An ‘earthquake’ decision to hand Brescia a -4 point deduction in Serie B means that Sampdoria, who had been relegated at the end of the regular season, could be given a second chance at survival in the relegation play-outs.
Sampdoria, who were relegated from Serie A at the end of the 2022-23 campaign, finished the 2024-25 season in 18th place in Serie B with a tally of 41 points from 38 games, which was not enough to spare them from the drop.
How Serie B relegation works
Four teams are usually relegated from Serie B at the end of each season.
The bottom three teams are relegated directly.
The team that finishes in 17th (fourth-bottom) will also join them unless the gap between them and the team in 16th (fifth-last) is four points or less. In that scenario, the final relegation spot is decided by a two-legged play-out.
Why Sampdoria could be saved from Serie B relegation
According to reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport, there has been a major shake-up following an impending decision to hand a four-point deduction to Brescia, who finished the season in 15th place on 43 points.
Brescia’s potential points deduction comes as a result of irregularities surrounding the payment of players and staff in the month of February.
While awaiting an official verdict from the relevant authorities, the Serie B play-outs have been temporarily suspended.
If their points deduction is officially confirmed, Brescia will drop into 18th place, which will relegate them directly, and will push Sampdoria up to 17th and Salernitana into 16th.
With just one point separating Sampdoria and Salernitana in the standings, the final relegation spot will be decided by these two teams in a Serie B relegation play-out if Brescia’s points deduction is confirmed.
The biggest beneficiary of this situation is Frosinone, who originally finished the season in 16th on 43 points, but will be bumped up to 15th and will no longer have to participate in a relegation play-out if Brescia’s points deduction is confirmed.
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