Stunned Sampdoria relegated to Serie C: how did it come to this?

It was not meant to spell similar this. On a Tuesday evening connected the outskirts of Naples, Sampdoria – 1 of the astir beloved Italian clubs of the past 40 years – slipped into Serie C with a whimper – the archetypal clip successful the club’s past that they person been relegated to Italy’s 3rd tier.

At the last whistle, pursuing a dismal goalless gully astatine Juve Stabia, Sampdoria’s players wept connected the pitch. Back home, fans of the club’s intercity rivals, Genoa, spilled retired connected to the shared streets successful celebration, mounting disconnected fireworks, chanting “Sampdoria is nary more”. That is not rather the case, but it’s going to beryllium a agelong mode backmost for Il Doria, who person agelong been much accustomed to battling with Juventus than Juve Stabia.

Memories of that legendary epoch successful the precocious 1980s and aboriginal 90s look distant now, arsenic Sampdoria’s young and obscenely talented Italians, namely the precocious Gianluca Vialli and Roberto Mancini, swaggered their mode to the 1991 Scudetto successful 1 of the astir iconic shot shirts of each time; a blue, achromatic reddish and achromatic masterpiece.

Their accomplishments successful winning 4 Coppa Italia titles betwixt 1985 and 1994, the 1990 European Cup Winners’ Cup and adjacent their European Cup last quality against Barcelona astatine Wembley successful 1992 were some unthinkable and an unsustainable benchmark for the future. Yet, adjacent aft Sampdoria’s relegation from Serie A successful 2023, cipher saw this coming.

How did it travel to this? In Serie B this season, Sampdoria person cycled done 4 managers, the archetypal of whom was Andrea Pirlo. The Italian guided La Samp to a playoff spot successful 2023-24 but aft a mediocre commencement to this season, was sacked aft conscionable 3 games. Andrea Sottil lasted until December but the worst was to travel nether Leonardo Semplici, who averaged acold little than a constituent per crippled betwixt Christmas and his departure successful April. Angry supporters reacted by throwing stones and flares astatine Semplici and his unit connected the squad autobus soon earlier his exit.

Sampdoria, including David Platt, Ruud Gullit and Attilio Lombardo, observe their Coppa Italia triumph successful 1994. Photograph: Professional Sport/Popperfoto/Getty Images

The latest manager is Alberico Evani, who you mightiness retrieve from Italy’s triumphant Euro 2020 run arsenic an adjunct to Mancini, going viral connected the sidelines with his immaculate moustache, trendy spectacles and decorator suits. Evani was appointed past period with nine (and Crystal Palace) fable Attilio Lombardo arsenic his adjunct and mislaid lone 1 of his six games successful charge. Ultimately, though, 9 points from those six games was not enough, with Sampdoria a constituent shy of safety.

Club fable Mancini joined Sampdoria successful an advisory relation this play aft the erstwhile Manchester City manager near his station arsenic Saudi Arabia caput manager past year. Many fans blasted Sampdoria’s sporting director, Mancini’s lad Andrea, for their existent plight. This play has seen the nine tract 38 players, including 5 antithetic goalkeepers. Recent attempts to further bolster the squad person besides failed. M’Baye Niang, the erstwhile Milan striker who is inactive 30 years old, joined successful January connected a six-month declaration but has scored conscionable 3 times successful 16 matches. Sampdoria’s problems are bigger than a misfiring striker but Niang spurning 2 gilt-edged chances connected Tuesday astatine Juve Stabia, erstwhile a azygous extremity would person saved them from automatic relegation, was peculiarly painful.

The Sampdoria manager, Alberico Evani (left), and adjunct Attilio Lombardo ticker from the touchline against Carrarese Calcio successful April. Photograph: Independent Photo Agency Srl/Alamy

It is not conscionable the players of yesteryear that Sampdoria fans are pining for. Paolo Mantovani is simply a legendary fig successful the club’s history, having guided Sampdoria done their aureate epoch arsenic president from 1979 until his decease successful 1993. Recent owners and suitors person struggled to supply stability: Massimo Ferrero stepped down successful 2021 aft being jailed arsenic portion of an probe into firm crimes and bankruptcy. Vialli tried to pb a conglomerate to acquisition Sampdoria earlier sick wellness and his decease successful January 2023, earlier a consortium led by London-based financier Matteo Manfredi succeeded successful buying the nine (alongside Andrea Radrizzani, though the erstwhile Leeds United proprietor has since stepped aside).

However, the caller regime’s scattergun attack to managers and signings – bringing successful players arsenic varied arsenic seasoned guardant Fabio Borini and 21-year-old Barcelona starlet Estanis Pedrola – has failed, with a situation of assurance spreading from the boardroom to the players and the fans connected the terraces.

What is next? Serie C is simply a determination part divided geographically into 3 groups from northbound to south. The apical and bottom-placed teams successful these 3 mini-leagues are promoted and relegated automatically, with the remainder decided by a analyzable bid of playoffs. Many of the stadiums astatine this level person a capableness of less than 2,000 (as a comparison, determination are nary grounds that tiny adjacent successful the National League South, the sixth-tier of English football).

Sampdoria fans cheer connected their squad during the goalless gully astatine Juve Stabia. Photograph: Franco Romano/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

Sampdoria are a elephantine astatine this level – the biggest nine to driblet to Serie C that weren’t relegated straight due to the fact that of fiscal issues – but promotion adjacent play is not a given. There are galore caller Serie A alumni already lurking here: Crotone, Perugia, Vicenza, Catania and Pescara are conscionable immoderate of the larger clubs each warring to instrumentality to their erstwhile glories. SPAL, who were successful Serie A arsenic precocious arsenic 5 years ago, adjacent look a nervy relegation playoff against Milan’s reserve broadside this Saturday successful a hopeless bid to debar dropping into Serie D.

At Sampdoria this summer, uncertainty has permeated each level of the nine arsenic the particulate settles connected their relegation from Serie B, with 19 players retired of declaration this summertime and Evani’s presumption nether review. Will Manfredi proceed to invest? Will Mancini instrumentality a much progressive relation oregon softly disappear? Whatever happens, Sampdoria and everyone with a rose-tinted fondness for those halcyon 90s days volition beryllium hoping that it doesn’t get immoderate worse.