In or out, there is no alternative. It is the most awaited day, the one that stopped time. The last victory, at the Calise stadium against Puteolana, was not enough and therefore we will return to the field for the decisive match. A confrontation that will determine the future of both. For Real Forio it will be another afternoon in front of the green and white crowd, Pomigliano arrives on the island: just a few hours left until the play-off. Whoever wins is saved; whoever loses is relegated to Promotion. After the investments made in the summer and the economic commitments respected by president Luigi Amato, the Turks responded with a sporting year that was anything but exciting.
Few highs, several lows, the Cup semi-final finish line reached and a championship journey to forget. Some situations were adverse, some episodes affected the progress of the tournament and the group ranking, the mismanagement of a series of events penalized the group. And therefore Forio will find themselves facing the playout to achieve the objective of salvation. The statements of the number one and coach Carlo Sanchez, at the end of the last match, went around the web and reached the federal leaders: the thorny issues, including exclusions and reshuffled lineups, have tainted the regularity of the competition. The last act, scheduled at Calise, will close the complicated season for the Campania movement. A few hours before the match, the green and white coach – who left so much of his knowledge in Pomigliano, leading the women’s team – presented the match like this: “Unfortunately if the calendar today includes a playout, it means that we deserved it and we will face it to win, to save ourselves.
It is the minimum objective of this club and on Sunday we must do everything possible to achieve this result because the owners, the environment and the square deserve it.” Sanchez also spoke about how the locker room has experienced the last few days: “I saw motivation. We have no other opportunities, no other opportunities. This is the last chance. We didn’t want to get to Sunday’s match, but we’re here and we absolutely have to get an important result to secure safety. The boys are motivated and excited.” Pomigliano arrives on the island, an opponent who managed to reach the playouts after a sensational climb and with Guglielmo Tudisco among the main architects of the feat. Fresh from the heavy 5-1 defeat on the Nola pitch, the Granata brigade recorded negative numbers away from home: just one victory in fifteen games, four draws and ten defeats complete the balance sheet for a total of just 7 points obtained. The goal difference is also largely negative: 12 goals scored and 29 conceded.
At the Calise there will be no representation of the visiting fans: in addition to the communication on the closed sector, the note from the Prefecture has been added which has ordered the ban on the sale of tickets to residents in the municipality of Pomigliano D’Arco. A decision received negatively on the mainland, a final on a neutral pitch was hypothesized but the option was immediately discarded. It will be the third meeting between the two teams: in the first leg Forio won with a score of 2-1, in the return the hosts redeemed themselves with a 2-0 at the Gobbato stadium. Furthermore, today’s match will be a match with a double result available to the islanders and with the Granata forced to win to save the category. At the end of the finishing touches, Sanchez called up 24 players for the match: Aiello, Carissimi, Peluso and Vitello out.
The race: Sunday 12 May, 4.00 pm
F. Calise Stadium – Forio (Guest sector closed)
The refereeing team
Alban Zadrima, Pistoia;
Andrea Minopoli, Naples;
Giuseppe Francesco Maiello, Nola
