Sampdoria handed lifeline after points deduction drops Brescia into 3rd tier

Sampdoria could escape their first ever relegation to Italy's third division after Brescia were hit with a four-point deduction on Thursday.

Sampdoria drew their final game of the Serie B season 0-0 on May 13 to finish 18th in the 20-team division. The bottom three are all relegated while the teams in 16th and 17th meet in a two-leg playoff.

Brescia finished two points and three places above Samp but on Thursday were punished by an Italian Football Federation (FIGC) tribunal for accounting and administrative infractions.

Brescia dropped to 18th and face immediate relegation while Samp are heading for a two-legged play-off against Salernitana.

The two matches are scheduled for June 15 and 20 June, which gives Brescia time to appeal.

Sampdoria were Italian champions in 1991 and European Cup finalists the following year. They are one of seven Italian clubs who have played all their football in Serie A or Serie B and never dropped into Serie C.

Sampdoria were relegated to Serie B in 2023. They were close to going bust but were saved by current president Matteo Manfredi and former Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani, who has since exited the club.

The club's majority shareholder is Singaporean businessman Joseph Tey.

Samp made the promotion playoffs last season but posted a loss of 40.7 million euros in their 2024 accounts.

Club icons Alberico Evani and Attilio Lombardo were hired as coaches in April in an attempt to save Samp from the drop after significant transfer market activity both last summer and in January.

Evani is Samp's fourth head coach of the season after Andrea Pirlo, Andrea Sottil and Leonardo Semplice.