A routine summer at Sampdoria often consists of selling their best players and unearthing hidden gems as they prepare for another season of midtable mediocrity. However, the current ownership situation has made the summer of 2019 different and it has left the club under a cloud of uncertainty.
American fund York Capital Management want to purchase Il Doria and also install club legend Gianluca Vialli as president, but current patron Massimo Ferrero has been reluctant to sell the Blucerchiati. Many Samp fans want to see Vialli become president and for Ferrero to leave but the saga has dragged on for a couple of months.
There has been a change on the bench too. Former coach Marco Giampaolo created a team that played beautiful football and he elevated the quality of the players at his disposal but ultimately failed to earn European qualification despite some promising starts to campaigns.
The 52-year-old has left for AC Milan and been replaced by former Sassuolo and Roma tactician Eusebio Di Francesco. Giampaolo had failed to earn qualification for the Europa League but a coach like “DiFra” can provide the experience needed to sustain the fight for a European spot.
Summer Dealings – 6/10
Discovering hidden gems is nothing new at Sampdoria and the Blucerchiati have signed two from the Dutch Eredivisie. Norwegian midfielder Morten Thorsby joined the Blucerchiati from SC Heerenveen on a free transfer and German defender Julian Chabot was signed from FC Groningen for €3.7 million.
Some South American flavour has been added to the squad with Colombian centre-back Jeison Murillo arriving from Spanish side Valencia and he has Serie A experience with Inter. Meanwhile, Argentine starlet Gonzalo Maroni has joined Il Doria on loan from Boca Juniors.
The Blucerchiati have also benefitted from the relegation of Chievo to Serie B and acquired two of their players; emerging right-back Fabio Depaoli and the versatile French-Algerian midfielder Mehdi Leris.
Typically, Sampdoria sell their best players for profit whenever the opportunity arises. Danish centre-back Joachim Andersen has been sold to French club Lyon for €24m while Belgian midfielder Dennis Praet was acquired by English club Leicester City for €20m. Polish striker Dawid Kownacki has been sent on loan to German side Fortuna Dusseldorf but it could be purchased outright by the Bundesliga club.
Although they have made additions in many positions, Sampdoria need to acquire more wingers to suit the 4-3-3 formation that is expected to be implemented by Eusebio Di Francesco. The ownership situation has caused the transfer market activity to stall and the Doriani have been linked with Emiliano Rigoni from Zenit St. Petersburg, Domenico Berardi of Sassuolo, and Napoli’s Simone Verdi.
The Blucerchiati are close to signing Bordeaux winger Francois Kamano but time is running out if they want to make more signings to suit the system implemented by the new coach.
Key man – Fabio Quagliarella
Undoubtedly it is the evergreen Fabio Quagliarella. The 36-year-old striker was the leading goalscorer for the 2018/19 Serie A campaign with 26 goals and he has not shown any evident signs of ageing. In a squad predominantly consisting of young players, he will provide leadership and experience as well as sublime finishing.
One to watch – Morten Thorsby
Morten Thorsby is a 23-year-old box-to-box midfielder with good feet and scoring instinct. The Norwegian international scored five goals and provided two assists in his first five Eredivisie appearances of the 2018/19 campaign with Heerenveen but he sustained a foot injury in the middle of the season. Now that Dennis Praet has left for Leicester City, he can provide a link between midfield and attack.
The Coach – Eusebio Di Francesco
With Marco Giampaolo moving to AC Milan, Sampdoria have replaced him with a better tactician in Eusebio Di Francesco. The 49-year-old earned Sassuolo Europa League qualification in 2015/16 and he reached the 2017/18 Champions League semi-finals with Roma. Coaching Samp will probably result in a throwback to his methods at Sassuolo, implementing an attacking 4-3-3 formation and giving young players a chance.
Prediction – 9th
Adapting to Di Francesco’s methods might take time, the Blucerchiati have to avoid another late season collapse, and other clubs have made greater acquisitions.
