FOR a few years they were the darlings of Italian and even European football.
But now they are staring into the abyss of the lowest low in their history.
Sampdoria enjoyed their best years in the late 1980s and early 1990s – spearheaded by their record goalscorer and appearance-maker Roberto Mancini plus Gianluca Vialli chipping in, too.
During that time, they won all four of their Coppa Italia crowns and were European Cup Winners’ Cup winners in 1990.
The club’s solo Serie A title followed a year later.
In 1991-92, they reached the European Cup final, losing 1-0 to Barcelona at Wembley.
Sampdoria finished no lower than seventh in for eight straight seasons between 1986-87 and 1993-94.
Even by 1998, their worst season was ninth before suffering relegation in 1998-99.
Four years in Serie B followed then by 18 of the next 19 back in the top flight.
But after , Sampdoria have suffered a nightmare season – and were relegated again on Tuesday.
And it means the iconic club will drop into the third-tier Serie C for the very first time in their 78 years in existence next term.
A 0-0 draw at Juve Stabia in their final game of the season confirmed that Sampdoria ended the campaign 18th in Serie B.
Their tally of 41 points was only four fewer than 11th-placed Modena.
But the season was, in truth, a mess.
Sampdoria used 38 players in Serie B this term.
And that includes a staggering FIVE different goalkeepers across the wretched campaign.
There has been no consistency in the dugout, either, with Sampdoria going through four managers, too.
MANAGERIAL MERRY-GO-ROUND
It started with who was from the first three second-division fixtures.
Andrea Sottil lasted until October, Leonardo Semplici was pelted with rocks and flares and forced out in March when Alberico Evani came in for the final few weeks but was unable to turn the sinking ship around.
Poor recruitment at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris also played its part, with no fewer than 16 players brought in on loan.
This season’s squad featured ex-Liverpool striker Fabio Borini, former AC Milan man M’Baye Niang and former Manchester United assistant manager Rene Meulensteen’s son Melle.
Meanwhile, the brilliantly-named Ronaldo Vieira was unable to channel the quality or leadership of his namesakes.
Instead, defender Alex Ferrari and his team-mates are racing at speed down to the third tier in embarrassing fashion, having let down the typically passionate partisan fans.
And to rub it in even more, arch-rival Genoa revelled in their enemy’s struggles by three years ago.
