, 2021
Lotito is an Italian businessman who is the president and owner of Lazio, as well as the chairman and one of the owners of Salernitana.
Lotito was in trouble earlier this year when he received a football ban from the Italian FA for failing to report a case of COVID-19 to the local authority. Lazio was also fined.
In addition to Salernitana, Empoli has also been confirmed as Serie B champions before the final game of the regular season.
Chievo Verona, Brescia, Cittadella, Venezia, Lecce and Monza - owned by Silvio Berlusconi and with Mario Balotelli and Kevin Prince-Boateng as their playing staff - will compete in the playoffs.
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