ROME — Once a prestigious name in Italian football, Sampdoria now faces turbulent times. A club boasting a Serie A title, three appearances in European finals, and four Italian Cup victories within a decade during the 1980s and early 1990s, Sampdoria is teetering on the edge of its first-ever drop to Serie C in its 79-year existence.
The recent 2-0 defeat to Spezia, a relatively minor regional side in Serie B, highlighted the club’s declining fortunes. This result prompted violent threats from upset fans, forcing Sampdoria to avoid returning home. Instead, the team relocated to an undisclosed area, later identified as the national team’s training base at Coverciano in Florence.
Amidst these challenges, Sampdoria initiated its fourth coaching change this season, dismissing Leonardo Semplici and appointing Alberico Evani. Evani, known for his involvement with Sampdoria during their prosperous period in the late 1990s, was a key player in their 1994 Italian Cup victory. Joining Evani in the management team is Attilio Lombardo, another iconic figure from Sampdoria’s historic times, as assistant coach.
Significantly missing from this new leadership roster is Roberto Mancini, the former Italy coach and key protagonist in Sampdoria’s triumphs during the early 1990s alongside the late Gianluca Vialli. Although speculation suggested Mancini had assumed an advisory role with Sampdoria following his stint with Saudi Arabia’s national team, he vehemently denied such rumors, emphasizing the inaccuracy of these reports.
Sampdoria began the season with Andrea Pirlo, formerly an Italy standout, as manager. Pirlo’s tenure was short-lived, enduring only three matches before Andrea Sottil took over, only to be replaced by Semplici in December. Now, Evani—previously Mancini’s assistant with Italy—prepares to lead Sampdoria in his debut against Cittadella this Saturday.
Currently, Sampdoria sits third from the bottom in Serie B, with the threat of relegation looming. The league’s bottom three teams face demotion, while the fourth- and fifth-from-last teams will engage in playoffs to decide who remains in Serie B.
Adding to Sampdoria fans’ discontent, archrival Genoa competes in Serie A and ranks in 12th place. The rivalry was further ignited by violent confrontations when Genoa ousted Sampdoria from the Italian Cup in September.