Brescia is not the only Italian football club facing serious challenges regarding registration for the upcoming Serie C season. Spal has also publicly acknowledged significant financial difficulties.
Both teams have a history in Serie A relatively recently, but now appear destined to rebuild from the ground up in the semi-professional tiers of Italian football.
Brescia had previously been docked four points due to financial irregularities. Their failure to meet a deadline for covering unpaid wages means the club, owned by Massimo Cellino, is likely heading towards bankruptcy proceedings.
Spal now seems likely to face a similar outcome. A statement released by the club confirmed its inability to register for the 2025-26 Serie C campaign. Their last appearance in Serie A was during the 2019-20 season.
Spal Unable to Enter Serie C
“With deep regret, the owners of Spal announce that the club will not participate in the 2025-26 Serie C campaign,” the statement read.
“This is a difficult conclusion reached after numerous attempts to find concrete solutions that would allow the project to continue. Unfortunately, the current circumstances make this impossible. Over the past four years, the owners have made substantial financial commitments, investing €50m in liquidity, including €12m in the last season alone, in an effort to revitalize Spal and provide the city of Ferrara with a team worthy of its history and passion.”
The statement added, “However, the results have not been satisfactory, nor proportionate to the level of investment.”
The Spal owners` statement also criticized incidents involving the club`s ultras, claiming these actions deterred potential investors.
“One prospective partner who intended to make a significant investment withdrew their offer following a concerning incident where some `fans` physically assaulted Spal players during a training session,” the statement noted.
Despite the registration failure, Spal`s situation differs slightly from Brescia`s. While they could not demonstrate the financial stability required for Serie C, there remains a glimmer of hope.
“We remain the owners of Spal, and despite inaccurate reports, we are not bankrupt,” the statement clarified. “In the coming days, we will assess the available options, including the possibility of registering the club in a lower division.”
On a brighter note for another club, Triestina successfully submitted the necessary documentation and cleared outstanding debts, allowing them to register for Serie C.
