Sampdoria have dropped to Serie C for the first time in their 78-year existence after ending the season with a goalless draw against Juve Stabia. That result, combined with Salernitana’s 2-0 triumph over Cittadella, meant the Genoa-based side finished 18th in the Serie B table, one point short of the relegation play-off spot.
The club, champions of Serie A in 1991, had spent the last season in Italy’s second division after suffering relegation from the top flight at the end of the 2022–23 campaign. Hopes of a quick return were dashed in the promotion play-offs under coach Andrea Pirlo, who was brought in during the summer of 2023.
Turmoil on the bench
Despite being labelled “a key part of the project” by the owners shortly before their play-off exit, Pirlo was dismissed after only three matches of the new campaign. His tenure ended after two losses and one draw.
Andrea Sottil came in as his replacement and led the team to a Coppa Italia victory over Genoa on penalties in the first Derby della Lanterna in two years. But he also failed to lift results in the league, managing just four wins in 14 games before being removed in October 2024.
Leonardo Semplici was then brought in as the third head coach of the season. A 3-0 defeat at home to Frosinone in March marked a turning point for fans. Following that loss at the Luigi Ferraris Stadium, supporters hurled stones and flares at the team bus in protest.
A final attempt to survive
Semplici was dismissed the following month, and the club turned to Alberico Evani in a desperate bid to avoid the drop. With club legends Attilio Lombardo assisting and Roberto Mancini providing informal support, Evani managed a narrow win against Cittadella in his first match.
However, the brief resurgence under Evani was not enough. With only one win, three draws, and one loss in the remaining fixtures, Sampdoria were unable to climb out of the bottom four. Their relegation was confirmed on the final day, sealing an unprecedented fall to the third tier of Italian football.
