Nerazzurri fans banned from traveling to Maiori, Bisceglie asks for games to be played behind closed doors

In the late morning today Bisceglie Calcio 1913 received the communication from the Prefecture of Salerno which states that “the Amalfi Coast-Bisceglie football match, scheduled for Sunday 16 June at the “San Martino” municipal stadium in Maiori, valid for the promotion playoff final to Serie D, must be played in the absence of the visiting fans”.

The provision follows the note sent on 11 June, with which the Salerno Police Commissioner highlighted critical issues for public order and safety. Here are the reasons given by the competent bodies:

• the importance of the match, which represents the last opportunity for both teams to be promoted to the higher category, makes the presence of numerous supporters of both teams predictable, while the San Martino sports facility allows access for a capacity of 200 people;
• Furthermore, the escape route from the stadium interferes with access to the changing rooms and with the area intended for parking cars and emergency vehicles; for the occasion, the Costa d’Amalfi club has made available to the visiting fans n. 50 entry tickets, but from information activities we learned that the invitation to Bisceglie fans to participate in large numbers in the match is circulating on social media. Therefore, it cannot be ruled out that fans without entry tickets could also show up at Maiori;
• the strong rivalry existing between the Bisceglie fans and that of Barletta, in turn twinned with those of Salerno, could attract numerous Salerno ultras to Maiori, with consequent problems of public order.

Saddened and disconcerted by an objectively penalizing decision and referring to the legitimate principle of fairness of conditions in view of the decisive match, the management of Bisceglie Calcio formally asks the National Amateur League that the match be played behind closed doors, therefore in the absence of both sets of fans.