Brescia risks Serie C, Massimo Cellino furious: "We were defrauded". The alleged wrongdoing and the club's moves: what happens now

Brescia, 18 May 2025 – Accusations and poisons, a back and forth that has a "yellow" flavour in a hectic May afternoon, but there is little to be happy about because there are some in the middle the fate of a club (Brescia) and of a city that experienced a day of ordinary madness. The news that shocks Rondinelle fans It's coffee time on what should have been a quiet late spring Sunday, with fans on a carefree outing after the salvation achieved on the field by the Lombards and put in the safe just a few days ago. From dream we have gone to nightmare, because on the eve of the playouts the bottom of the Serie B ranking risks being rewritten. And Brescia is in particular in danger of heavy penalty given the serious charge concerning an alleged administrative offence which would bring the team of mister Maran to direct relegation, with Sampdoria's sensational play-off appearance against Salernitana.

The alleged irregularity

A real earthquake considering that only a few hours before there was talk of "decisive days for Cellino's future" increasingly determined to sell but on his own terms. High demands that would have discouraged potential buyers. And instead what emerges from various investigations and investigations is an irregularity committed by Brescia at the deadline in February for the payment of salaries and contributions. The company of Massimo cellino would have covered the tax part with tax credits that in reality turned out to be non-existent. When there are operations of this type, the Covisoc ((the commission that verifies the regularity of the accounts of professional companies) proceeds with the necessary checks with the Revenue Agency and the response times were not short.

Covisoc's certified email to verify tax credits entered by Brescia in the balance sheet report to extinguish tax and social security debts of the company was dated February 28, while the Agency's response arrived only last Friday, May 16 (i.e. two and a half months later), after the regular season had ended: those declarations, according to the “Revenue”, would not be true. So, for Covisoc, Cellino's club would not have fulfilled its obligation to pay Irpef withholdings and INPS contributions relating to the months of November, December, January and February, by the deadline of 17 February, for almost one and a half million (1.439.676 euros). Therefore, the credits declared by Brescia were in reality non-existent. 

The FIGC penalizes Brescia: -4 points

On Saturday 17th Covisoc immediately forwarded the documents to the Prosecutor's Office Figc which, in 24 hours, analyzed them and immediately ordered the closure of the investigation, contesting sporting unfairness, the violation of article 31 (administrative offence) for the false declaration and article 33 (infringements on emoluments). And on Sunday the notice of conclusion of the investigation was sent. If it is true that the very long times of the Revenue Agency they have created confusion and waiting, it is also true that the FIGC has accelerated its entire procedure, arriving at the -4 for Brescia.

Cellino: “We have been scammed”

Two hours after the earthquake, another shock, a very strong one, or rather the club's response which in turn launches very serious accusations: “We have been scammed”, Cellino's brief comment which refers to an alleged third-party company to which Brescia Calcio would have relied for the payment of contributions through the purchase and sale of tax credits. 

Ranking overturned

But if the accusations made against the Lombard club were confirmed Frosinone would reach direct salvation, so much so that the first leg of the playout against Salernitana scheduled for Monday 19 has been "frozen". Better, as reported a note from the Serie B League without mentioning the names of the teams involved, they were Playout matches postponed following the communication sent by the Federal Prosecutor's Office.

Obviously the penalty for Brescia would have the effect of overturning the final standings and the championship verdicts with regards to the relegation zone. With the -4 Brescia would move to third-last place and would be relegated to Serie C with Cittadella and Cosenza, while the Frosinone, Salernitana and Sampdoria they would move up a notch: for Lazio it would mean salvation, for Salernitana confirmation of the playouts with the most favorable position (so they would play the return match at the Arechi), and Sampdoria fished out of the C admitted to the play-off.

The ball is in the courts' courts

For now the ball is in the courts' court: Brescia, Massimo and Edoardo Cellino have two days to submit a brief in view of the hearing on May 22. The prosecutor Giuseppe Chine has already sent the documents to the defense for the briefs and the first degree sports trial is awaited. The hearing will be awaited, probably at the Tfn, and once the reasons have been received the ranking in the "red" zone will be decided and also the "survival" of the Rondinelle. If the verdict of condemnation is confirmed in "toto", they will not wait for the subsequent levels of judgment to which Brescia will be able to appeal and the Lega B with the FIGC will take the risk of playing the playout immediately. If instead there is room for appeal, the postponement of the playout will be extended. But the idea is to play it only after the first degree trial.