Mancini ‘Supporting’ Samp’s Bid to Avoid Drop from Serie B

Genoa: Former Italy coach Roberto Mancini was at Sampdoria’s training centre on Wednesday as part of his efforts to support the Genoa club as it seeks to avoid relegation from the second tier, Serie B. Mancini has denied having taken up a formal role at his former club, but his presence is seen as a morale booster for the team.

According to Ansa News Agency, Mancini’s former deputies with the national team, Alberico Evani and Attilio Lombardo, have been appointed as coach and assistant coach, respectively. Sampdoria is currently third-bottom in the Serie B standings with six games remaining in the season. The team is three points shy of the safety zone, with four teams set to be relegated to the third tier.

Mancini, 60, has a storied history with Sampdoria, having played a significant role in helping the team win the European Cup-winners Cup in 1990 and the Serie A title in 1991. He also contributed to their journey to the European Cup final in 1992. Recently, Mancini stepped down as Saudi Arabia coach in October following unsatisfactory results.