Ehe Monza – Sampdoria last Monday ended in a Genoese tragedy. The locals tied (2-2) with a penalty goal in the 98th minute. Dejan Stankovic, the legendary former Inter midfielder and now the ‘Samp’ coach, left before the launch crying out to heaven and with tears in his eyes. Sheer helplessness. It was the umpteenth point that a historic team had missed since January 4… and is eight points away from safety.
Now, to try to reverse that situation, after having completed a market with movements and turmoil, Jesé Rodríguez arrives. The Spaniard, a free agent since his time in Turkey (Ankaragücü) ended on January 12 after 16 games and 5 goals, signs for the remainder of the season (with the option of another if they achieve permanence) after passing the medical examinations in the city of Liguria.
Jesé will wear the number 99, the same one that Eto’o or Cassano wore. His mission will be to reinforce an attack that needs goals and fantasy. The ‘Doria’ team is the worst attack in Italy… and one of the poorest in Europe. There are barely 10 goals scored in 21 games. They are overly dependent on Manolo Gabbiadini the one who is continually punished for injuries, of a Quagliarella closer to 40 than to 30 or to the rebirth of footballers like Harry Winks, Filip Djuricic and Sam Lammers. In addition, injuries are not helping either and have interrupted the season of talents like Sabiri, Manuel De Luca, Pussetto or his own Quagliarella.
In fact, In Serie A, the faithful curve of Sampdoria has not seen his team score since Stankovic took office: “One goal is the least I owe them”, The Balkan coach recently confessed to ‘DAZN’. “Let’s not hide, the situation is not happy. We all know that. Every game we try to give everything, even beyond our possibilities to come out with our heads held high. I only ask that, humility and courage”, added the ‘Samp’ coach.
Let’s not hide, the situation is not happy. Every game we try to give everything
While the South steps (Sampdoria ultras) charged hard against the owner of the club… once again: “It was the Garrone-Mondini family who handed over Sampdoria to a criminal, the same gangster who holds it hostage today. The same family that today tries to hide behind pathetic statements on Facebook,” they declared in a statement that charges against the Garrone family… who sold the club in 2014 to Massimo Ferrero.
Defaults, penalty points and chaos with Ferrero
And it is that feeling that the Sampdoria fans have is that Massimo Ferrero He has ‘kidnapped’ the club. The film producer, owner of the Genoese entity since 2014, it refuses to sell despite the offers that have come from the Middle East, the United States or Italy itself.
Massimo Ferrero, in a Sampdoria match in 2021.
And while he involved in investigations and legal proceedings for numerous accounting crimes that they have taken him to jail or house arrest, having to resign from the position of president but keeping the club under his ownership.
In the background, a serious problem that requires an early solution: February 16, the deadline for the payment of the installments for the quarter of 2022 (salaries, taxes…), is approaching, and Sampdoria is awaiting news from the owners so as not to incur sanctions. 11 million euros are needed not to fit penalty points.
In the last market, the ‘Samp’ collected 3.4 ‘kilos’ from transfers and now they have closed the departure of Omar Colley to Besiktas for another 2.5, decisive for the arrival of Jesé. In total, 5.9 million euros that would be insufficient. As ‘La Gazzetta dello Sport’ assesses, at least a ‘saving’ bank loan could arrive that would allow them to finish the season.
