A year is a long time in football. Just ask Sampdoria. Twelve months ago, the Blucerchiati were looking forward to a Champions League qualifier with Werder Bremen. This year, they will kick off their campaign in Serie B after one of the most catastrophic capitulations in Calcio history saw them relegated.
It is not difficult to pinpoint the reasons for Samp’s demise. The January departure of star strikers Antonio Cassano and Giampaolo Pazzini left the side woefully short up front, and the inevitable run of poor results that followed culminated in relegation on the penultimate weekend of the campaign.
However, the arrival of a new season always affords a club the opportunity to right the wrongs of the previous campaign, and this summer has seen a radical overhaul of both coaching and playing personnel as Samp look to bounce back into Serie A at the first attempt.
With Alberto Cavasin unable to stop the rot towards the end of last season, he has been replaced in the dugout by Gianluca Atzori. The 40-year-old spent last season at Reggina, and steered the Calabrians to a respectable sixth place, before being defeated in the play-off semi-final by eventual winners Novara. Anything less than a top two finish from the new man will likely be viewed as a failure by club President Riccardo Garrone, so he will hope to hit the ground running.
Scoring goals was clearly a problem for Samp during the relegation run in, so little time has been wasted in revamping the forward line. Last season’s Serie B top scorer Federico Piovaccari has been brought in on a free transfer from Cittadella. The 26-year-old plundered an astonishing 23 goals as Cittadella finished 15th, and the Blucerchiati will be hoping he can show similar form during the coming campaign.
Joining him up front will be Cristian Bertani, signed from last season’s play-off winners Novara. He too showed great attacking prowess last season, striking 17 times as Novara achieved a fairy tale promotion. So far, Massimo Maccarone and Nicola Pozzi have both been retained, with only Jonathan Biabiany’s departure to Parma the most notable exit up front. Both Maccarone and Pozzi be hoping to find their shooting boots in Serie B after poor campaigns last season, but should Bertani and Piovaccari stay fit and on form, the problems of last year are unlikely to be repeated.
In midfield, Francesco Signori has joined from Modena, whilst Daniele Mannini has joined Serie A new boys Siena, and Stefano Guberti will line up for Serie B rivals Torino. Otherwise, the midfield remains largely unchanged, with the likes of influential captain Angelo Palombo, Andrea Poli and Argentine Fernando Tissone all making the transition from Champions League to Serie B. Keeping hold of such experienced players means the club will boast arguably one of the strongest midfields in the division, and should supply their new look forward line with plenty of opportunities.
At the back, goalkeeper Gianluca Curci has re-joined Roma, the club he left in 2008. In looking for a replacement, Samp have been heavily linked with Argentine international Sergio Romero of Eredivisie side AZ Alkmaar. Romero spent his summer keeping goal for Argentina in the Copa America, and his acquisition would be a real coup for the Blucerchiati.
In defence, Reto Ziegler has left for Juventus, and has been replaced by Reggina’s Andrea Costa. Elsewhere, Stefano Lucchini has joined last season’s Serie B champions Atalanta. Meanwhile, Pietro Accardi returns after spending the second half of last season with Brescia and Croatian under-21 international Vedran Celjak will hope to make his first appearance for the club having signed in January. However, with Daniele Gastaldello and Massimo Volta the only defensive survivors of the Bremen tie, the side are currently looking a little light at the back.
The 2011/12 campaign could prove to be a watershed year for Sampdoria. When they took to the field against Bremen a year ago, few could have predicted that they would find themselves in the second tier twelve months on. Regardless, that is the reality for the Blucerchiati, and their future depends a great deal on how they approach the challenges of the coming campaign. When they were last relegated in 1999, it took four years for them to clamber their way back into the top flight, and everybody involved with the club will be fearful of similarly long stay. However, given the overhaul the squad has undergone this summer, do not bet against them reclaiming their place in Serie A come the end of the season.
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