I don't know that it was fixed. If so, the ref would not wait until 90+6. But it was a tough, tough call. And the Piazza's did get completely hosed by people who thought there would be no consequences, and in a way there won't be, except for a small handful of employees who got caught in the transition. It's also a great example of a cultural disconnect.This is a great example story for both sociology and business school.
I found myself kind of rooting for Mrs. Piazza, too.
For those without the Athletic, Mike Piazza bought a Serie C soccer team. Upon taking control, he discovered that the outgoing cash flow was much worse than reported and both law and culture made it impossible to fire people or reduce costs. The team's payroll and stadium rent was way above Serie C norms. His wife took control of the business side in their second year, and that year they almost won promotion to Serie B but lost the 2-game tie when a ref called handball in the box on a defender who had fallen to the ground after challenging a header and the ball basically fell on him at 90+6. At that point the Piazza's decided they were being mistreated and taken advantage of as outsiders, so they put the team up for sale. Local business people decided not to bid, and instead started a new club in Serie D, and are waiting for the liquidation to end to use the old club's name.
