Salernitana relegated to Serie C after Sampdoria awarded 3-0 win following play-off disorder

ROME (AP) — Sampdoria was awarded a 3-0 victory over Salernitana by the league judge on Monday after fireworks and seats thrown onto the pitch prompted their Serie B playoff to be suspended midway through the second half.

Sampdoria will remain in Serie B while Salernitana is relegated to Serie C.

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A smoke bomb is thrown onto the pitch during a playoff between Sampdoria and Salernitana to stay in Serie B, which caused the suspension of the match, at the at the Arechi Stadium in Salerno, southern Italy, Sunday, July 22, 2025. (Alessandro Garofalo/LaPresse via AP)

A firefighter tends to a flare thrown onto the pitch during a playoff between Sampdoria and Salernitana to stay in Serie B, which caused the suspension of the match, at the at the Arechi Stadium in Salerno, southern Italy, Sunday, July 22, 2025. (Alessandro Garofalo/LaPresse via AP)

A seat is thrown by the Salernitana fans during a playoff between Sampdoria and Salernitana to stay in Serie B which caused the suspension of the match, at the at the Arechi Stadium in Salerno, southern Italy, Sunday, July 22, 2025. (Alessandro Garofalo/LaPresse via AP)

Firefighters tend to a flare thrown onto the pitch during a playoff between Sampdoria and Salernitana to stay in Serie B, which caused the suspension of the match, at the at the Arechi Stadium in Salerno, southern Italy, Sunday, July 22, 2025. (Alessandro Garofalo/LaPresse via AP)

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A smoke bomb is thrown onto the pitch during a playoff between Sampdoria and Salernitana to stay in Serie B, which caused the suspension of the match, at the at the Arechi Stadium in Salerno, southern Italy, Sunday, July 22, 2025. (Alessandro Garofalo/LaPresse via AP)

A firefighter tends to a flare thrown onto the pitch during a playoff between Sampdoria and Salernitana to stay in Serie B, which caused the suspension of the match, at the at the Arechi Stadium in Salerno, southern Italy, Sunday, July 22, 2025. (Alessandro Garofalo/LaPresse via AP)

A seat is thrown by the Salernitana fans during a playoff between Sampdoria and Salernitana to stay in Serie B which caused the suspension of the match, at the at the Arechi Stadium in Salerno, southern Italy, Sunday, July 22, 2025. (Alessandro Garofalo/LaPresse via AP)

Firefighters tend to a flare thrown onto the pitch during a playoff between Sampdoria and Salernitana to stay in Serie B, which caused the suspension of the match, at the at the Arechi Stadium in Salerno, southern Italy, Sunday, July 22, 2025. (Alessandro Garofalo/LaPresse via AP)

The incidents involving Salernitana fans occurred after Sampdoria had taken a 2-0 lead Sunday in Salerno, putting it ahead 4-0 on aggregate.

The league judge also ordered Salernitana to play its next two home matches without fans.

Sampdoria has never been relegated to Serie C in its 79-year history and earlier this season brought back some players from its golden years in the 1990s to manage the squad out of crisis.

It's Salernitana second consecutive relegation after playing in Serie A in 2023-24.

Salernitana and Sampdoria finished 16th and 17th, respectively, in the Serie B standings this season.

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TOKYO (AP) — A 243-kilogram (535-pound) bluefin tuna sold for a record 510 million yen ($3.2 million) at the first auction of 2026 at Tokyo's Toyosu fish market.

The top bidder for the prized tuna at the predawn auction on Monday was Kiyomura Corp., whose owner Kiyoshi Kimura runs the popular Sushi Zanmai chain.

Kimura, who has often won the annual action in the past, broke the previous record of 334 million yen ($2.1 million) he set in 2019.

The pricey fish was caught off the coast of Oma in northern Japan, a region widely regarded for producing some of the country’s finest tuna, and costs 2.1 million yen ($13,360) per kilogram ($6,060 per pound).

Hundreds of tuna are sold daily at the early morning auction, but prices are significantly higher than usual for the Oma tuna, especially at the celebratory New Year auction.

Due to the popularity of tuna for sushi and sashimi, Pacific bluefin tuna was previously a threatened species, but its stock is recovering following conservation efforts.

Salernitana relegated to Serie C after Sampdoria awarded 3-0 win following play-off disorder

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