Serie A Club Forced to Take 12-Hour Bus Drive to Next Game as Punishment for Being Relegated
- Benevento’s relegation to Serie B was confirmed after a draw with Crotone
- The club's president reportedly refused to pay for the team’s plane tickets for the final game
- Players will have to make the long trip to Turin for their final game by bus
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Serie A club Benevento are reportedly punishing their players by making them take a tedious 12-hour bus drive to their final game of the season against Torino.
Source: Getty Images
Benevento, managed by the legendary Filippo Inzaghi, were hoping to set up a tense fight for survival against Torino in their final game.
However, a 1-1 stalemate against Crotone on Sunday, May 16, confirmed their drop to Italy’s second tier, with the club President Oreste Vigorito furious with the development.
Vigorito was so annoyed by his side’s relegation that he declined to pay for the team’s plane tickets to fly to Turin for their final game.
According to Calciomercato, the president instead told the team to take the bus, in a trip that will last half a day, at least from Benevento to Turin.
Benevento was only promoted to the Serie A last season where they impressed in the first half of the campaign.
While they sat in 10th place as recently as December, a spectacular dip in form has seen the side.
In the second half of the campaign, however, they have only managed one win, against Andrea Pirlo’s Juventus, and have endured seven draws and 10 defeats.
Reports from Calciomercato.com also suggested rumours that Benevento would send the Primavera youth team, something the club has refuted in a statement.
“We do not agree,” read their statement. “The team travelled all season in comfortable charter flights. We hope this time they can go in a ‘modest’ team bus.’
Still on the Serie A and another team that will look to avoid disappointment is Juventus, who are in real danger of missing out on Champions League football.
The Bianconeri face Bologna in the final game of their campaign in a must-win and they will hope Hellas Verona do them an impossible favour by holding or beating Napoli, who are one point ahead of them on the log in fourth place.
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Nigerian star Simy Nwankwo helped Crotone avoid defeat against Benevento.
The striker scored an added minute goal to ensure the game ended in a 1-1 draw.
The 29-year-old forward grabbed the equaliser from close range after converting Pedro Pereira's low cross from the right side of the 18-yard box despite being crowded by defenders.
His goal ensured that they avoided defeat despite playing one-man down since Vladimir Golemic was shown a straight red card in the 24th minute.
Simy has now become the second African after Samuel Eto'o to score 20+ goals in a single Serie A season.
Meanwhile, except if other clubs come for his signature this summer, the Nigerian will be campaigning in the Serie B next season.
Source: Legit.ng
