UC Sampdoria facts for kids
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| Full name | Unione Calcio Sampdoria S.p.A. | ||
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| Nickname(s) | I Blucerchiati (The Blue-Circled) La Samp Il Doria |
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| Founded | 12 August 1946, as Unione Calcio Sampdoria | ||
| Ground | Stadio Luigi Ferraris | ||
| Capacity | 33,205 | ||
| Owner | Blucerchiati S.p.A. | ||
| Chairman | Matteo Manfredi | ||
| Head coach | Alberico Evani | ||
| League | Serie C | ||
| 2024–25 | Serie B, 18th of 20 (relegated) | ||
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Unione Calcio Sampdoria, often called Sampdoria, is a professional football club from Genoa, Liguria, Italy. They play in Serie B right now. However, for the 2025/2026 season, they will move down to Serie C, which is the third level of Italian football.
Sampdoria was created in 1946. It was formed by joining two older sports clubs: Sampierdarenese and Andrea Doria. These clubs had been around since the 1890s. The team's name and colors show this merger. "Sampdoria" combines parts of both old names. Their unique uniform is mostly blue (from Andrea Doria) with white, red, and black stripes (from Sampierdarenese). This is why they are nicknamed blucerchiati, meaning "blue-circled".
Sampdoria plays its home games at Stadio Luigi Ferraris. This stadium can hold 33,205 fans. They share it with Genoa CFC, another older club from Genoa. The matches between these two teams are a big deal. Their strong rivalry is known as the Derby della Lanterna. This derby has been played mostly in Serie A, Italy's top league.
Sampdoria has won the Scudetto (the Italian league title) once, in 1991. They have also won the Coppa Italia four times (in 1985, 1988, 1989, and 1994). The club also won the Supercoppa Italiana once, in 1991. Their biggest win in Europe was the Cup Winners' Cup in 1990. They also reached the final of the European Cup in 1992. They lost that final 1–0 to Barcelona after extra time. On May 13th, 2025, Sampdoria was relegated from Serie B to Serie C for the first time ever. This happened after a 0-0 draw against Juve Stabia.
Contents
Club History: How Sampdoria Started
Early Clubs: Sampierdarenese and Andrea Doria (1891–1927)
The story of Sampdoria begins with two teams from the late 1890s. These were Società Ginnastica Sampierdarenese and Società Andrea Doria. Sampierdarenese started in 1891 and added a football section in 1899. Andrea Doria, named after a famous Genoese admiral, began in 1895.
Andrea Doria did not join the first Italian Football Championship in 1898. Instead, they played in a gymnastics football tournament. Sampierdarenese was the first ancestor of Sampdoria to play in the Italian Football Championship. They joined in 1900.
Andrea Doria joined the main competition in 1902. They won their first game in 1907, beating local rivals Genoa 3–1. By 1910–11, Andrea Doria started to play very well. They finished above big clubs like Juventus and Internazionale.
After World War I, Sampierdarenese began playing in the Italian Championship. They met Andrea Doria in the championship for the first time in 1919-20. Andrea Doria won the first game and finished second in their group.
For the 1921–22 season, Italy's top league split into two competitions. Sampierdarenese joined one, while Andrea Doria and Genoa joined the other. Sampierdarenese won their section and reached the final. They played against Novese. Both final games were 0–0 draws. A replay was played, and Novese won 2–1 in extra time.
By 1924–25, both Sampierdarenese and Andrea Doria were playing against each other. Andrea Doria finished one spot higher and won one match. Sampierdarenese won the other.
From La Dominante to Sampdoria (1927–1946)
In 1927, the Fascist government started to combine many football teams in Italy. This was done to create stronger clubs. For example, four teams in Rome merged to become AS Roma. In the same way, Sampierdarenese and Andrea Doria merged for the first time. They formed a new club called La Dominante.
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La Dominante Genova wore green and black striped shirts. This club only played for three years and was not very successful. They played in the 1927-28 Divisione Nazionale and finished 10th. In 1929, Dominante played in the first-ever Serie B tournament. They finished third, just missing out on moving up to the top league.
Then, Dominante joined with another local team called Corniglianese. They played as Foot Ball Club Liguria in 1930–31 Serie B. The team did not do well and was moved down to Prima Divisione.
In 1931, Sampierdarenese and Andrea Doria went back to being separate clubs. Over the next few years, Sampierdarenese quickly moved up from Prima Divisione to Serie B, and then to Serie A. They won the 1933–34 Serie B championship and reached Serie A for the first time.
On July 15, 1937, Sampierdarenese merged with Corniglianese and Rivarolese. The club changed its name to Associazione Calcio Liguria. They finished fifth in Serie A in 1939. In the early 1940s, the club was moved down a league but quickly came back up as Serie B champions in 1941.
After World War II, both Andrea Doria and Sampierdarenese (whose name "Liguria" was removed in 1945) were playing in Serie A. Andrea Doria was the stronger club at this time. However, on August 12, 1946, the two clubs merged to create Unione Calcio Sampdoria.
Piero Sanguineti was the first chairman of this new club. Soon, a businessman named Amedeo Rissotto took over. The first coach was Giuseppe Galluzzi. To show that both old clubs were equally important, a new uniform was designed. It had the blue shirts of Andrea Doria and the white, red, and black middle section of Sampierdarenese. In the same month they merged, the new club arranged to share the Stadio Luigi Ferraris with Genoa. This stadium then became the home for both Genoa and Sampdoria.
The Mantovani Era: Success and Trophies (1946–1993)
For about 30 years, Sampdoria played in Serie A. They had mixed results. Their best finish was fourth place in the 1960–1961 season. In the 1965–1966 season, Sampdoria finished 16th and moved down to Serie B for the first time. But the very next year, they won the Serie B championship and quickly returned to Serie A.
In 1979, the club was in Serie B when oil businessman Paolo Mantovani bought it. He invested a lot to bring Sampdoria to the top league. In 1982, Sampdoria returned to Serie A. They won their first Coppa Italia in 1985. In 1986, Vujadin Boškov became the new head coach. The club won their second Coppa Italia in 1988. This allowed them to play in the 1988–89 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, where they reached the final but lost to Barcelona.
They won the Coppa Italia again in 1989. This gave Sampdoria a spot in the 1989–90 Cup Winners' Cup. They won this tournament after beating Anderlecht in extra time in the final.
Just one year later, in 1991, they won their first and only Scudetto. They became Serie A champions, five points ahead of second-placed Internazionale. This winning team had many famous players. These included Gianluca Pagliuca, Gianluca Vialli, Roberto Mancini, Toninho Cerezo, Pietro Vierchowod, and Attilio Lombardo. Boškov was still the coach. The next season, Sampdoria reached the European Cup final. They lost again to Barcelona at Wembley Stadium. Vujadin Boškov is known as one of Sampdoria's most successful managers. He won many trophies and made the club famous in Europe.
New Owners and Challenges (1993–Present)
On October 14, 1993, Paolo Mantovani passed away. His son, Enrico, took over. In his first season (1993–94), Sampdoria won another Coppa Italia and finished fourth in Serie A. Over the next four seasons, many players from his father's time left. However, many new important players joined. This kept Sampdoria in Serie A. These new players included Juan Sebastián Verón, Ariel Ortega, Clarence Seedorf, and Christian Karembeu. In April 1995, Sampdoria reached the semi-finals of the Cup Winners' Cup. They lost to Arsenal after a penalty shootout.
In May 1999, Sampdoria moved down from Serie A. They did not return to the top league until 2003.
In 2002, Riccardo Garrone, an Italian oil businessman, bought Sampdoria. Sampdoria returned to Serie A in 2003. They finished their first season in eighth place. After several more good finishes, Walter Novellino was replaced by Walter Mazzarri as manager in 2007.
With new forwards like Antonio Cassano from Real Madrid and Giampaolo Pazzini, Sampdoria finished sixth in the 2007–08 season. This allowed them to play in the 2008–09 UEFA Cup. The next season, they finished fourth. This meant they could play in the UEFA Champions League play-offs under manager Luigi Delneri. Delneri then left for Juventus. With key players also leaving, Sampdoria struggled. They were moved down to Serie B in May 2011. The next season, in June 2012, Sampdoria won promotion back to Serie A. They beat Varese 4–2 in the play-off final.
In 2013, Edoardo Garrone took over as president after his father passed away. He wanted to sell the club quickly because of its debts. The sale of Sampdoria to Massimo Ferrero was not popular with many fans.
In June 2014, film producer Massimo Ferrero bought the club. Sampdoria finished seventh in the 2014–15 season. Because sixth-placed Genoa could not get a UEFA license, Sampdoria took their spot in the 2015–16 UEFA Europa League. The club stayed strong in Serie A for the next seven years. Important managers like Marco Giampaolo and Claudio Ranieri led the team. Striker Fabio Quagliarella scored many goals.
However, there were growing problems around Ferrero's leadership. He was known to support another team, AS Roma. Several attempts were made to sell the club. On December 6, 2021, Massimo Ferrero resigned as president. The club stated that its football operations were not part of any investigations. On December 27, former player Marco Lanna became president. In January 2022, former manager Marco Giampaolo returned. On February 6, Sampdoria won 4–0 against Sassuolo in his first home game back. But results got worse, and after a winless start to the 2022–23 season, Giampaolo left. On October 6, former Serie A player Dejan Stanković became manager. His job was to keep the club from moving down a league. However, Sampdoria was relegated from Serie A to Serie B in the 2022–23 season.
In May 2023, former Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani and businessman Matteo Manfredi agreed to buy Sampdoria. This helped save the club from bankruptcy. On June 27, 2023, former Italy and Serie A star Andrea Pirlo was named manager.
However, the change in ownership did not immediately improve the club's luck. Financial problems continued into the 2023-24 season. They qualified for the promotion playoffs but were eliminated by Palermo. The 2024-25 season was hoped to be better with new players like Massimo Coda and M'baye Niang. But the club started with two losses and a draw. Despite four changes in managers, results did not improve. As a result, Sampdoria was relegated to Serie C, the third level of Italian football, for the first time ever. This happened after a 0-0 draw away at Juve Stabia.
Team Colors, Badge, and Nicknames
The white, blue, red, and black colors of Sampdoria show the club's origins. They come from the merger of two teams: Sampierdarenese and Andrea Doria. Sampierdarenese wore red and black jerseys. Andrea Doria wore white and blue jerseys with a shield that had a Saint George's Cross.
The club's badge has a picture of a sailor. This sailor is known by the Genoese name Baciccia. This is a short form of Gio-Batta, which means "Giovanni Battista" or John-Baptist. The sailor image is used because Sampdoria is based in Genoa, which is a port city.
The exact design of the Baciccia came from a Disney comic book called Topolino in 1980. Since 1980, the Baciccia has been on Sampdoria's shirts. It is usually on the chest, but sometimes on the sleeve.
Home Stadium: Stadio Luigi Ferraris
Since 1946, Sampdoria has played at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris. It is also called the Marassi, after the neighborhood where it is located. The stadium can hold 33,205 people. It is the ninth-largest stadium in Italy. The stadium is named after Luigi Ferraris (1887–1915). He was an Italian footballer, engineer, and soldier who died during WWI.
The stadium is shared with Sampdoria's rivals, Genoa CFC. The stadium was taken apart and rebuilt before the 1990 FIFA World Cup. It hosted three group matches and one round-of-16 match during that World Cup.
Fans and Rivalries
Most Sampdoria fans come from the city of Genoa. The largest fan group is Ultras Tito Cucchiaroni. They are named after an Argentinian player who played for Sampdoria. This group started in 1969, making it one of the oldest fan groups in Italy. They do not have political views. The main support, with flags and flares, comes from the southern Curva, called Gradinata Sud.
Sampdoria's biggest rivals are Genoa. Their matches against Genoa are called the Derby della Lanterna.
Club Achievements and Trophies
In Italy
- Serie A
- Winners (1): 1990–91
- Serie B
- Winners (1): 1966–67
- Runners-up (1): 2002–03
- Coppa Italia
- Winners (4): 1984–85, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1994
- Runners-up (3): 1985–86, 1990–91, 2008–09
- Supercoppa Italiana
- Winners (1): 1991
- Runners-up (3): 1988, 1989, 1994
In Europe
- European Cup
- Runners-up (1): 1991–92
- European Cup Winners' Cup
- Winners (1): 1989–90
- Runners-up (1): 1988–89
- European Super Cup
- Runners-up (1): 1990
Friendly Tournaments
- Wembley International Tournament
- Winners (3): 1990, 1991, 1992
- Trofeo Bortolotti
- Winners (2): 1998, 2006
- Amsterdam Tournament
- Winners (1): 1988
- Joan Gamper Trophy
- Winners (1): 2012
Player Records and Statistics
Most Games Played for Sampdoria
- These numbers are for official professional matches only.
| # | Name | Years | Matches |
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| 1 |  Roberto Mancini |
1982–1997 | 567 |
| 2 | Moreno Mannini |
1984–1999 | 501 |
| 3 | Pietro Vierchowod |
1983–1995 | 493 |
| 4 | Angelo Palombo |
2002–2012, 2012–2017 | 459 |
| 5 | Fausto Pari |
1983–1992 | 401 |
| 6 | Fausto Salsano |
1979–1981, 1984–1990, 1993–1998 | 377 |
| 7 | Luca Pellegrini |
1980–1991 | 363 |
| 8 | Guido Vincenzi |
1958–1969 | 353 |
| 9 | Gaudenzio Bernasconi |
1954–1965 | 351 |
| 10 | Gianluca Vialli |
1984–1992 | 328 |
Top Goalscorers for Sampdoria
- These numbers are for official professional matches only.
| # | Name | Years | Goals |
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| 1 | Roberto Mancini |
1982–1997 | 171 |
| 2 | Gianluca Vialli |
1984–1992 | 141 |
| 3 | Francesco Flachi |
1999–2007 | 110 |
| 4 | Fabio Quagliarella |
2006–2007, 2016–2023 | 106 |
| 5 | Adriano Bassetto |
1946–1953 | 89 |
| 6 | Giuseppe Baldini |
1946–1950, 1953–1955 | 71 |
| 7 | Vincenzo Montella |
1996–1999, 2007–2008 | 66 |
| 8 | Giancarlo Salvi |
1963–1964, 1965–1976 | 55 |
| 9 | Eddie Firmani |
1955–1958 | 52 |
| Manolo Gabbiadini |
2013–2015, 2019–2023 | ||
| 10 | Attilio Lombardo |
1989–1995, 2001–2002 | 51 |
Current Players
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Sampdoria Youth Team (Primavera)
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Players on Loan to Other Clubs
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World Cup Winners from Sampdoria
Alain Boghossian (France 1998)
Shkodran Mustafi (Brazil 2014)
See also
In Spanish: Unione Calcio Sampdoria para niños
