- Former AC Milan and Juventus midfielder appointed as new sampdoria manager.
Former AC Milan and Juventus midfielder Andrea Pirlo has taken over managerial reigns at Sampdoria, according to The Athletic.
After an underwhelming episode in Turkish Super Lig with Fatih Karagumruk, the 44-year-old returns to his home country for the first time since Juventus sacked him in May 2021.
Pirlo first forayed into the realm of management in 2020, replacing Maurizio Sarri at the helm of the record-time Serie A champions, having previously worked with the youth team at the Allianz Stadium.
However, his initial experience as a senior head coach was anything but pleasant as the Bianconeri relieved him of his duties after two seasons, even though he helped them secure a top-four finish in both campaigns.
Furthermore, the former Italy international won the Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana in his first season in charge, but it wasn’t enough to buy him more time in Turin.
After being released by Juventus, Pirlo took a one-year sabbatical before returning to club management in the summer of 2022 to take over Karagumruk.
But after his side finished a whopping 18 points adrift of European places last term, he was dispatched by the Turkish side with the season not done yet.
While Pirlo’s managerial career in top-flight football has been a massive disappointment, he could turn his fortunes around in a second-tier competition.
Sampdoria had a type of season they won’t be able to forget soon, as a bottom-place finish in Serie A condemned them to their first relegation since 2010/11.
It didn’t take long before La Samp fired underperforming manager Dejan Stankovic, who oversaw the lowest points tally in the club’s top-flight history, with the Genoa outfit only managing 19.
In fact, Sampdoria only mustered three league victories in 2022/23, completing a dreadful campaign with a league-low 24 goals to their name.
Now it’s up to Pirlo to orchestrate a quick comeback, but much will depend on whether Sampdoria can hold on to their best players after dropping to Serie B.
