Brescia collapses

Mario Balotelli used to play for Brescia.

A monument of Italian football has officially collapsed. Brescia Calcio - a team that played 23 seasons in Serie A - was expelled from the professional football system by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) after 114 years of existence. They will not be licensed to participate in Serie C in the 2025/26 season, opening up the prospect of having to start from the Fourth Division (Serie D) - which is only for amateur clubs.

A statement from the FIGC on July 4 confirmed that Brescia did not meet the financial criteria to be granted a license to compete. The club failed to pay a debt of €1.1 million to the tournament organizers - a deadline that passed in January - and also owed salaries to players, coaching staff and club staff for the months of March and April 2025. In addition, a series of other administrative violations were also listed in the federation's lengthy statement.

The bitter end came just weeks after Brescia were officially relegated from Serie B. They had qualified for the play-offs, but were docked four points for financial irregularities, sending them straight into the relegation zone. Sampdoria, who had been expected to be relegated, were given a chance to stay in the league.

Much of the blame lies with President Massimo Cellino, no stranger to crisis. The former Cagliari and Leeds United boss is known for his autocratic, volatile management style and has been criticised for meddling too much in the club's finances. Under Cellino, Brescia slid into chaos and lost serious financial control.

Brescia is officially dead.

This collapse is not only a sporting failure, but also a shock to fans - those who have witnessed "Le Rondinelle" dominate with football legends.

Brescia is not the most traditional club in Italy, but it is certainly one of the most unique. During its peak, this team was the destination of many famous players: Roberto Baggio, Pep Guardiola, Gheorghe Hagi, Andrea Pirlo, Luca Toni, Mario Balotelli and most recently Sandro Tonali.

The image of Baggio dominating the Mario Rigamonti stadium, or Guardiola shaking hands with President Corioni on his debut day, used to be a symbol of ambition and a style of play with identity. But now all that is just a memory.

The prospect of rebuilding is extremely difficult. If Brescia wants to survive, they will have to register in Serie D and operate as a semi-professional club. Furthermore, the reputation is severely damaged, making it difficult to attract new investors.

From a team that was once home to geniuses, Brescia now stands at a historic crossroads: either reform to survive, or disappear forever from the map of Italian football.

A painful end – and a stark warning to those who think tradition can endure without transparency, governance and vision.

Source: https://znews.vn/brescia-sup-do-post1565972.html