Sampdoria is not a giant club in the Serie A competition. In terms of achievements, the club is still under Juventus, Inter Milan, and AC Milan. In fact, the amount of trophies that they won is still less than Napoli, Fiorentina or Torino. But make no mistake, Sampdoria once became one of the greatest clubs in Italian football in the late 1980s to early 1990s. In that period, Sampdoria won a Serie A title, four Coppa Italia trophies and one Cup Winners'.
In this article, I want to discuss 15 best footballer ever to play for Sampdoria. Who are they? Do you think the club could regain their glory as in the early 1990s? Please leave your opinion in the comment box at the end of this article.
15. Sinisa Mihajlovic
Sinisa Mihajlovic is a central defender who was famous for his ability to score goals through dead balls. He has a strong left foot and astounding shooting power; somehow reminded us to Roberto Carlos from Brazil. Mihajlovic joined Sampdoria in 1994. His debut match went well, where he scored a goal from a free kick. In total, Mihajlovic scored 12 goals in 112 appearances for Sampdoria before moving to Lazio in 1998.
14. Giampaolo Pazzini
Giampaolo Pazzini is nicknamed "The Mad Man." He is famous as a striker with good finishing ability and outstanding off-the-ball movement. He joined Sampdoria for two years in the period 2009-2011. At Sampdoria, Pazzini formed a deadly duo with Antonio Cassano, scoring a lot of goals and helped Sampdoria achieve respectable position in Serie A. In the 2010-11 season, Pazzini scored 19 goals that made him become the third top scorer in Serie A.
13. Antonio Cassano
Antonio Cassano is known as a player who is tireless, creative, and visionary. His main position is second striker, but he can also play as an attacking midfielder. Cassano joined Sampdoria in 2007 after failing to get a first-team place at Real Madrid. At Sampdoria, he formed a duet with Giampaolo Pazzini. The duet was known as one of the best in Serie A, even considered as good as Roberto Mancini-Gianluca Vialli duet who led Sampdoria dominate Serie A competition in the early 1990s.
12. Angelo Palombo
Angelo Palombo is one of the most loyal Sampdoria players that are included in this list. Starting his debut in 2002, Palombo has not played for another club besides Sampdoria. He just had a period of a year on loan at Inter Milan in 2012 and only played in three games for the club. His stable performance at Sampdoria made Palombo regularly called on to play for Italy national football team. He even represented his country in the 2010 World Cup.
11. Sergio Volpi
Volpi was recruited from Piacenza in 2002. Playing as a central midfielder, Volpi was famous as a player with consistent performances. He played for Sampdoria for six years, scoring a total of 28 goals in 193 appearances. His good performances at Sampdoria made Volpi twice given the opportunity to play for Italy national football team.
10. Francesco Flachi
Flachi was the number one striker Sampdoria in the early 2000s. He played for Il Samp during the time they competed in Serie B. His performances were very consistent, and he always scored a lot of goals. Flachi helped Sampdoria earn promotion to Serie A in the 2002-03 season. Due to his great contribution to the club, Sampdoria fans' named Flachias the "Saviour of the Homeland." In total, Flachi scored 107 goals in 205 appearances for Sampdoria.
9. Ruud Gullit
Ruud Gullit is a legendary player who could play in various positions. He joined Sampdoria in the 1993-1994 and 1994-1995 periods after undergoing a very brilliant career at AC Milan. Two years playing for Sampdoria, Gullit helped the club win a Coppa Italia trophy. Gullit showed very good performance at Sampdoria under the guidance of coach Sven-Goran Eriksson before moving to Chelsea in 1995 on a free transfer status.
8. Toninho Cerezo
Toninho Cerezo is known as one of the best Brazilian midfielders of all time. He joined Sampdoria in the period 1986-1992, winning a Serie A title, two Coppa Italia trophies and one Cup Winners'. Throughout his career, Cerezo mostly played as a defensive midfielder. He possessed high stamina and did not hesitate to play harsh. Together with Zico and Socrates, Cerezo became the mainstay of Brazil national team in the 1980s.
7. Moreno Mannini
With a total of 335 caps, Moreno Mannini is a Sampdoria player with the highest number of appearances in Serie A. Playimg as a right back, Mannini joined Sampdoria for 15 years, from 1984 to 1999. During that period, his position as the core of Sampdoria defense was almost irreplaceable. In total, he presented the club one Serie A title, four Coppa Italia, and a Cup Winners'.
6. Attilio Lombardo
Lombardo was crucial part of the golden generation of Sampdoria in the early 1990s. He collaborated with world-class players such as Gianluca Vialli, Roberto Mancini, and Ruud Gullit; helping Il Samp win numerous trophies at both domestic and international competitions. For six years playing for Sampdoria, Lombardo was usually positioned as an attacking midfielder or a winger. He was famous for his accurate passing and remarkable dribbling.
5. Gianluca Pagliuca
Gianluca Pagliuca is a player who should be regarded as Sampdoria's best goalkeeper of all time. He played seven years for the club in the 1987-1994 period. Pagliuca helped Sampdoria win one Serie A titles, three Coppa Italia trophies, and a Winners' Cup. His remarkable performances during his period at Il Samp made Pagliuca was called up to Italy squad in the 1990 World Cup and the 1994 World Cup tournaments.
4. Vincenzo Montella
For three years playing for Sampdoria in the period 1996-1999, Montella always became the club's top scorer. In total, Montella scored 54 goals in 83 matches. Although he did not win any single trophy at Sampdoria, Montella showed outstanding individual performances. As a result, he was signed by AS Roma in 1999, with a transfer value of 25 million euros. At AS Roma, Montella finally won his first Scudetto title in the 2000-01 season.
3. Pietro Vierchowod
Pietro Vierchowod was one of the best central defenders in Italy in the 1980s to early 1990s. His name was often juxtaposed with the greatest defenders of his generation such as Franco Baresi and Giuseppe Bergomi. Vierchowod played for Sampdoria for 12 years, from 1983 to 1995. He was signed from AS Roma after helping the club win the Serie A in the 1982-83 season. At Sampdoria, Vierchowod won a Serie A title, four Coppa Italia, and a Winners' Cup. He moved to Juventus in 1996, where he claimed a Champions League trophy in his debut season.
2. Gianluca Vialli
Gianluca Vialli-Roberto Mancini duo was regarded as one of the best duos in the history of Italian League. Vialli was known as a striker with good finishing ability, remarkable positioning, and he was very effective in converting chances into goals. He played for Sampdoria in the period from 1984 to 1992. Vialli's best period occurred in the 1990-91 season, where he helped Sampdoria win the Serie A and became the top scorer of the competition. Vialli moved from Sampdoria to Juventus in 1992 for a fee of 12.5 million pounds, a value that made him become the most expensive player of the period.
1. Roberto Mancini
Roberto Mancini holds the record as Sampdoria's top scorer of all time with a total of 132 goals. He played for Sampdoria for 15 years, from 1982 to 1997. Mancini was not only known as a reliable goal scorer, but also possessed accurate passing, great playmaking ability, and was also recognized as a reliable set-pieces taker. Mancini presented a Serie A title, four Coppa Italia, and one Winners' Cup for Sampdoria. He was also named the Serie A Footballer of the Year 1996-1997 before moving to Lazio in the next season. After his retirement, Mancini had successful career as a coach, winning three Scudetto titles with Inter Milan and a Premier League title with Manchester City.
