Luca Seribellithe 2024 Pokémon World Champion, and Ruben Giancini and Luca Lucinolithey are Banned from the 2026 Pokémon World Championships They arrived in San Francisco after their passes were confiscated by event staff.
In a lengthy statement posted on social media, Seribelli explained the reasons that led to his and two Italian players being disqualified. It all starts at the active Pokémon Center, where the trio Stopped for letting Ruben Giianzini join the queueSeribelli emphasized, “There is a documented disability This makes it difficult for him to stay in crowded spaces. ”
According to them, the Pokémon Center will not provide him with any kind of accommodation, which is why Seribelli and Lucinoli decided to let him join their team, allowing him to skip the queue, thus alerting the event staff.
Are the measures excessive?
Seribelli pointed out The group accepted the staff decision without objection Keep them out of the Pokémon Center. Problems soon arose, he claimed: security personnel would collect their passesexplaining that this was a temporary measure to prevent them from re-entering the area, but repeatedly reassured Badges will be reissued the next day Let the trio compete regularly in world championships.
However, according to Seribelli, This assurance will be proven false: Once delivered, the pass can no longer be restored or reprinted, effectively turning simply leaving the Pokémon Center into Complete ban on participation in events. “We were misled, intentionally or unintentionally,” he wrote, arguing that had they known the true consequences, they would have immediately challenged the decision.
The player said he tried to clarify the situation with on-site staff but was unsuccessful: “We were told nothing could be done” and as a result the three were unable to enter the venue or participate in the World Cup. Seribelli described the incident as “ridiculous” and “Extremely unfair”explaining that 2026 will be a difficult year for him and returning to the World Cup is a highly anticipated moment. He concluded that being disqualified was “devastating” and cast doubt on his competitive future.
Italian player Luca Ceribelli wins the 2024 Pokémon World Championship
The story sparked an immediate outpouring of solidarity from the community, with players and fans publicly expressing support for Seribelli, Giannzini and Lucignoli, defining the disqualification as “disproportionate” and criticizing the management of the entire incident. However, it is important to stress that the rebuilds currently available only come from the players involved. at the moment, The Pokémon Company International has yet to issue an official press release There was also no further clarification of the factual dynamics or what led to the disqualification of the three Italians.
