Football Season Guide

Only two seasons ago, Sampdoria managed to obtain an historical qualification to the Champions League. Against all odds, they had managed to reach the top four of the Italian football and they seemed bound to stay there. In fact, the squad was composed by several stars or potential ones and time seemed to be on their side. Quite shockingly, the following season turned into a real nightmare: after the immediate elimination from the playoffs of the main European competition, the stars left and the team slowly sank towards the bottom three. One year later, Sampdoria are back to the top flight of the Italian football, thanks to an unexpected win in the playoffs of the Serie B, while they had ended the regular season on the sixth standing. Giuseppe Iachini, responsible of such a success, was not confirmed at the helm of the team and was replaced by a more fashionable Ferrara, whose experience with Juventus had been quite tragic. During the transfer campaign, first of all, those players on loan from bigger clubs made it back home. This was the case of Pellé, Foggia and Fornaroli. At the very same time, though, some of Sampdoria's most interesting players, that is Palombo, Poli and Tissone returned from their spells with Inter and Mallorca respectively. They will all strengthen the midfield while Maxi Lopez was hired in order to provide the squad with some scoring alternative to Eder. De Silvestri and Estigarribia should earn some spots in the starting eleven as full-backs or as wingers.