GENOA, Italy – The curtain has fallen. The lights dim. And for Sampdoria, the once-proud Scudetto winners of 1991, the descent into Serie C is complete.
A goalless draw against Juve Stabia in their final Serie B match sealed their fate, cementing an 18th-place finish — a single, bitter point behind Salernitana, who live to fight another day in the relegation play-offs after beating Cittadella 2-0.
For the first time in their 78-year existence, Sampdoria will play in Italy’s third tier. It is a moment drenched in sorrow and soaked in frustration for the Genoa faithful — a historic collapse born not from a single failure, but a season-long opera of chaos.
It all began with hope. After falling from Serie A in 2023, the club turned to Italian football royalty, hiring Andrea Pirlo in June 2023 with dreams of bouncing straight back up.
But the midfield maestro could not conjure magic from a fractured side. A failed play-off run scuppered those ambitions, and by the third game of this season — two defeats and a draw — he was gone.
Then came Andrea Sottil, who offered brief joy with a Coppa Italia shootout win over city rivals Genoa in the Derby della Lanterna. But lightning never struck twice. Four wins in 14 games wasn’t enough. Another dismissal.
Next? Leonardo Semplici, who managed to last until the end of March — but when a 3-0 humiliation by Frosinoneshattered any illusion of progress, fans turned fury into fire. Stones and flares rained down on the team bus outside the Luigi Ferraris Stadium. The writing was flaming on the wall.
In came Alberico Evani, Sampdoria’s fourth coach this season, backed by club legends Attilio Lombardo and Roberto Mancini (in an unofficial role). There was belief. There was pride. There was a 1-0 win over Cittadella.
But belief doesn’t get you three points every week. One win in the next five games, coupled with crucial draws, left Sampdoria gasping for air on the final matchday — and the draw at Juve Stabia became a death knell.
This is a club that once dazzled Italy — Vialli, Mancini, Lombardo, all draped in the blue of Samp — and lifted the Scudetto in 1991. They fought AC Milan in the 1992 European Cup final. They inspired.
Now? They will face the likes of Carrarese, Pontedera, and Renate next season. The prestige is gone. The crowds will shrink. The cameras will fade.
Yet, as the final whistle blew, and the table locked them into history they never wanted to write, Sampdoria fans still sang. Because love endures, even in heartbreak.
Relegation to Serie C brings not just shame — it brings uncertainty. Financial instability, possible player exodus, and massive restructuring lie ahead.
But football, as always, offers redemption. Ask Parma. Ask Napoli. Ask Genoa. Teams fall. Then rise.
For now, Sampdoria mourns. But the phoenix only rises from ashes.
By Kelly Were
