Sampdoria handed major lifeline and could now avoid relegation to Serie C | OneFootball

An ‘earthquake’ decision to hand Brescia a -4 point deduction in Serie B means that Sampdoria, who had been relegated at the end of the regular season, are set to be given a second chance at survival in the relegation play-outs.

Sampdoria, who were relegated from Serie A at the end of the 2022-23 campaign, finished the 2024-25 season in 18th place in Serie B with a tally of 41 points from 38 games, which was not enough to spare them from the drop.

How Serie B relegation works

Four teams are usually relegated from Serie B at the end of each season.

The bottom three teams are relegated directly.

The team that finishes in 17th (fourth-bottom) will also join them unless the gap between them and the team in 16th (fifth-last) is four points or less. In that scenario, the final relegation spot is decided by a two-legged play-out.

GENOA, ITALY – MAY 17: Genoa fans celebrate Sampdoria’s relegation to Serie C, Italian third tier, prior to kick-off in the Serie A match between Genoa and Atalanta at Stadio Luigi Ferraris on May 17, 2025 in Genoa, Italy. (Photo by Simone Arveda/Getty Images)

Why Sampdoria could be saved from Serie B relegation

According to reports from La Gazzetta dello Sport, there has been a major shake-up following an impending decision to hand a four-point deduction to Brescia, who finished the season in 15th place on 43 points.

Brescia’s potential points deduction comes as a result of irregularities surrounding the payment of players and staff in the month of February.

BRESCIA, ITALY – FEBRUARY 09: Brescia Calcio President Massimo Cellino looks on during the Serie A match between Brescia Calcio and Udinese Calcio at Stadio Mario Rigamonti on February 9, 2020 in Brescia, Italy. (Photo by Emilio Andreoli/Getty Images)

If their points deduction is officially confirmed, Brescia will drop into 18th place, which relegates them directly, and pushes Sampdoria up to 17th and Salernitana into 16th.

With just one point separating Sampdoria and Salernitana in the standings, the final relegation spot will be decided by these two teams in a Serie B relegation play-out.

The biggest beneficiary of this situation is Frosinone, who originally finished the season in 16th on 43 points, but will now be bumped up to 15th and will no longer have to participate in a relegation play-out of Brescia’s points deduction is confirmed.