Eight players from same team are taken to hospital as 21 members of Italian club are struck down by food poisoning after Serie B play-off

Eight players from Italian second division side Salernitana have been taken to hospital after suffering from severe food poisoning.

The incident occurred shortly after the Serie B outfit lost 2-0 to Sampdoria in the first leg of the play-off to avoid relegation to the third tier of Italian football.

The Salernitana players were making their way home from Genoa on a chartered flight when a number of them began to exhibit symptoms.

Gazzetta dello Sport report that they began to feel ill after consuming a meal that had been prepared at the team hotel earlier in the day.

21 employees, including eight players, were dealing with ‘gastrointestinal problems’  and ‘excruciating pain’.

Four ambulances were waiting for the group as they landed at Salerno-Costa d’Amalfi Airport.

The majority were able to return home later that evening but there are still some receiving care in hospital. 

Monday’s training session was cancelled and the club have made a request for the second leg of the hugely important tie to be postponed.

Club chief Maurizio Milan said in a statement: ‘We are sincerely shocked by what happened and by the series of events that risk undermining Salernitana’s regular and peaceful approach to the final and fundamental minutes of the season.

‘We have already interfaced informally with the Lega Serie B, receiving a general openness to evaluate our requests.

‘Many players and staff, at the moment, are not even able to show up at the sports centre to resume training.

‘We trust in the availability of the relevant bodies so that this serious situation can be taken into account and, at the same time, ascertain the causes of this widespread and serious episode.’

Police in Genoa have visited the hotel to start their investigation.