Serie A women's team quits league after 6 games

Serie A Femminile club Pomigliano have withdrawn from the Italian women's top flight "with immediate effect" after claiming that they "are fighting against invisible opponents, that takes away your energy and the desire to continue."

Pomigliano's decision to withdraw six games into the season was announced on Sunday after a contentious refereeing decision saw a match-winning penalty awarded to their opponents, Sampdoria.

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The club released a statement to Tuttosport announcing their withdrawal that criticised both the league's organisation and management of finances, as well as the performance of the officials.

"Fighting against every type of opponent makes defence pointless," the club said in a statement.

"The company met with the board at the end of today's match and in the presence of all members, respecting its investments, in the nobility of the sporting project that it has been pursuing for years in the belief that women's football has become a real utopia, says enough.

"When fighting against an invisible adversary becomes an unequal struggle which saps your energy and desire to continue.

"By virtue of a league which on one hand obligates compliance with payment deadlines but cannot guarantee planning on the management of the payments to be made... Forcing the company to function without guaranteed times and methods."

The statement also hit out at the referees in charge of their loss to Sampdoria.

"In addition to the refereeing of the match against Sampdoria where the referee and fourth official managed and directed the outcome in favour of the Ligurians, implementing a one-sided approach from the start until the end of the game.

"Excessive strictness towards our players while being more lenient towards Sampdoria. A second yellow card for a Sampdoria player was made into a warning for a member of our bench after the suggestion of the fourth official who was in fact managing the game on the pitch. That doesn't mention the invented penalty, shown by the TV pictures, with the visitor's player not even slightly touched by our defender; a decision which determined the final result.

"For all of this and for other matters communicated with the league, the company announces its immediate withdrawal from the championship."

Pomigliano are ninth in Serie A Femminile, one point above Napoli who have failed to win any of their first six league matches.

Serie A Femminile, which moved to full professionalism from the beginning of the 2022-23 season, is made up of 10 teams. If Pomigliano's withdrawal is confirmed, it is not clear how the competition would continue with an odd number of clubs.