Michael Essien's wife got her Italian team demoted from the league after failing to fulfill financial obligations

Calcio Como owned by the wife of Ghanaian footballer, Michael Essien have suffered relegation from the third tier of Italian football due to financial challenges that have forced the club into administration.

Akosua Puni bought the Club at an auction price for €237,000 after the previous owners had failed to meet financial requirements of the Italian football federation.

The figure was €10,000 more than the starting price, and it made Puni,the first foreign businesswoman in Italian football.

Puni, whose husband is one of the wealthiest African players of his generation after several successful years with Lyon in France and especially Chelsea had given assurances of making payments of players salaries in default.

Cracks however appeared in her financial ability to sustain the purchase of the club after Il Messaggero revealed that cheques that had been deposited with the FIGC had bounced ,meaning the club could not fulfill its obligations.

In the ruling published by the FIGC, it explained that the club's budget of 10,000 euros was not enough to play in the Serie C.

"Como Srl has documented that it has acquired the soccer company Calcio Como Srl, with authentication signed by the notary Gianfranco Manfredi of Cantù, rep. 31440/21648 dated March 30, 2017 and requesting affiliation with FIGC; noted also that the company FC Como Srl has not shown that it has complied, or guaranteed by a bank guarantee on first demand, the deadline of June 28, 2017, the debt sport against members of Calcio Como Srl relative to gross, monthly successive In March 2017 and Irpef's withholding tax due for this monthly period, which is solely for the purposes of the company's transfer act and as provided by federal rules ; Considering that the share capital of Euro 10,000.00, which is owned by FC Como Srl, can not be considered sufficient to satisfy the costs necessary to face the Serie C Championship".

The club has been taken over by the Nicastro group. The coach of the team, according to the website of Como La Provincia , will be Andrea Ardito , sports director Roberto Pruzzo and the youth sector will be entrusted to Giancarlo Centi .