Attilio Lombardo’s position as Sampdoria manager remains tied to the internal power dynamics within the club, in an unstable balance that continues to influence every decision. The fate of the interim manager will be determined by which faction prevails among the various club stakeholders, with sporting director Andrea Mancini having already factored in a possible replacement following the match against Avellino. In the event of a draw or defeat, indeed, the change would have been immediate, but the situation remained frozen following the positive result.
Mancini had acted in advance, initiating contact with Luca D'Angelo, with whom an agreement was already in place. In recent days, a meeting had also taken place in Bologna, attended by Gianni Invernizzi, during which a contract proposal had been put forward running until 2028 at €500,000 per year, with a reduction of €100,000 for each season in Serie C in the event of relegation, writes Il Secolo XIX. However, negotiations broke down when Spezia, with whom D’Angelo was under contract until 2027, decided to recall him: the manager accepted and the deal fell through. Fabio Pecchia, another name under consideration, also turned down the offer.
In light of these developments and the result achieved, Mancini now appears set to leave Lombardo in charge of the team until the end of the season, providing him with some support staff. The position of the club’s English-speaking contingent, represented by Jesper Fredberg and Nathan Walker, is different; they continue to consider a possible change and are evaluating the profile of Gabriele Cioffi, fresh from his spell at Udinese until the 2023–2024 season.