For the first time in over three decades, Serie A side Sampdoria has been relegated from the Italian league following a 2-0 loss at Udinese. First-half goals from Roberto Pereyra and Adam Masina sealed their relegation to Serie B with four games left in the season. They are bottom of league table 17 points, 13 points off 17th-placed Hellas Verona who won 1-0 at Lecce.
“I feel enormous disappointment and sadness. We tried and we gave everything we had,” Sampdoria manager Dejan Stankovic said. “I know that every fan does not want to accept this day, but we fought on the field and they were by our side always. This club deserves more, because it is beautiful inside and out.” Get the latest soccer predictions and more here!
The Blucerchiati last won the Scudetto in the 1990-1991 season and claimed four editions of the Coppa Italia. They were last relegated in 2010-11, and returned to the Italian top flight a year later. They had been in the top flight uninterrupted since 2012-13. Going into the crucial match, Sampdoria just won two matches since the start of the year and traveled to Udine with two straight losses without scoring.
Udinese took the lead in the ninth minute with Pereyra’s goal before Masina scored the second with a header from the penalty spot after 34 minutes. “I tried my best and it was not enough. I am very disappointed and cannot find the words for how I feel right now,” Stankovic added.
Apart from the relegation, Sampdoria is also facing financial problems, with the club struggling to pay its bills and only avoided a points deduction by convincing the players to give up December’s salaries. Meanwhile, local rivals Genoa secured promotion to Serie A after one season away, joining Frosinone in the step up from Serie B.
Spezia and Cremonese are the other teams in the danger zone, with three and six points, respectively, behind 17th-placed Verona. Empoli escaped relegation as they pulled 11 points clear of danger, while Sassuolo shared the spoils with Bologna at 1-1.
Earlier, Napoli have won the Serie A title with a 1-1 draw for the first time in 33 years also at Udinese. The league top-scorer Victor Osimhen equalized for Napoli in the 52nd minute, sparking wild celebrations around Naples, inside and the stadium in Udine, as the needed draw put them to an unassailable 16-point lead with five games left. Napoli last won the title in 1990.
