Robert Mancini, who was reportedly offered a deal to become the next Juventus head coach, is lined up to be part of a rejuvenation plan for Sampdoria. This could be on a temporary basis should the Bianconeri be keen to secure his services.
The 60-year-old was a legendary scorer for the Blucerchiati. His partnership upfront with the late great Gianluca Vialli earned the dynamic duo the nickname I gemelli de gol, which translates to the goal twins.
Sampdoria’s glory days with Mancini and Vialli saw them clinch the 1990 Cup Winners’ Cup, the 1991 Scudetto and win the Coppa Italia four times.
Stuttering Sampdoria
The former giants finished rock bottom of the Italian top tier after a dismal 2022/23 campaign. They surprisingly only placed seventh in Serie B last term, and are currently relegation candidates with six matches remaining.
Sampdoria are trying to stop the rot by reintroducing former legends. Their former winger Alberico Evani was installed as manager yesterday, replacing axed boss Leonardo Semplici. Evani’s last head coach role was in 2017, when in charge of the Italy U20 squad.
Juventus connection
Desperate to steer clear of the dreaded drop to Serie C, former Sampdoria and Juventus midfield ace Attilio Lombardo has joined as assistant manager. He had been the assistant head coach at Saudi Arabia alongside Mancini.
Evani and Lombardo will hold their inaugural training session in Bogliasco today, while the club attempts to conclude a deal for possible Juventus target Mancini.
His potential role as technical director would be as supervisor to support Evani. Mancini could effectively still join Juventus, should they want him to tackle the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup finals or be installed for next season’s campaign.
Sampdoria slipped into the bottom three following Sunday’s 2-0 defeat at Spezia. The team bus avoided an immediate return to the city as there were fan protests, with Semplici given the boot yesterday.
Evani is the fourth coach this term, with Sampdoria firing former Juventus manager Andrea Pirlo in August, Andrea Sottil last December and Semplici. Juve’s legendary central midfielder Pirlo lost his job at Sampdoria after a winless three-match run in Serie B.
Pirlo kicked off his managerial career as head coach of the Juventus U23 side in July 2020. Nine days later he was elevated to the senior team after Maurizio Sarri was sacked, despite still studying for his UEFA Pro Licence.
He managed to win silverware by clinching both the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana, but a Serie A finish of fourth resulted in losing his job. He lasted less than a season with Turkish club Fatih Karagumruk, and then joined Sampdoria in July 2023.
Mancini junior
Andrea Mancini, the son of Roberto, is also set to join the technical area once he is given permission to leave his similar role at Barcelona.
The 31-year-old former midfielder kicked off his playing career at Manchester City and finished at New York Cosmos. He worked as a scout for Fiorentina before joining Sampdoria as sporting director in 2023 then onto Spanish giants Barcelona.
The Mancini pair are expected to arrive at this afternoon’s behind doors training session, and be officially unveiled to the media this week before Sampdoria host lowly Cittadella at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris on Saturday.
It remains to be seen if Juventus want Mancini as their next permanent head coach, as he was overlooked as an interim appointment with the Bianconeri instead installing Igor Tudor until the end of June.