Andrea Radrizzani is in pain in the play-offs as Leeds United reach the final against Southampton

Goals from Ilia Gruev, Joel Piroe, Georginio Rutter and Crysencio Summerville saw Leeds book their place at Wembley on Sunday next week and have since learned it will be Southampton to take them.

So far so good, then into the play-offs for Leeds, in the club’s push for an instant return to the Premier League. But fans will be aware that the Whites have lost home and away to Russell Martin’s men.

It will be a tough old test for The White in a week’s time, but Leeds have given themselves the chance to go and taste Wembley and promotion success. For Radrizzani, his Sampdoria team will not have that chance.

Radrizzani, of course, sold Leeds in the summer for a cut fee to The 49ers due to relegation from the Premier League and has since bought Serie B club Sampdoria.

Radrizzani suffers play-off heartbreak as Leeds reach Wembley

Controversially, Radrizzani was away in Italy and secured the takeover of relegated Sampdoria on the same day as Leeds were relegated to the Championship and used the money from the sale of Leeds to push through a deal.

There were even reports that Radrizzani used Elland Road as collateral to help secure a loan to work on a deal for the Italian side. That didn’t materialise, but Radrizzani bought Sampdoria and left Leeds United.

At Sampdoria, Radrizzani bought Andrea Pirlo as manager and made signings such as former Liverpool and Italy player Fabio Borini in a bid to return to Serie A, as did Leeds at the first attempt this campaign.

Sampdoria reach the play-offs, but Radrizzani’s dream is over

Five defeats in their opening eight Serie B games saw Sampdoria look at a difficult season, but good runs from October to December and then March to May saw Radrizzani’s side finish seventh.

Serie B sees the top two go straight up in the form of Cesc Fabregas’ legendary Parma and Como. Then the third and fourth go straight into the play-off semi-finals and the next four into the quarter-finals.

Sampdoria secured seventh place, entering the quarter-finals. A one-match shootout against Palermo, and they struggled on Friday, with Sampdoria suffering a 2-0 defeat and subsequently ending their season.

So while Leeds go into the play-off final with a chance to return to the top flight, Radrizzani and his new club Sampdoria have fallen at the first play-off hurdle.

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