ITALIAN THIRD DIVISION team Nocerina forfeited a match Sunday after several players faked injuries following death threats from fans.
With just 21 minutes gone of their Salerno derby against Salernitana, Nocerina had lost eight players to “injury”.
Having used up their quota of three substitutes, which had come within the first minute, it left the team from Nocera Inferiore in Campania with just six players on the pitch — not enough to contest a match — and the referee was forced to call it off.
Nocerina players had received death threats prior to the match and according to local prefect Antonio De Iesu: “Nocerina’s management had to convince the players to take to the field despite the threats.”Nocerina, who are bottom of Group B in the Lega Pro, the third tier of Italian football, are likely to face punishment.
The league’s president Mario Macalli said: “These events have caused great damage to football and the Lega Pro.”
He added that charges would be brought against “the delinquents who were responsible for the threats and against those who played out a film on the pitch.”
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