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🇮🇹 How Sampdoria, a former Italian football powerhouse, were relegated to Serie C

The demise of the former European Cup finalists had been coming for years!

Graham Ruthven's avatar
Graham Ruthven
May 15, 2025
∙ Paid

The mere mention of Sampdoria conjures up evocative images of another, more romantic, era of Italian football.

It was a time defined by the likes of Gianluca Vialli, Roberto Mancini and Ruud Gullit. Sampd'Oro were a force in this era. They won the Scudetto in 1991. And the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1990. They played Barcelona in a European Cup final in 1992.

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Next season, though, they’ll be playing in Serie C. The famous club with the iconic badge and distinctive jersey has never been so low.

In some ways, Sampdoria’s demise has been rapid. It was only two seasons ago that they were in Serie A. They have dropped two divisions in just three seasons.

In other ways, it had been coming for years. What exactly happened to this former calcio powerhouse?

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