On Tuesday, former Italian champions Sampdoria announced that they had hired Andrea Pirlo as their new manager as they prepare for their return to Serie A for the first time in almost a decade.
The Italian football club Samp announced in a statement that they have given the legendary coach and player Andrea Pirlo “the role of coach in charge of the first team until June 30, 2025.”
The 44-year-old Pirlo departed Fatih Karagumruk last month, when the team still had three games remaining in the Turkish season and was in the middle of the standings.
As a player, Pirlo won two Champions Leagues, six Serie A championships, and the World Cup with Italy in 2006. He also won six Serie A titles with AC Milan and won the World Cup with Italy in 2006.
After hanging up his boots, he coached Juventus for one season until being fired in 2021. During his tenure, the team finished fourth in Serie A and was eliminated from the Champions League in the round of 16.
After a terrible season that was marred by significant financial issues, Samp ended in last place in Serie A, despite having previously won the league’s lone championship in 1991.
It took months before employees were paid their salaries, and there was a very real risk that the company might go bankrupt as a result.
However, earlier this month, incoming owner Massimo Ferrero decided to accept a buyout offer that was headed by two firms, one of which is controlled by Andrea Radrizzani, the current owner of Leeds United.
After being arrested for false bankruptcy in December 2021, Ferrero was forced to quit as president of the club. Ferrero was reviled by supporters for the precarious situation in which he left the club, and they called for his resignation.