Relegated Sampdoria were saved from the ignominy of bankruptcy and a drop to the abyss of the lower leagues as Massimo Ferrero finally agreed to sell the club, but Andrea Radrizzani should not underestimate the scale of the task at Marassi, writes Stephen Kasiewicz.
Loathed by the Blucerchiati Tifosi, Rome-based film producer Ferrero finally did the right thing and agreed on a deal with a group containing Andrea Radrizzani and Matteo Manfredi.
It ended a drawn-out saga that had threatened the very existence of a club with a rich history and an incredibly loyal and passionate fan base. Although self-confessed Roma supporter Ferrero held on until the bitter end and further damaged Samp as a result. Doria missed a deadline to pay salaries owed to players and staff from the first part of the year and will begin next season in Serie B with a four-point penalty.
Leeds United owner Radrizzani, Manfredi and a consortium which included investors from Qatar stumped up €40m to complete the takeover which prompted frenzied celebrations at the club’s Corte Lambruschini headquarters in Genoa. Club president and former Scudetto winner Marco Lanna was present as a mixture of relief and joy accompanied the news.
In a grim season which developed like the plot of a dark crime thriller, a minority of enraged Tifosi were tipped over the edge. Ferrero was sent bullets in the post. A pig’s head was placed outside the club offices accompanied by a sinister note which appeared to threaten Ferrero’s life. Fans turned out in large numbers and protested loudly against him at every game. Samp racked up debts of €200m and players and staff deferred wages.
Amid the disarray, the polarizing, loquacious 71-year-old, who assumed control of Samp in 2014, refused to relinquish power as the club sank to the bottom of the standings. Jailed for financial crimes unrelated to football in December 2021 he was hounded out of Marassi after showing up to cheer on his beloved Roma last October.
Absent from the public spotlight for months he appeared again like an actor desperate for one more screen credit and even smirked at the camera as Samp lost out to Lazio at Stadio Olimpico in February.
He then turned down an approach from American investment firm Merlyn Partners while talk of a mysterious Qatari sheikh circulated for months with no real foundation.
Unable to significantly bolster a demoralized squad, coach Dejan Stankovic – who took over from Marco Giampaolo last October – couldn’t prevent an inevitable slide into the second tier.
After typically outlandish claims he would sell the club for a Euro the outspoken Ferrero finally let go. The darkest chapter in the club’s history closed with the arrival of Radrizzani and his partners.
While hardly a popular figure at Leeds following their relegation from the English Premier League the Lombardy-born businessman won’t lack support at Samp – at least for now.
There are far more questions than answers at this early stage of the club’s brave new era. Debts need to be repaid and banks and creditors appeased as the deadline for Serie B registration on June 20 looms.
Stankovic won’t stay on as coach and the search for a new tactician should be the first priority as the majority of the squad departs. Numerous loan players will return to their parent clubs. Harry Winks (Tottenham Hotspur), Alessandro Zanoli (Napoli) and Bruno Amione (Hellas Verona) are among them. Goalkeeper Emil Audero, left-back Tommaso Augello and forward Manolo Gabbiadini will be in high demand while midfielder Abdelhamid Sabiri will join Fiorentina. It’s easier to list who will stay than the substantial catalogue of departures.
Iconic forward Fabio Quagliarella was given an emotional send-off in his final Serie A game at Napoli and has vowed to remain with the Blucerchiati in the second tier.
Youngsters Flavio Paloetti and Lorenzo Malagrida deserve first-team opportunities while Gerard Yepes, Telasco Segovia, Samuel Ntanda-Lukisa and Mihailo Ivanovic could all feature for Samp in Serie B.
Just how much money are Radrizzani and Manfredi prepared to fork out to facilitate a complete squad overhaul and to what extent will the Qatari partners be involved, if at all?
The not-inconsiderable challenge of revamping the Stadio Luigi Ferraris or building a completely new stadium, regardless of the layers of bureaucracy which await, should also be addressed.
The scale of the task should not be underestimated but we’re not talking about a club from the provinces or a determined minnow that celebrates top-flight survival like they won the title. The Blucerchiati have the backing of thousands in one of Italy’s largest cities.
It’s worth remembering Samp are one of only six Italian clubs to play in a Champions League final and won the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1990.
Nobody will ever forget the glorious Serie A winning season of 1990-1991 with Lanna, a measured and dignified presence in the chaos of a turbulent campaign, part of the team alongside greats like Gianluca Vialli, Roberto Mancini and Attilio Lombardo.
The achievements of the past are rightly cherished, yet it’s 29 years since Doria last won a trophy. There has been little to celebrate since.
Nothing is guaranteed and there will be several hurdles on the road back to contend with the calcio elite, yet Samp have at the very least taken a momentous step in the right direction.
@SKasiewicz