How Sampdoria was saved from Serie A

Serie A has shifted in favor of Sampdoria, with an ad hoc rule. This is the reissued news of the Repubblica newspaper, which reported on what was decided at the last Serie A assembly. Indeed, when they met in Rome on Wednesday 24 May, the clubs agreed to a rule allowing teams relegated to Serie B to do so 40% advance on the now famous parachute.

An intervention that makes Sampdoria smile, and not a little: it means, in fact, that the Sampdoria club as a whole is off 25 million, can get an advance of 10 million. No small help (and already available in the next few hours) considering the club have around €13m in outstanding wages to settle by May 30 for registered players and players eliminated after the end of January. A further 7 million must then be transferred to the players by June 20th (monthly April-May).

A real “Rettet Sampdoria” rule, considering the economic and financial situation of the club and also the registration modalities for the next championship. In fact, it is a decision that circumvents Article 18 of Lega Serie A, which specifies who the parachute is intended for: only Teams relegated and registered for the Series B Championship.

“Parachuted”: within the framework of reciprocity towards the lower categories, it is the sum of the quotas allocated to the clubs relegated to Serie B at the end of each football season (with the express exception of “companies relegated by decision”) of the sports justice”), as long as they are allowed and actually participate in the Serie B championship of the season following the season in which relegation from Serie A occurred.

Of course, it’s not this progress that allows Sampdoria to survive. Suffice it to say that in court documents the relevance of theThe total debt is about 200 million from euros. That’s why there was talk of bankruptcy: Because as things stand at present, it was impossible for the club to register smoothly for the 2023/24 Series B championship – and thus get the parachute.

A political norm strongly aspired to by Serie A league president Lorenzo Casini. On the other hand, the support of Ferrero in previous years was important for the federal authorities and so it was decided to save the estate and a historic club, the legacy of our football. But the problem is there unequal treatment that this (autonomous) decision of the Serie A league has made a marked difference compared to what happens in other leagues: dozens of clubs disappear from the radar and from professional football without seeing any kind of further development in parachutes or similar rules can use ( under the rule).

All with one simple assembly vote in the top division, which, as already mentioned, sets a precedent and also a legal exception for Italian football.

Attorney Romei, representing the interests of Sampdoria, the amendment’s director, seemed satisfied to say the least: “But I can’t tell you anything about superstitions we have found a solution“. And here, precisely with the solution, the behavior of the Serie A league would be explained. In fact, for some time there has been talk of interest from Barnaba, owner of Lille, and Andrea Radrizzani, owner of Leeds. And so it is no coincidence that a few hours after the publication of the rule that saves Sampdoria, an indiscretion arrives from France.

Second The team Sports investment in Qatar, the company that owns PSG, wants to accelerate investments in the world of football and would have targeted Sampdoria precisely. The model would be that of City Group in Palermo, so instead of acquiring the club itself, QSI would invest in the new property branded Radrizzani-Manfredi.

A Qatar Sports Investment manager told Secolo XIX: «The Qsi has been pursuing a growth project for some time. We do it in football, following the increasingly popular concept of network timeshare. We recently entered Braga and acquired around 22%. I confirm the news of the last hours that we are about to enter Santos in Brazil. We’ve been following Malaga in Spain for a while. Radrizzani and Al-Khelaifi are close friends.

Andrea spoke to him about Sampdoria and we are checking if he will be the one to take over the club investment opportunity in the club. In synergy with Gestio Capital and Aser Ventures».

In short, this explains the reason for the ad hoc rule approved by the Serie A league. The concrete goal is to save Sampdoria and hand it over to a new strong owner who will reorganize and restart it. Properties that should certainly pay off debts, but could do so from series Band not by amateurs, and out of the parachute recess. Few. Above all, a privilege granted to no one else.

To update: At dawn on Saturday, May 27, 2023, news of the sale of the club to the couple Straighten them up–Manfredi. The transfer of ownership will be formalized at the shareholders’ meeting convened by second call on Monday, May 29th and the company’s shares will be transferred to the Gestio Capital fund, which has acted jointly as asset manager for the entire company Asher And QSI as investors.