Once a shining name in Italian football, Sampdoria has now entered one of the darkest chapters in its 78-year history. The former Serie A champions have been relegated to Serie C — the third tier of Italian football — for the first time ever.
The relegation was confirmed on Tuesday, May 13 after Sampdoria played out a goalless draw against Juve Stabia. The result not only sealed their drop to Serie C but also eliminated any chance of qualifying for the relegation play-offs.
Sampdoria’s golden era came in the early 1990s. The club famously won the Serie A title in the 1990–91 season and had claimed the European Cup Winners’ Cup the season before. Italian legends Roberto Mancini and Gianluca Vialli were key figures in that era, guiding the club to the UEFA Champions League final in the 1991–92 season, where they narrowly lost to Barcelona in extra time.
Domestically, Sampdoria has also enjoyed success having won the Coppa Italia four times. However their last major trophy dates back to 1994 — more than three decades ago.
The club’s decline began in 2023 with relegation to Serie B. Since then, Sampdoria has struggled both on and off the pitch. Despite appointing former Italian star Andrea Pirlo as head coach at the start of the current season, results failed to improve. Pirlo was later dismissed, and several changes were made to the coaching staff. Eventually, former AC Milan midfielder Alberico Evani was handed the reins. But even he couldn’t prevent the club’s historic fall into Serie C.
UA / TDS
