📉Fiorentina relegation? Shocking Serie B drops by Milan, Samp & more😱 | OneFootball

Fiorentina remains the only team in Serie A without a win after 14 matchdays: 6 points collected and an incredible -25 compared to last year at the same stage. The worst deficit in the history of the league.

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The risk of relegation is becoming increasingly real and would be sensational, just as it has happened other times in Serie A. So let's look at the most unexpected "Drops to Serie B" in Italy.

Milan 1982 - Baresi returns to Serie B

The most modest Milan side since the post-war period returned to Serie A in 1981, after being relegated the previous year due to the "Totonero" betting scandal.

Their return to Serie A under coach Massimo Giacomini was immediate, but he was replaced on the bench by Gigi Radice. The squad also featured some big names: Franco Baresi (22 years old), Fulvio Collovati, Aldo Maldera, Evani, Tassotti, Novellino, and the new signing Joe Jordan.

The start was sluggish but not terrible, then Baresi was sidelined with a staph infection that kept him out for over 2 months. At first, the team couldn't score, and now they couldn't even defend well: in 13 games, they managed only 3 wins.

Meanwhile, the coach changed and Italo Galbiati took over on the bench: results did not improve and there was even a defeat against Como, who would be relegated by a wide margin.

Only in the final matches did Milan show some pride: too late and with added drama, namely the comeback win on the last day against Cesena. They needed Genoa to lose, but instead, Genoa drew at the last minute in Naples.

Fiorentina 1993 - Batistuta and Laudrup relegated

Fiorentina had come off several negative seasons in terms of results, despite having some important individuals: 1993, however, seemed like the year they could return to Europe. The squad was attack-heavy but certainly not relegation material: Batistuta, Effenberg, Laudrup, and Baiano, plus reliable players like Stefano Pioli.

The team actually started well, suffering a 7-3 home defeat to Milan that was a sign of an attacking-minded side, coached by Gigi Radice who (as with Milan 11 years earlier) was sacked. This time for no reason, after the 14th matchday while in 6th place. All because of an argument with president Cecchi Gori after a loss to Atalanta.

From that moment, the team collapsed: in the last 20 games, they won only 3 matches. Radice's replacement was Agroppi, who lasted 16 matches. The final sprint was entrusted to the duo Antognoni-Chiarugi (historic former Viola players) who, however, only won the final match against Foggia, also failing a crucial match with Udinese.

Verona 2002 - Malesani with Mutu and Gilardino

Serie A in the early 2000s was ruthless: it was the era of the 7 sisters and, considering that you could be relegated even in 15th place, there was little room for safety. Malesani's Hellas Verona, however, seemed equipped to survive: Mutu, Gilardino, Camoranesi, Oddo, Frick, Colucci, Cassetti, and Paolo Cannavaro.

Hellas was coached by Alberto Malesani, who had won the UEFA Cup in 1999: an experienced coach who brought the team close to the European zone: by matchday 21, they were even in 7th place, just one point from 6th. Malesani even signed a contract extension during the season because everything was going as planned, maybe even better.

Some injuries made the end of the season more difficult, salaries had not been paid for 3 months (as president Pastorello would later admit), and the situation became increasingly catastrophic as the weeks went by: 9 defeats in 13 matches. The definitive chance was badly wasted: a 3-0 defeat on the final day against Piacenza and relegation confirmed.

Sampdoria 2011 - From Champions League playoff to Serie B

The Sampdoria of Cassano and Pazzini finished 4th in the 2009/10 season, with Gigi Delneri on the bench and Marotta and Paratici in management. A great team that fell apart starting in the summer: the coach went to Juventus along with the two directors.

Mimmo Di Carlo took on the responsibility of continuing a fantastic season, a goal that failed from the Champions League playoffs: a clear defeat in the first leg, a fantastic return leg that was broken in extra time by a Pizarro goal.

The start of the season was below expectations, but not disastrous, until Cassano was excluded from the team: the player did not attend the “Rete d’Argento” award as requested by president Garrone. Insults flew and FantAntonio's season ended there.

In January, Samp also sold Pazzini to Inter for 12 million plus Biabiany, replacing him with Macheda and Maccarone: far too little to even come close to the quality of the now-dissolved Cassano-Pazzini duo.

On matchday 28, Di Carlo was sacked and replaced by Cavasin, who was unable to turn the team around: just one win in 10 matches and 7 defeats, including all of the last 3 games, with relegation already confirmed in the penultimate match.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.

📸 Martin Rose - 2010 Getty Images