Unione Calcio Sampdoria, to give the club their full title, was formed in the Italian city of Genoa in 1946 from the merger of two existing sports clubs dating back to the 1890s, Sampierdarenese and Andrea Doria.
Sampierdarenese
Ginnastica Sampierdarenese was formed 1891, as a sports club with a football section which came to life in March 1899, initially playing games at Piazza d'Armi del Campasso before becoming an independent football club in 1911 and competing in Comitato Regionale Ligure.
The club progressed playing at Stadio di Villa Scassi and competing in eight national championships, finishing as Italian runners-up in 1921-22 after losing out to US Novese in the final in Cremona. A new Stadio Littorio a Cornigliano was built in via San Giovanni d'Acri, where the bus station now stands.
However, by 1927 was forced into a merger under Mussolini’s rule with Andrea Doria to become La Dominante Genova to play in Serie B before changing titles to Liguria. The club, as Sampierdarenese, climbed back to Serie B in 1931-32 before a play-off victory over Bari in Bologna won promotion back to Serie A in 1933-34.
At the end of the 1936-37 campaign, the club dropped back down to regional football. They moved to Marassi to share Stadio Luigi Ferraris with Genoa CFC, improving on the pitch but with severe financial problems, which would lead to their merger.
Andrea Doria
Società Ginnastica Andrea Doria was a sports club with several sections, with its football department being formed in 1900. Francesco Calì became the charismatic leader of the team following his move from Genoa in 1902, before going on to captain the national team. The club would progress to compete in Prima Categoria, the top level of Italian football in the 1910s.
A friendly rivalry was formed with city rivals Genoa, who were a leading force in the game at the time. The team played at the cramped La Cajenna ground in the Marassi area of the city, adjacent to the north end of the Stadio Luigi Ferraris. Under fascist command, the club was forced to unite with Sampierdarenese as La Dominante.
The team competed in the 1928–29 season in the top-flight Divisione Nazionale. Some club members were so dispirited with the developments that they departed to reform Alessandro Volta. Re-emerging as Andrea Doria and competing in the third-level Prima Divisione in 1931-32, the team went on to finish top of Girone C in 1935-36.
The competition became Serie C the following year, from where they were relegated to Prima Divisione Ligure in 1939-40. The club was re-founded in 1944. The Italian football authority, FIGC, gave Andrea Doria a place in the Campionato Alta Italia Serie A, which was the northern section of Serie A.
Despite finishing in ninth place, it was the last season the club would play. Sampierdarenese had finished bottom of the table and were struggling financially. Serie A would become one division of 20 clubs for the 1946-47 season. A merger was the solution.
Sampdoria
The new club moved into Stadio Luigi Ferraris and incorporated the old blue colours of Andrea Doria with the white, black and red of Sampierdarenese. Giuseppe Galluzzi became the first coach of the side. Adriano Bassetto became the fans' early favourite with his goals, along with Giuseppe Baldini and Renato Gei.
‘La Samp’ finished the 1948-49 season above rivals Genoa and remained above them for the next few years. Eddie Firmani and Mario Tortul both reached double figures in the goal chart of 1955-56. The team continued to finish in the top six of the table regularly, coming in fourth under head coach Eraldo Monzeglio in 1960-61 as Sergio Brighenti banged in the goals.
Modena were defeated in a relegation tie breaker in 1963-64 to secure Serie A status as the club entered a period of struggle culminating in relegation under Giuseppe Baldini in 1965-66. However, the Serie B title was won at the first attempt with Fulvio Bernardini at the helm.
‘La Blucerchiati’ consolidated their status with Ermanno Cristin scoring the goals in the first season of the 1970s before Heriberto Herrera took over as coach for a couple of seasons. The team was relegated in 1976-77 under the watch of Eugenio Bersellini.
After a couple of mid-table finishes, the club was bought by oil businessman Paolo Mantovani, who aimed to make Sampdoria a leading force in Italian football. However, it would take until the 1981-82 season before promotion was secured under Renzo Ulivieri. Bersellini returned as coach for the 1984-85 campaign as Samp finished in fourth place.
However, they picked up their first major honour when they lifted the Coppa Italia by beating AC Milan over two legs. The star-studded Sampdoria side contained the likes of Graeme Souness, Trevor Francis, Gianluca Vialli, Roberto Mancini, Pietro Vierchowod and Luca Pellegrini. The side came close to retaining the trophy, ending as runners-up to AS Roma the following season.
Vujadin Boškov took over as coach in 1986, leading Samp to a second Coppa win in 1987-88 over Torino. The team had evolved with Hans-Peter Briegel and Toninho Cerezo, the overseas stars and youngsters such as Gianluca Pagliuca and Marco Branca starting to break into the team.
The Coppa was retained with an emphatic victory over Napoli in 1988-89, while the team finished in fourth place in the league, as well as reaching their first-ever European final. FC Barcelona proved to be a too-strong opponent in the Bern showpiece of the Cup Winners' Cup with a 2-0 victory.
The defeat strengthened Samp’s resolve as they went on to lift the trophy in 1989-90 as two extra-time Vialli goals defeated RSC Anderlecht in Gothenburg. Another top-five finish in the league ensued, but that was merely a prelude for things to come. Sampdoria became champions of Italy in 1990-91 as Vialli and Mancini continued to wreak havoc.
Genoa, meanwhile, ended in fourth place in what was a great time for football at Stadio Luigi Ferraris, which had been rebuilt for the Italia '90 World Cup. Click here to see action from the 1991 title-winning season.
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| My drawing of Stadio Luigi Ferraris and some older team kits. Click on the image to enlarge it. |
The only disappointment came when Roma defeated Samp in the final of the Coppa, thus denying them the double. Sampdoria came within a whisker of their greatest ever triumph in 1991-92 at Wembley Stadium. It would be FC Barcelona who spoiled the dreams once again; this time with an extra-time goal to lift the European Cup.
Samp fielded Srečko Katanec, Attilio Lombardo and Ivano Bonetti in the team alongside the regulars throughout the golden era. Sven-Göran Eriksson took over from Boškov in the summer of 1992. On October 14th, 1993, Paolo Mantovani suddenly died to be replaced by his son Enrico. Samp hammered AC Ancona to collect their fourth Coppa Italia in 1993-94.
Sampdoria reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup in 1994-95 with Walter Zenga, Siniša Mihajlović and Claudio Bellucci among the new generation of stars, before Enrico Chiesa became the new favourite as the team continued to finish in the top third of the table without honours or European competition.
Vincenzo Montella broke through with his goalscoring feats before Eriksson was replaced for a short while by César Luis Menotti before the return of Boškov. However, the momentum was lost as star players moved on while others retired. David Platt had a short, disastrous spell as manager in the 1998-99 season, which ended in relegation.
It would take until the 2002-03 campaign for the club to return to Serie A under head coach Walter Novellino. Around this time, Sampdoria was acquired by Riccardo Garrone, an Italian oil businessman who injected new funds. Fabio Bazzani scored the goals on a mid-table return to the top flight before Francesco Flachi helped the side to fifth place in 2004-05.
Samp reached the 2008-09 Coppa Italia final but lost to AS Roma, under Walter Mazzarri, before he was replaced by Luigi Delneri and then Domenico Di Carlo. The new man could not prevent the team from being relegated in 2010-11. Despite using three different managers, Sampdoria returned to Serie A at the first attempt through the play-offs after wins against US Sassuolo and then Varese.
Ciro Ferrara started the return in the hot seat before being replaced by Delio Rossi. Former player Mihajlović took over as manager in 2013 as the club produced young quality players such as Shkodran Mustafi, Mauro Icardi, Andrea Poli and Simone Zaza. The club was passed into the ownership of Massimo Ferrero in June 2014.
Another former player, Montella, took charge for the 2015-16 season from November after a brief spell under former goalkeeper Zenga. Marco Giampaolo took over team affairs in the summer of 2016 after Montella had moved on to Milan. Mid-table stability became the order of the day as Fabio Quagliarella topped the scoring charts in 2017-18.
Eusebio Di Francesco was appointed as the new manager for the 2019-20 season, only to last until October when he was replaced by Claudio Ranieri, who oversaw an improvement the following season. Roberto D'Aversa came in as manager in July 2021, lasting just a few months before being succeeded by Marco Giampaolo.
Dejan Stanković was appointed in October 2022, as Sampdoria had a disastrous season and were relegated in last place. Andrea Pirlo was given the task, as manager, to sort out the mess, taking his side to the playoffs, where any hopes of promotion were quickly extinguished by Palermo. Andrea Sottil replaced Pirlo in August 2024.
The new man lasted until Christmas, when he was succeeded by Leonardo Semplici, whose appointment didn't work out, being replaced by Alberico Evani before the end of the season. Sampdoria found itself in a proper mess in the relegation playoffs, but only after they were given a reprieve when Brescia were deducted points.
The two-legged game against Salernitana was also dramatic, with Salernitana fans causing the second match to be abandoned. Massimo Donati was given the Sampdoria manager's job in July 2025.
UC Sampdoria will play in Serie B in the 2025-26 season.
Republic of Ireland 0 Romania 0 after extra time; Ireland won 5-4 on penalties (Monday 25th June 1990) World Cup Second Round (att: 31,818)
I had ventured to Italy for the World Cup, better known as Italia '90, with Nick, my youngest brother, on an InterRail ticket which allowed us unlimited train travel. We had arrived in Bologna on the Sunday before moving to a campsite in Rimini with some other lads we had befriended: Keith, Billy, Brian and Darren.
We decided that it seemed a good idea to travel across the country without tickets to try and get into another game, rather than hanging around in Rimini. What an inspired decision it proved to be! The journey took around five hours, with us reaching Genova Principe station at about 4.45, just fifteen minutes before kick off.
None of our gathered group was sure how we’d get to the stadium. The Italian authorities were on the ball, and a bus arrived to take us. There were English-speaking touts looking to sell tickets. There were about fifteen minutes gone of the game and we managed to get a ticket for around £10. We got inside the impressive stadium with us in the bottom tier behind a goal.
All four stands mirrored each other with two tiers of seats with corner towers joining them all up. The Stadio Luigi Ferraris had been completely rebuilt over a few years before the tournament, and best of all was the feature that we were close to the pitch because there was no running track. There were fans from lots of countries inside, but the number of Irish was truly staggering.
All four stands mirrored each other with two tiers of seats with corner towers joining them all up. The Stadio Luigi Ferraris had been completely rebuilt over a few years before the tournament, and best of all was the feature that we were close to the pitch because there was no running track. There were fans from lots of countries inside, but the number of Irish was truly staggering.
Tricolours with cities all over Ireland and even America were on every vantage point. I must hold my hands up and admit to cheering for them. I can only put it down to the hot sun. The match was very poor in sweltering conditions. Neither side ever looked like scoring, so after a dull ninety minutes, plus extra time, the match was to be decided on penalties.
It was all level at 4-4, when Packie Bonner saved Daniel Timofte’s effort. Veteran David O’Leary stepped up to take a very rare spot kick to send the Romanian skipper, Silviu Lung, the wrong way. The stadium went absolutely berserk. Old men were crying their eyes out at what they’d witnessed.
We walked back to a closer station to get a link into the city for our train home. It was pandemonium everywhere, especially as some local youths decided to try pick-pocketing on the first train. They got their just deserts! The journey back required a stop in Alessandria, where we saw locals celebrating after Italy had knocked out Uruguay.
The train home was full, so we sat at the end of a carriage with an Aussie and his son, who were originally from Middlesbrough, and without anywhere to pitch their tents for the night. We persuaded them to go with us, especially after we told them our friendly local bar owner promised he’d remain open until we returned, and he sold Newcastle Brown!
We got back, and by the large police presence around the station, it was evident that all was not right. There were no taxis around either. We set out on the very long walk back home. We got the news about the Italian police indiscriminately rounding up any English and detaining them before sending them back to Blighty.
To read the full story of those disgraceful and indeed illegal actions, click here for the Bologna page. The walk was long enough, but we were continually looking over our shoulders as locals sped past on scooters. Unbelievably, our host had stayed open waiting for us, despite it being gone two in the morning.
Genoa CFC 1 Cagliari 0 (Sunday 9th February 2020) Serie A (att: 21,301)
Read all about a return visit to the stadium for a domestic game, along with my adventures around Genoa, click here.
It was all level at 4-4, when Packie Bonner saved Daniel Timofte’s effort. Veteran David O’Leary stepped up to take a very rare spot kick to send the Romanian skipper, Silviu Lung, the wrong way. The stadium went absolutely berserk. Old men were crying their eyes out at what they’d witnessed.
We walked back to a closer station to get a link into the city for our train home. It was pandemonium everywhere, especially as some local youths decided to try pick-pocketing on the first train. They got their just deserts! The journey back required a stop in Alessandria, where we saw locals celebrating after Italy had knocked out Uruguay.
The train home was full, so we sat at the end of a carriage with an Aussie and his son, who were originally from Middlesbrough, and without anywhere to pitch their tents for the night. We persuaded them to go with us, especially after we told them our friendly local bar owner promised he’d remain open until we returned, and he sold Newcastle Brown!
We got back, and by the large police presence around the station, it was evident that all was not right. There were no taxis around either. We set out on the very long walk back home. We got the news about the Italian police indiscriminately rounding up any English and detaining them before sending them back to Blighty.
To read the full story of those disgraceful and indeed illegal actions, click here for the Bologna page. The walk was long enough, but we were continually looking over our shoulders as locals sped past on scooters. Unbelievably, our host had stayed open waiting for us, despite it being gone two in the morning.
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| Flag Day in Marassi |
He served us all a drink and then asked us if we wanted a couple more. We would have to drink them outside as he was closing and wanted to take his staff home. He would clean up the next day. He was a hero, and he was rewarded as we spent most of the next afternoon in there for lunch, but only soft drinks.
This was thanks to the authorities and their alcohol ban on match days for England games anywhere near the match location. We had a lucky escape. Nick and my tournament could have ended before it started through absolutely no fault of our own. Thank goodness, we are adventurous!
Genoa CFC 1 Cagliari 0 (Sunday 9th February 2020) Serie A (att: 21,301)
Read all about a return visit to the stadium for a domestic game, along with my adventures around Genoa, click here.