Italian Foggia’s lucky Serie C stay versus Noppert’s past misfortune
Today at 08:53, Foggia Calcio secured an unexpected stay in Serie C after the Italian federation’s Tuesday ruling, while Dutch keeper Andries Noppert recalled a 2022 episode in the same city where organised crime stole his car, illustrating how fortune can flip in Italian football.
“One’s death is another’s bread,” the article notes, a saying that can be taken literally in professional football, especially Italian football. The phrase underscores the stark contrast between clubs’ fortunes.
Serie C is divided into three regional groups. Each season nine clubs are relegated to make room for nine promoted from the various regional Serie D divisions.
Ternana Calcio declared bankruptcy, leaving an empty slot in Serie C. The competition’s regulations allow another club to fill the vacancy.
According to the rules, the best‑placed relegated side from the regional competition that included Ternana would be offered the place. Bra, the top relegated club, was the first candidate.
Bra declined the opportunity to remain at the third level. Their refusal opened the door for another applicant.
South Italian Foggia Calcio eagerly applied for the spot, and on Tuesday the Italian football federation ruled in their favour. Consequently, Foggia will stay in Serie C.
The Serie C fixture list will be released on Wednesday, now featuring Foggia. The club will therefore compete in the upcoming season.
Foggian supporters, known as the Satanelli, will look forward to matches against regional rivals Bari, who also dropped to Serie C last summer. Those fixtures promise intense local derbies.
Andries Noppert, a Frisian goalkeeper, featured for Foggia Calcio in 2018 and 2019, making several appearances while the club played in Serie B. His time there linked him to the city’s football history.
In a 2022 interview with , Noppert described how organised crime in Foggia stole his car and later tried to sell it back to him, a deal that ultimately fell through. The anecdote highlights the unpredictable challenges players can face off the pitch.