Serie A's Sampdoria receives anonymous severed pig head delivery
Italian Serie A soccer club Sampdoria received a menacing delivery on Saturday in the form of a severed pig's head delivered to its headquarters.
The head was placed in a box and paired with a note addressed to former club president Massimo Ferrero as well as current vice president Antonio Romei. It read, "the next heads will be yours," a spokesman for the club said via Reuters. The spokesperson added that the police were called to the scene.
"UC Sampdoria expresses deep indignation and indignation in the face of the umpteenth serious act of intimidation," the club said in a statement released Saturday morning in response to the delivery.
In January, a blank bullet was delivered to Sampdoria's offices with more threats against Ferrero in addition to Edoardo Garrone, a previous owner of the club. Other Italian teams have received similar deliveries historically. Palermo's sporting director was mailed a severed goat's head in 2006. Back in 1999, the president of Reggina received a bull's head.
Ferrero resigned from his position as Sampdoria's president out of “respect for the club." The move came after he was arrested in 2021 on charges resulting from an investigation launched into alleged bankruptcy crime.
The 71-year-old still has control over the club through family holdings, and fans fault him for Sampdoria's continued financial issues. For example, players are reportedly dealing with delayed payment of wages from late last year.
Sampdoria's performance this season is also a point of concern for fans. The club is 19th in Serie A, 8 points away from safety. They will look to improve in the standings against No. 5 Lazio on Monday.
