Udinese 2-0 Sampdoria The Chronicle
Empoli-Salernitana 2-1 The chronicle
SAMPDORIA IS IN B, UNCERTAINTY ABOUT THE FUTURE
WORRIES Sampdoria in B. The defeat against Udinese sanctions the mathematical relegation, a sporting failure that the environment has been able to metabolize for weeks. But what is most worrying is the uncertainty about the future with the club that can risk bankruptcy for the debts accumulated by the management of Massimo Ferrero and to which the new Board chaired by the former Marco Lanna has put patches to get to the end of the season without humiliation. The failure would lead to the loss of the sports title and the restart from Serie D with a name change. The season had started badly (corporate crisis and difficulties in the summer market), continued badly on the field with no results with Marco Giampaolo on the bench and continued with the technical guidance of Dejan Stankovic.
So Sampdoria after more than 10 years says goodbye to the top flight, and the B represents the lesser evil because the main thought is the survival of the company, put at high risk by over 150 million debts. On the horizon very few solutions, the most concrete is called Alessandro Barnaba, owner of Lille and number one of Merlyn Partners. He had already tried in December proposing 50 million to invest in the club, partly as a capital increase, but without finding the green light from Massimo Ferrero. Today he is again in the front row even if the times are very tight and in mid-May there is the possibility of taking the books to court. The board of directors is trying to tighten up to define the restructuring of the debt, bringing it from 150 to 75 million: a 'tool' to speed up negotiations with Massimo Zanetti, president of the giant Segafredo, who would return to the blucerchiato dossier. Barnaba on pole, Zanetti monitors but overall there is the fear in the blucerchiato environment that it is now too late to give life to the Dorian rescue.
Hectic hours, therefore, with the relegation to Serie B that represents the last problem for a club that won the Scudetto in the 1990-91 championship. At Barnaba's side for some time now also Edoardo Garrone, former owner of the company, ended up in the crosshairs of the fans because he was 'guilty' of having delivered the club for free to Ferrero, but who now says he is willing to give a hand to the financier. That the sporting year was complicated was understood in the summer with the market marked only by the need to make cash and lighten the hiring amount. From Thorsby to Candreva passing through Damsgaard and Bonazzoli, a treasure close to 15 million. Same score also in January when Samp said goodbye to Bereszynski, Caputo, Colley, Verre and sold Sabiri to Fiorentina, where he will go at the end of the season. More money coming in and salaries still cut, all to keep the club afloat. The blucerchiato path led by Giampaolo and Stankovic continued to be suffering, even if with the Serbian on the bench since October a shock after the restart of the post-World Cup championship there was in mid-March with the home victory over Verona (3-1), but the brake came on April 8 when the Cremonese won 3-2 at Ferraris. For Stankovic an average points close to 0.6 per game, too little to save. But relegation does not worry the blue-circled world. It terrifies the risk of failure in the year in which Genoa found the Serie A.
EMPOLI BEATS SALERNITANA, SALVATION IS ONE STEP AWAY
Second consecutive home victory for Empoli that overcomes Salernitana 2-1 at the 'Castellani'. Campani who were unbeaten for ten rounds (8 draws and two wins), had lost to Sousa on the bench only at the first game of the Portuguese, at home with Lazio that went to a thousand. Zanetti's team has now also managed to stop the grenade in perhaps the most important game of the year, the one that gives a virtual salvation: only one point is missing for mathematics. In short, Serie A mortgaged for next season. And to think that the Tuscans, two rounds ago, had 'eaten' three points (or even just one) by making a comeback from Sassuolo away with the neroverdi outnumbered. Now comes a convincing victory, despite the final forcing of Salernitana who had shortened the distance with Piatek, after the goals of Cambiaghi and Caputo. Zanetti presents a different Empoli: Henderson is trequartista, behind Caputo, with Baldanzi and Cambiaghi outside, with their respective feet of return. Baldanzi on the right to kick left, Cambiaghi vice versa. The change works: blues that come out as the minutes go by. To force Ochoa to some intervention of his is first Caputo on corner, then Cambiaghi.
Zanetti's team is on the ball, playing in fluency, also supported by a Parisi in great form. The action of the first goal was exceptional: Caputo's side, cross to the kiss of Ebuehi for Cambiaghi, the Atalanta beat Ochoa diving from mid-area and we are 1-0. For Sousa's team zero shots on goal in the first 45 minutes. It is no coincidence that the Portuguese makes three changes at half-time. Substitutions, however, do not change the attitude of the hosts. The Azzurri ask for a penalty on Marin after a solitary descent, but the referee Volpi makes a run and the VAR does not correct it. We are at the 64 'when Fourneau for a few minutes observes the position of Caputo on Ebuhei's assist: the 'Castellani' had already exploded, on the developments of corner kick, for the goal of 'Ciccio'. After two minutes of checks comes the confirmation of the 2-0 Empolese. And the stadium returns to rejoice. Applause to the fans of Salernitana who continue to push their team. And in fact comes the blaze that you do not expect: there are not even 5 minutes to the end when Kastanos unloads towards Vicario who does not reject. Piatek throws it in with a lot of anger reopening the match. He hadn't scored for over 6 months. Final boarding for the Campania who press and try to find a draw that does not arrive. Indeed, Pjaca, substituted, had scored his first and beautiful goal with a round shot at the cross: but there was an offside. Empoli rejoiced the same at the 98 ': three points that are worth gold, are still worth Serie A. It will only be a matter of time. For the Tuscans on Monday night there is Sampdoria in Marassi, the Salernitana will face Atalanta in the next round.