Italian club Sampdoria hasn't been doing well in the Serie A in the current season. They are struggling right at the bottom of the table with 11 points after 23 games, eight points adrift of safety from relegation zone. Amidst this, the club faces serious off field problems as they received a warning from an unidentified source on Saturday when a severed pig's head was delivered to the club's headquarters. This is not the first incidence of such threat as last month, a blank bullet was delivered to Sampdoria's offices accompanied by threats against the previous owners of the club. Cristiano Ronaldo Hat-Trick: Al-Nassr Superstar Finds Net Thrice Against Damac FC in Saudi Pro League 2022-23 (Watch Video).

The pig's head was a threat directed towards former club president Massimo Ferrero and current vice-president Antonio Romei as the box inside which the head was found carried a message reading "the next heads will be yours". The police was called immediately as the club expressed in a statement "profound outrage and indignation in the face of yet another serious act of intimidation".

As mentioned earlier, the previous bullet was also directed towards Ferrero and Edoardo Garrone, a previous owner of the club. The bullet was also accompanied by another note, reading, "This time it's blank, the next one will be true." Ferrero resigned from his position in 2021 but still controls activity inside the club through family holdings. He was arrested in 2021 for some financial charges that forced his resignation. But the 71 years old has faced fan outrage too as they think he is destroying the club's finances and refusing to sell the club to new owners. UEFA Europa League Round of 16 Draw 2022-23, Live Streaming Online: Get Live Telecast Details of UEL Draw Event in India & Time in IST.

Ferrero has tried to sell the club after resignation but the sale process, which will definitely benefit Ferrero, is taking much longer than anticipated. This is causing the fan unrest and alongside it, the club's form on the field hasn't been of much help.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 25, 2023 11:28 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).