Serie A is Sizzling Right Now… But it’s Still Not the Same Without Sampdoria

When Sampdoria kicked off another season in Serie B with a 1-1 draw against Cesena in late August, they edged towards an unwanted record. 

The Blucerchiati are in the second tier for the fourth consecutive campaign. Should they hang around for a fifth, they will equal their longest run outside the top flight, set during the hallow period of the late 1970s and early 1980s.

Their resurrection then was due to the arrival of the legendary Paolo Mantovani as owner in 1979. He promised to not just get them out of Serie B, but to eventually win the Scudetto. Against all odds, he delivered on both counts. Such lofty heights are virtually unreachable now, given the chasm in financial disparity between Italy’s bigger sides and the rest.

For modern-day Samp, the aim is surely to get out of Serie B and back to the big time. However, there will be no new saviour to end the mediocrity. Former Lazio, Manchester City and Parma striker Bernardo Corradi has been drafted in, with the aim of securing a spot in the promotion play-offs after doing a good job as coach of Italy’s various age groups.

Lorenzo Insigne has been signed with hope the Neapolitan still has some magic left in his right foot, while Sebastiano Esposito has been drafted in from Spezia to add some solidity in midfield.

Four games in to the season, that point from the opening weekend is their only return, their latest defeat at Mantova following losses to Palermo and Juve Stabia.

Yet, despite the ongoing struggles, Sampdoria are still box-office. For the second year running they sold over 20,000 season tickets, an extraordinary figure considering the spells of turmoil and underperformance.

Last season, their average attendance was just over 24,000, putting them second behind Palermo (27,841). Samp’s numbers were more than double third-placed Frosinone (11,594), who secured promotion by finishing 37 points ahead of them.

With their history, passion and a vibrant Stadio Luigi Ferraris on match days, Samp are a regular fixture on Destination Calcio TV. They featured on two of the opening three rounds of fixtures and will be on again on September 19, against Catanzaro. 

Above them, Serie A, continues to enjoy a major revival. The Scudetto hasn’t been retained in six years, with Juventus the last to do it in 2020, as the title has bounced from Milan to Naples and back again. The league’s attendance post-pandemic, meanwhile, has consistently reached heights not seen since the glory days in the late 1990s. The average attendance in the last four full seasons with fans has never dipped below 29,500, a figure last seen in 2000-01. 

With ticket prices in England continually rising and showing no signs of getting cheaper, while demand often outstrips supply, fans from the UK have looked towards Italy as a place to watch high-profile football. Yes, you have to get there, but to see the likes of Inter Milan or AC Milan at San Siro, there are tickets available up in the third tier for less than €20. Even the second tier, with superb views, has tickets for under €40. Tickets to watch Genoa at the Marassi often start between €30 and €40.

There is a lengthy list of noisy grounds and beautiful towns to chose from: Milan to Turin; Genoa to Florence, Rome to Naples and everywhere in between. With Italian stadiums the oldest in Europe and in dire need of renovation, yet still retaining their sense of atmosphere and colour, visiting the peninsula offers a beautiful reminder of what football can be.

And then there’s the players on the pitch, with the likes of Lautaro Martinez, Nico Paz, Donyell Malen and Kenan Yildiz producing moments of wonder most weeks.

Yet the one ingredient missing from Serie A is arguably Samp. While no club has a given right to be in a particular division, their absence is undoubtedly felt. The Derby della Laterna against Genoa is one of Italy’s most feverish rivalries, with the Luigi Ferraris exploding in a cacophony of noise, colour and a constant din that pierces the ears. But it hasn’t been seen in Serie A since the 2021-22 campaign.

In recent years the clubs have passed each other like ships in the night: Genoa were promoted from Serie B the same season their city neighbours went in the opposite direction. They haven’t squared off in two years, which was a Coppa Italia clash won by the Rossoblu on penalties.

No matter their form on the field, no other kit in Italy is as aesthetically pleasing as Samp’s. Every year, shirt aficionados across the world keep an eye on when they release their iconic blue number. The club are celebrating their 80th anniversary this year and released two special shirts to commemorate the occasion, while last season’s Coppa Italia special is a thing of beauty. The lack of that blue in Serie A is felt. 

A thriving Serie A would be even better with Sampdoria in it, the Marassi rocking to the sounds of Doria Ole by the De Scalzi Bros every other week. Will they reach the promised land this season, or will they match the unwanted record?

For now, the one-time Scudetto winners remain Serie B’s biggest club, even if Palermo may have something to say about that.  

For more information on watching Sampdoria and for tips and hints on booking a trip, check out our Sampdoria playbook.