The 2004–05 season saw Sampdoria finish in sixth place, missing the UEFA Champions League qualification by just one point. Nevertheless, Sampdoria qualified for the UEFA Cup, marking the first time one of Marotta's teams had qualified for European competition. The 2005–06 and 2006–07 seasons saw the club finish 12th and 9th respectively. Following the disappointing 2006–07 season, Marotta replaced manager Walter Novellino with Walter Mazzarri. The 2007 transfer season also saw Marotta bring in the controversial Italian forward Antonio Cassano on a year-long loan from Real Madrid with the option to purchase the player. The 2007–08 season saw the club finish in sixth place to qualify again for the UEFA Cup. After signing Cassano in full, Marotta added another highly regarded striker to Sampdoria with the purchase of Giampaolo Pazzini from Fiorentina for a fee of €9 million in January 2009. However, Sampdoria struggled in the 2008–09 season, finishing in 13th place in Serie A, leading Marotta to not renew the expiring contract of head coach Walter Mazzarri.