The 2025/26 Serie A season has come to a premature end for three Nigerian players following the relegation of both Pisa and Hellas Verona, confirmed on a decisive Friday night that reshaped the bottom of the Italian top flight.
Pisa’s fate was sealed first, as a 2-1 home defeat to U.S. Lecce officially sent them down with three games still to play. The result ended what proved to be a fleeting return to Serie A for the Tuscan club, who had only earned promotion back to the top flight after a 34-year absence. They remain rooted to the foot of the table on 18 points. Hellas Verona’s relegation was also confirmed on the same night, bringing the curtain down on a seven-season run in the Italian top division.
Among those most affected by the double demotion are Nigerian midfielders Ebenezer Akinsanmiro and Rafiu Durosinmi, both of whom featured for Pisa during the ill-fated campaign. The pair are joined in their misfortune by former Super Eagles invitee Gift Orban, who was on the books at Hellas Verona.
Akinsanmiro, who spent the season at Pisa on loan from Inter Milan, is expected to return to his parent club following the conclusion of the Serie A campaign. Orban, similarly deployed on a temporary basis, is reportedly set to head back to German Bundesliga side TSG Hoffenheim when his loan spell concludes. The futures of all three players remain unclear as the summer transfer window approaches.
The relegation of Pisa is particularly notable given the historical weight of their promotion. Their return to Serie A had been 34 years in the making, yet the newly promoted side were unable to sustain their place in the division, managing just 18 points across the campaign. For Hellas Verona, losing their Serie A status ends a comparatively lengthy stint in the top flight that stretched back seven seasons.
For Nigerian football, the development represents a significant setback in terms of top-flight European representation. Akinsanmiro, a product of Inter Milan’s academy system, had been viewed as one of the more promising young Nigerian midfielders operating in European football, while Orban had previously attracted Super Eagles attention during his time in Germany. Durosinmi’s development at Serie A level also now faces disruption ahead of what is a critical phase of his career.
All three players will be monitoring their options closely in the weeks ahead, with decisions from their parent clubs and loan sides set to determine where they ply their trade in the 2026/27 season.
