Sampdoria won the Cup Winners’ Cup 17 years ago today, beating Anderlecht 2-0 in the final.
Having been beaten in the previous year’s final the Blucerchiati had qualified by winning the Coppa Italia, and eased through the first round with a 3-0 win over Brann.
Round Two brought a clash with Borussia Dortmund, with Roberto Mancini’s 88th minute equaliser earning a 1-1 draw in Germany.
Sampdoria won the Cup Winners’ Cup 17 years ago today, beating Anderlecht 2-0 in the final.
Having been beaten in the previous year’s final the Blucerchiati had qualified by winning the Coppa Italia, and eased through the first round with a 3-0 win over Brann.
Round Two brought a clash with Borussia Dortmund, with Roberto Mancini’s 88th minute equaliser earning a 1-1 draw in Germany.
The return was a more comfortable affair, with Gianluca Vialli hitting a brace to see his side through to a tie with Grasshopper.
The Swiss side were beaten 4-1 on aggregate, while Monaco were despatched 4-2 in the semi-final.
Having beaten Barcelona on their way to the final in Gothenburg, Anderlecht were no easy opponent for Samp.
Indeed, the match was a tense and cagey affair, with neither side able to score in the 90 minutes.
Gianluca Vialli struck twice in extra time though, ensuring that the Blucerchiati would take the trophy back to Genoa.
Their triumph was the mid-point of a remarkable period of success for Sampdoria, who won the Scudetto the following season.
The Cup Winners’ Cup remains their only European success, however, after defeat to Barcelona in the 1992 European Cup final.