S
ampdoria featured on the
front cover of this issue of Wor ld
Soccer, and inside Gavin Hamilton
profiled the Italian side who would
eventually finish sixth in Serie A despite
constantly losing their best players and
coach Sven Goran Eriksson announcing
mid-season that he too would be leaving.
“Last summer, Samp again sold off the
family silver, rasing £14million from the
sale of Enrico Chiesa (to
Parma) and Dutchman
Clarence Seedorf (Real
Madrid),” wrote Hamilton,
who added: “Off the pitch,
the strategy has worked
wonders for the club’s
bank balance. On the
pitch, however, Eriksson
has been forced to blood
young talent from home
and abroad, with
indifferent results.”
In December, Eriksson
had announced he would
quit Italy at the end of
the season for Blackburn
Rovers. But a sudden
upturn in Samp’s results saw the
Swede become very much in demand.
“All of a sudden, Lazio were interestedin his services,” explained Hamilton. “All
of a sudden, Lancashire seemed a long
way away.
“Eriksson apologised to Blackburn for
leading them up the garden path. There
was talk of disagreements with Blackburn
owner Jack Walker over transfers and of
Eriksson wanting to stay in Italy for the
sake of his family.
“The reality was simple: Eriksson
received a better offer from Lazio.”
With Eriksson’s Sampdoria side
hamstrung by the need to be forever
cashing in on their best players, Hamilton
noted that “not only do they lack strengthin depth, they are far too dependent on
one player”.
The player in question was striker
Roberto Mancini, of whom Eriksson said:
“I have to admit the older he gets, the
better he becomes.”
Hamilton warned that “this is likely to
be Mancini’s last season in Genoa, before
a lucrative summer transfer” and “losing
Mancini, not to mention Eriksson, will be
a huge blow”.
Tellingly, when Eriksson did eventually
join Lazio that summer, he wasted no
time in returning to his old club and
enticing Mancini to join him.April 1997
Samp set to lose
Swedish coach Sven“I have to admit the older he gets, the better
he becomes”
Sven Goran Eriksson on Roberto ManciniWanted...Sven Goran
Eriksson (far left)Vintage...
Roberto Mancini