Back to the 90s: the most Blucerchiati World Cup ever

The 2018 World Cup in Russia will be the most “Blucerchiati” of all time, with five Sampdoria men set to represent their respective national teams at the tournament. The Doria players heading to Russia are: Poles Bartosz Bereszynski, Dawid Kownacki and Karol Linetty, Uruguayan Lucas Torreira and Croatian Ivan Strinic.

The last time there were so many Sampdoria players at a World Cup was Italia 90, during Paolo Mantovani’s golden era at the club. Back then Doria had Roberto Mancini (the current Italy boss), Gianluca Vialli, Pietro Vierchowod and Gianluca Pagliuca representing the hosts, plus Srecko Katanec taking part with Yugoslavia.

Samp have more than double the players heading to the World Cup this year than they did four years ago. Only Shkodran Mustafi and Sergio Romero were involved in Brazil, with both players not heading to Russia this year. Mustafi came in to replace the injured Marco Reus last time as Germany won the tournament, while Romero started in the final only to taste disappointment after that Mario Gotze winner in extra time.

Three Doria players went to South Africa in 2010. Rete Ziegler was in the Swiss team who beat Spain but bowed out at the group stages, while Angelo Palombo and Giampaolo Pazzini were met with a similar fate as Italy’s campaign ended prematurely.

There were no Samp players at the Germany 2006 and Japan and South Korea 2002 editions, while three Doria men played at France 98: François Omam-Biyik, who had already starred for Cameroon at Italia 90, a promising youngster by the name Juan Sebastian Veron for Argentina and Alain Boghossian – part of the France team that beat Brazil 3-0 in the final to clinch the ultimate prize.

Gianluca Pagliuca and Alberigo Evani were the two Samp representatives at USA 94, with both men tasting defeat in the cruellest of fashions as Brazil beat Italy on penalties to win the cup.