An illustrated children’s book inspired by Sampdoria’s historic 1990-1991 Serie A title success has been translated into English.
Once upon a Samp tells the story of Roberto (Mancini) and Luca (Vialli) who dream of winning against a team of seemingly unbeatable stronger kids on their neighbourhood field. The arrival of Grandpa Vuja, Mr. Paolo and a host of new teammates help to change their fortunes with all the odds stacked against them.
Emphasizing the importance of friendship and to never stop following your dreams, the book is aimed at children aged three to six years old. It pays homage to Samp’s fairy tale Scudetto victory when the goal twins of Roberto Mancini and Gianluca Vialli fired the Genoa club to an incredible underdog triumph.
Benevolent president Paolo Mantovani and coach Vujadin Boskov led Doria to their only title when Serie A was at its undoubted peak. A team which contained club legends Gianluca Pagliuca, Moreno Mannini, Pietro Vierchowod, Fausto Pari, Toninho Cerezo and Attilio Lombardo entered the 1990-1991 campaign as outsiders with a host of Italian giants favoured to win the championship.
Milan boasted the phenomenal Dutch trio of Frank Rijkaard, Ruud Gullit and Marco Van Basten as well as Franco Baresi and Paolo Maldini, while Inter had the German triumvirate of Lothar Matthaus, Jurgen Klinsmann, and Andreas Brehme, Juventus lined up with Roberto Baggio and Salvatore Schillachi and reigning champions Napoli were spearheaded by Diego Maradona and Careca.
Few tipped Samp as champions yet united by friendship and a long-held desire to win the ultimate prize, Vialli and Mancini played pivotal roles as Doria claimed an unforgettable first title.
The children’s book – illustrated by Chiara Giolito, written by Matteo Politanò and translated into English by Simone Calucci and Maria Carola Masetti – uses the Scudetto win as the basis for a modern day tale of football achievement.
“I was at the stadium when Sampdoria won the Scudetto,” explains Giolito.
“In 1991 I was a child, but my father’s emotion conveyed to me the joy of a unique sporting fairy tale. We just wanted to bring it back to life for those who didn’t have the luck to be there that day and see such a strong Sampdoria.”
The original Italian version of the book – Once Upon a Samp (C’era una volta la Samp) – was published last year and proved popular among Blucerchiati supporters. Demand from Samp fans across the world led to an English version of the story.
“It was a lot of fun to make the story of that season playful. We wanted to give all the children of today the chance to live that dream,” Giolito continues.
“It’s a book designed for kids but also for parents. By reading it to their little ones, they can relive that magical achievement, a tale they truly experienced and that deserves to be told forever.”
Once Upon a Samp is available to buy on Amazon and at blucerchiando.com