U.C. Sampdoria: World Football Club Profile

Sampdoria: Club Profile

Club Name: Unione Calcio Sampdoria (commonly referred to as Sampdoria)

Nickname: Blucerchiati (blue-ringed)

Ground/Stadium: Stadio Luigi Ferraris Genoa, Italy (Capacity: 36,536)

League: Serie A

Rival: Genoa C.F.C (Genoa Cricket and Football Club)

Founded: 1946

Honors/Awards:

Serie A: 1
• Champions: 1990-91

Coppa Italia: 4
• Winners: 1984-85, 1987-88, 1988-89, 1993-94
• Runners-up: 1985-86, 1990-91, 2008-09

Supercoppa Italiana: 1
• Winners: 1991
• Runners-up: 1988, 1989, 1994

UEFA Champions League:
• Runners-up: 1991-92

UEFA Cup Winners' Cup: 1
• Winners: 1989-90
• Runners-up: 1988-89

Club History:

The club was formed in 1946 out of a merger between Sampierdarenese and Andrea Doria. Sampdoria’s club name (Samp plus Doria) and colors (blue-white and red-black) are taken from the original clubs. The team colors form blue with white, red and black stripes thus the Italian nickname, blucerchiati or blue-ringed.

Sampdoria currently competes in the Italy’s top league, Serie A. The club plays at Stadio Luigi Ferraris and the venue holds over 36,000 spectators. Sampdoria, which plays in Genoa, has a massive rivalry with the city’s other club, Genoa Cricket and Football Club. The two often play each other and their matches are known as Derby della Lanterna or the Derby of the Lantern. The name is in reference to Genoa’s famed lighthouse.

The club has seen a long list of world-class players come through the ranks. Marcello Lippi played over 270 matches for the club. Barcelona and Inter Milan legend Luis Suárez ended his career with Sampdoria. In 1996, Argentine great, Juan Sebastián Verón, joined the club for two seasons.

Sampdoria captured the Serie A title in 1991. It is the club’s only title. The club also counts four Italian Cups in the trophy case. Sampdoria won the Coppa Italia in 1985, 1988, 1989, and 1994. In European competitions, Sampdoria has also been very successful. A victory in UEFA’s 1990 Cup Winners’ Cup and a second-place finish in the 1992 UEFA Champions League Final are the club’s top European achievements.