Sampdoria are relegated from Serie A – 17 points after 34 games

threatened with bankruptcy

The traditional Italian club UC Sampdoria is the first to be relegated from Serie A. The club from the port city of Genoa, champions of 1991, can no longer reach the non-relegation zone after 0-2 at Udinese Calcio on Monday. Coach Dejan Stanković’s team have only collected 17 points from 34 league games with a goal difference of 20:61. Hellas Verona are in 17th place and have 30 points since beating Lecce on Sunday evening.

For Sampdoria it is the first relegation to Serie B since 2011 – at that time the Ligurians managed to get promoted directly. Whether that will be possible this time remains to be seen. If entrepreneur Massimo Ferrero, owner of Blucerchiati since 2014 and also president until the end of 2021, does not sell the club, according to Italian media reports, there is a risk of bankruptcy.

In February, a clear point deduction was discussed because salaries had not been paid for a long time. Shortly before the end of a deadline in February, the players, employees and club agreed to waive the December salary, and the point penalty was averted. Overall, Sampdoria is said to have built up liabilities of 150 million euros, which are currently unlikely to be repaid.

Sampdoria: Massimo Ferrero himself got into trouble with the law

Ferrero, who resigned as president after running into trouble himself with the judiciary over suspicions of fraudulent bankruptcy and accounting fraud at other companies under his control, is said to have had several offers. Among them was one of the club icons Gianluca Vialli and local financiers who died in January. However, the 71-year-old always refused, according to the “Gazzetta dello Sport” he only wanted to sell if he profited financially from it. He had taken over Sampdoria in 2014 for nothing, he only inherited the previous debts of the long-time patron Edoardo Garrone in the amount of 15 million euros.

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Ferrero was never particularly popular with Sampdoria fans, but the situation came to a head as a result of the sporting nosedive this season. According to his own statement, the club owner has received death threats from time to time, and posters against him have always been seen at home games in recent weeks. After the disgraceful 0: 5 in Florence on the 32nd match day, ex-Bundesliga professional Abdelhamid Sabiri (26) was reportedly threatened because he had given a jersey to a young AC fan. The playmaker will appear for the Tuscan club next season but has left Italy for the time being.

Coach Stanković, who took over from Marco Giampaolo in January and has since scored an average of 0.67 points, actually resigned after the bankruptcy. Again, it is said to have been the fans who persuaded the Inter and Lazio legends to stay. It is unclear how much of the current team will be left in Serie B next season. Stanković’s contract expires at the end of the season, as do the working papers of 16 players – including Harry Winks and Koray Günter on loan, ex-HSV professional Tomás Rincón and captain Fabio Quagliarella. There will then be no derby in Genoa: Archrival CFC managed to get promoted back to Serie A at the weekend.

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