Twenty goal defeat labelled a 'farce' as team avoids being booted from comp
Italian football club Pro Piacenza were already having a season from hell, but it got a whole lot worse over the weekend.
The Serie C outfit suffered a 20-0 defeat at the hands of Cuneo, after they were forced to play seven teenagers in a bid to avoid being kicked out of the league.
Pro Pianenza had already forfeited three matches this season.
The club is reportedly in serious financial trouble, and has already lost all of their previously signed players.
All seven players who suited up against Cuneo were aged between 16 and 19, with team captain Nicola Cirigliano also listed as the coach.
The local newspaper who cover the team in Italy dropped their live coverage of the match after the first half.
At the time, the score was 16-0.
The newspaper, Sport Piacenza, labelled the match a “farce”.
This is how the league table looked before the start of the match.
Cuneo had scored just 18 goals in 24 matches before facing Pro Piacenza. They've just scored 16 goals in 45 minutes!
* Cuneo have been deducted seven points and Pro Piacenza have been deducted eight points. pic.twitter.com/Fe9e3lKwO2
— GiveMeSport Football (@GMS__Football) February 17, 2019
Making matters worse for Pro Piacenza was the fact that Cuneo had only scored 18 goals in 24 matches before their matchup.
Italian football federation president Gabriele Gravina said the match had been a disgrace to the sport.
“What happened at Cuneo with Pro Piacenza is an insult to the sport and its founding principles,” he said.
“Our responsibility is to protect the fans … and the credibility of our championships.
“(the game) which we just witnessed, against our will, will be the last farce.”