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Genoa C.F.C.

 

 

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Genoa

Full name	Genoa Cricket and Football Club Società per azioni
Nickname(s)	Il Grifone (The Griffin) I Rossoblù (The Red and Blues) Il Vecchio Balordo[1] (The Old Fool)
Founded	7 September 1893; 129 years ago[2]
Ground	Stadio Luigi Ferraris
Capacity	36,599[3]
Owner	777 Partners [pt][4]
President	Alberto Zangrillo[5]
Head coach	Alberto Gilardino
League	Serie B
2021–22	Serie A, 19th of 20 (relegated)
Website	Club website

Genoa Cricket and Football Club, commonly referred to as Genoa (Italian pronunciation: [ˈdʒɛːnoa]), is a professional football club based in Genoa, Liguria, Italy, that competes in Serie B, the second division of the Italian football league system.

Established in 1893, Genoa is Italy's oldest football team, and the oldest Italian football team still active with over 125 years of history.^[6] During their long history, Genoa have won the Italian Championship 9 times. Genoa's first title came at the inaugural championship in 1898 and their most recent was in 1923–24. They have also won the Coppa Italia once. Historically, Genoa are the fourth most successful Italian club in terms of championships won.^[7] Genoa CFC have played their home games Stadio Luigi Ferraris^[8] since 1911.

In 2011 Genoa was included in the "International Bureau of Cultural Capitals" (a sort of historical sporting heritage of humanity, in line with that of UNESCO) at the request of President Xavier Tudela. In 2013 was also admitted to the "Club of Pioneers", an association that brings together the oldest football clubs in the world which already included Sheffield F.C. and Recreativo de Huelva.

History[edit]

Main article: History of Genoa C.F.C.

 

Act of foundation of Genoa CFC, dated September 1893

The club was founded on 7 September 1893^[2] as Genoa Cricket & Athletic Club. In its earliest years, it principally competed in athletics and cricket. Association football was only a secondary concern.^[9] Since the club was set up to represent England abroad, the original shirts worn by the organisation were white, the same colour as the England national team shirt.^[2] At first Italians were not permitted to join as it was a British sporting club abroad.^[2] Genoa's activities took place in the north-west of the city in the Campasso area, at the Piazza d'Armi. The men who initially handled the management of the club were;^[2]

Charles De Grave Sells S. Blake G. Green W. Riley

Daniel G. Fawcus Sandys E. De Thierry Jonathan Summerhill Sr.

Jonathan Summerhill Jr. Sir Charles Alfred Payton

On 10 April 1897^[10] the footballing section of the club, already existing from 1893, became predominant thanks to James Richardson Spensley.^[9] It was among the oldest in Italian football at the time, the only other founded clubs were four in Turin.^[6] Italians were allowed to join and found a new ground in the form of Ponte Carrega. The first friendly match took place at home, against a mixed team of Internazionale Torino and F.B.C. Torinese; Genoa lost 1–0.^[2] Not long after, Genoa recorded its first victory away against UPS Alessandria winning 2–0. Friendly games also took place against various British sailors such as those from HMS Revenge.^[2]

Championship dominance[edit]

 

Genoa CAC in 1898, the first ever Italian Championship winners

Football in Italy stepped up a level with the creation of the Italian Football Federation and the Italian Football Championship.^[10] Genoa competed in the first Italian Championship in 1898 at Velodrome Humbert I in Turin.^[10] They defeated Ginnastica Torino 2–1 in their first official game on 8 May, before winning the first championship later that day by beating Internazionale Torino 3–1 after extra-time.^[11]

Genoa returned for the following season, this time with a few changes; the name of the club was altered to Genoa Cricket & Football Club, dropping the Athletic from its name. A change in shirt colour was also in order, as they changed to white and blue vertical stripes; known in Italy as biancoblù. Genoa won their second title in a one-day tournament which took place on 16 April 1899, by beating Internazionale Torino 3–1 for the second time. On their way to winning their third consecutive title in 1900 and also beating local rivals Sampierdarenese 7–0; a winning margin which would not be bettered by any team in the league until 1910. The final was secured with a 3–1 win over F.B.C. Torinese.^[11]

The club strip was changed again in 1901, Genoa adopted its famous red-navy halves and therefore became known as the rossoblù; these are the colours used even to this day as with many other Italian clubs, such as Cagliari, Bologna, Crotone and an endless list of minor clubs. After a season of finishing runners-up to Milan Cricket and Football Club, things were back on track in 1902 with their fourth title. Juventus emerged as serious contenders to Genoa's throne from 1903 onwards, when for two seasons in a row Genoa beat the Old Lady in the national final.^[11]

 

Genoa CFC championship winning side of 1904, their sixth league title

Notably Genoa became the first Italian football team to play an international match, when they visited France on 27 April 1903 to play FVC Nice, winning the fixture 3–0. As well as winning the Italian championship in 1904, the year was also notable for Genoa reserves winning the first ever II Categoria league season; a proto-Serie B under the top level. From 1905 onwards when they were runners-up, Genoa lost their foothold on the Italian championship; other clubs such as Juventus, Milan and Pro Vercelli stepped up.^[11]

The fall in part during this period can be traced back to 1908 when FIGC agreed to Federal Gymnastics protests forbidding the use of foreign players. Since Genoa's birth they had always had a strong English contingent. They disagreed, as did several other prominent clubs such as Milan, Torino and Firenze; as thus they withdrew from official FIGC competitions that year. The following season the federation reversed the decision and Genoa was rebuilt with players such as Luigi Ferraris^[12] and some from Switzerland, such as Daniel Hug who came from FC Basel.^[13] The rebuilding of the squad also saw the creation of a new ground in the Marassi area of Genoa, when built it had a capacity of 25,000 and was comparable to British stadiums of the time; it was officially opened on 22 January 1911.

Garbutt revival[edit]

With the introduction of the Italy national football team, Genoa played an important part, with the likes of Renzo De Vecchi; who was azzurri captain for some time, Edoardo Mariani and Enrico Sardi earning call-ups.^[14] Englishman William Garbutt was brought in as head coach to help revive the club; Garbutt was the first professional manager in Italy and was renowned for being highly charismatic, and also for constantly smoking his tobacco pipe.^[2] He was dubbed "Mister" by the players; since then Italians have referred to coaches in general by the term.^[2]

Finally by 1914–15, Genoa had restored themselves as the top club from Northern Italy, winning the final round of the Northern section.^[11] However, this particular year, the national final could not be played because of the outbreak of World War I, the finals of the Southern Italian section could not be decided and thus Genoa did not have a team to play. Genoa would be awarded the title in 1919 after the end of the war, it would be their first for eleven seasons.^[15] The war took a harsh toll on Genoa as players Luigi Ferraris, Adolfo Gnecco, Carlo Marassi, Alberto Sussone and Claudio Casanova all died while on military duty in Italy; while footballing founder James Richardson Spensley was killed in Germany.^[15]

 

The last Genoa side to win the Italian Football Championship, in 1924

In the early part of the next decade, Genoa remained strong contenders in the Northern section.^[15] Garbutt led Genoa to championship success in 1922–23; beating Lazio 6–1 in the final, over the course of two legs.^[11] The following season, Genoa made their way past Bologna in the Northern finals, but not without controversy; after riots in the second leg during the game in Bologna, the game was called off and FIGC awarded Genoa a 2–0 victory.^[15] In the national final that season, Genoa beat Savoia 4–1 over the course of two legs; this would be their ninth and to date final Italian championship.^[16]

The squad during these two championship victories included; Giovanni De Prà, Ottavio Barbieri, Luigi Burlando and Renzo De Vecchi.^[16] With Genoa's championship victory in 1923–24 came the introduction of the scudetto patch; which means following the season within which a club wins an Italian league championship, they are allowed to wear a shield shaped patch on their shirt which features the colours of the Italian flag.^[2] For the rest of the 1920s, the club's highest finish was in second place: the 1927–28 season when Genoa finished runners-up to Torino, with striker Felice Levratto scoring 20 goals in 27 games.^[17]

Genova 1893 period[edit]

Due to the strongly British connotations attached to the name, Genoa were forced to change it by the fascist government to Genova 1893 Circolo del Calcio in 1928.^[18] The club competed in a proto-European Cup in the form of the Mitropa Cup, where they went out in the quarter-finals after losing heavily to Rapid Vienna. They followed this with a runners-up position back at home in the league, they finished behind Ambrosiana in the 1929–30 season; this would be their last top level championship runners-up spot to date.^[11]

 

Genoa Coppa Italia winning side of 1937, celebrating in Florence.

The club's league form became highly erratic during the early 1930s, with varying league positions; it was during the 1933–34 season that Genova suffered their first ever relegation to Serie B, the second league of Italian football. Thankfully for the club, they were able to bounce back under the management of Vittorio Faroppa, winning promotion by finishing top of their group ahead of Novara. In 1936, the ambitious Juan Culiolo took over as chairman of the club; in 1936–37 they achieved a 6th-place finish and also won the Coppa Italia by beating Roma 1–0 with a goal from Mario Torti.^[19]

During the following season Genova finished in third place, this was a particularly tight season with winners Ambrosiana-Inter finishing only three points ahead of the club. That summer Italy competed in the 1938 FIFA World Cup and won, three Genova players formed part of the triumphant squad in the form of Sergio Bertoni, Mario Genta and Mario Perazzolo.^[20] The club finished the decade on a high, maintaining a top five foothold in the top level of the Italian football league system.^[11]

World War II affected dramatically the entire Italian football movement, but Genova did not recover as well as other clubs. In 1945, the club chose to revert their name to Genoa Cricket and Foot-Ball Club, the one which they had used in the very early days of the Italian championship.^[21] In the years just after the war, the club were still popular with the fans, with people previously associated with the club such as Ottavio Barbieri and William Garbutt returning for managerial spells.^[22] Genoa also had a new rival in the form of Sampdoria, who were founded by a merger of two other clubs in 1946 and would groundshare at Stadio Luigi Ferraris.

Post-war period[edit]

 

Genoa side during 1956–57 season

After the Second World War the ability of Genoa to finish in the upper ranks of Serie A declined in a significant manner; throughout the rest of the 1940s the club were middle-table finishers. The 1948–49 season saw three highly significant results, Genoa beat Inter 4–1, the famous Grande Torino side 3–0 and Padova 7–1.^[23] The 1950s started in poor fashion for the club, they had bought Argentine Mario Boyé from Boca Juniors but he stayed only one season and the club were relegated after finishing bottom of the table, but after two seasons they achieved their return after winning Serie B, ahead of Legnano.^[24] Ragnar Nikolay Larsen was a notable player for the club during this period and they sustained mid-table finishes for the rest of the decade.^[24]

Despite suffering a relegation in 1959–60 and then a promotion back up to Serie A in 1961–62,^[24] Genoa had a respectable amount of cup success in the first half of the 1960s. The club won the Coppa delle Alpi in 1962; it was the first time the competition had been competed between club teams instead of international ones, the final was played at home while Genoa beat French club Grenoble Foot 38 by 1–0 with a goal from Nizza.^[25] Genoa won the same competition again two years later, the final was held at the Wankdorf Stadium in Berne, Switzerland; Genoa defeated Catania 2–0, with both goals from Giampaolo Piaceri to take the trophy.^[26]

 

1962 Cup of the Alps triumph

The celebrations for the club did not last long however, as the year following their last cup success they were relegated down to Serie B again. This time their stay in the second tier of the Italian football league system would be far longer than previous relegations, the club was unstable as it changed manager each season.^[22] Genoa even experienced their first relegation to Serie C in 1970, financially the club fell into difficulties and had several ownership changes.^{[27][unreliable source?]}

Mixed times[edit]

Throughout the 1970s, Genoa would mostly play in the second tier. Under the management of Arturo Silvestri the club made its way back to Serie A for the 1973–74 season, but they were relegated straight back down. For the return of Il Grifone to Serie A a couple of seasons later, the squad featured the likes of Roberto Rosato, Bruno Conti and a young Roberto Pruzzo. This time they stuck it out in the top division for two seasons before succumbing to relegation in 1977–78; the relegation was particularly cruel as the side above them Fiorentina survived on goal-difference of just a single goal, the two teams had played each other on the final day of the season ending in a 0–0 draw.^[28]

 

First Genoa side of the 1980s

The relegation was bad for the club in more ways than one, they lost some of their top players who could have offered them a swift return; such as Roberto Pruzzo's move to Roma where he would go on to have great success.^[29] After a couple of middle-table finishes in Serie B, Genoa earned promotion during the 1980–81 season under manager Luigi Simoni, the club finished as runners-up behind only AC Milan who had been relegated the previous season for their part in the Totonero betting scandal.^[30]

Still with Simoni at the helm as manager, Genoa were able to survive in Serie A for their returning season, finishing just one point ahead of the relegated AC Milan. In a dramatic last day of the season, Genoa were trailing 2–1 to Napoli with five minutes left, until on the 85th minute Mario Faccenda scored the goal that secured the point needed by Genoa, starting an owing friendship between the two club's fans.^[31] A couple of seasons later in 1983–84, Genoa would not be so lucky, despite beating champions Juventus on the final day of the season, the club were relegated even though they finished the season with the same number of points as surviving Lazio; this was because Lazio had recorded better results in matches against Genoa.^[32]

European experience[edit]

The club was purchased by Calabrese entrepreneur Aldo Spinelli in 1985 and despite no longer having Simoni as manager, Genoa were finishing in the top half of Serie B. After a slip in form during 1987–88 (failing to be promoted by a mere point in 1986–87, then having to struggle not to be retroceded the following season, being spared that fate again by a mere point), Genoa refocused their energy and were able to achieve promotion back into Serie A in 1988–89, finishing as champions ahead of Bari.^[11] Genoa, with an experienced trainer as Osvaldo Bagnoli who knew how to get the best out of underdog teams (he managed to win a championship at the helm of Hellas Verona in the eighties) and with a team sporting the talents of Carlos Aguilera and Tomáš Skuhravý among others achieved highs during the 1990–91 season where they finished fourth, remaining undefeated at home for the entire campaign, winning games against all the big sides including Juventus, Inter, Milan, Roma, Lazio, Fiorentina, Napoli, as well as their local rivals Sampdoria who won the title that season.^[33]

Subsequently, the club gained entry to the UEFA Cup in the 1991–92 season. Genoa had a good run, making it to the semi-finals before being knocked out by Ajax, that season's winners of the competition; notably Genoa did the double over Liverpool in the quarter-finals, becoming the first Italian side to beat the Reds at Anfield. Unfortunately for Genoa, this success was soon followed by a 'Dark Age' following the departure of Osvaldo Bagnoli (who chose to move away from Genoa to spend more time with his daughter, whose health was rapidly declining) and the failure of the management to replace key players as they grew old or were ceded to other teams.^[34] Noted Genoa players during this period included Gianluca Signorini, Carlos Aguilera, Stefano Eranio, Roberto Onorati and John van 't Schip.^[35]
It has to be said that chairman Spinelli had a very different management approach from that of most businessmen turned football club owners. While his colleagues saw football as a marketing and public relation investment and were quite ready to siphon funds out of their main business to keep their teams afloat and replenish their player roster Spinelli saw Genoa as another business whose main aim was that of generating revenue for its owner (namely, himself) and so was more than happy to sell esteemed players for hefty revenues of which just a minimal fraction was then re-invested in the team, often for the acquisition of lesser-valued replacements or virtual unknowns. Thus he proved all-too-eager to sell Uruguayan striker Carlos Aguilera and to replace him with the markedly inferior Kazuyoshi Miura from Japanese side Yomiuri Verdy (a deal that especially pleased him since the Japanese sponsors were actually paying him to let Miura play in Serie A).^{[citation needed]}
The same season as their UEFA Cup run, they finished just one place above the relegation zone; in the seasons following Genoa remained in the lower half of the table.^[11]

During the 1994–95 season, Genoa were narrowly relegated; they finished level on points with Padova after the normal season period. This meant a relegation play-out was to be played between the two in Florence. The game was tied 1–1 at full-time and went to a penalty shoot-out. Genoa eventually lost the shoot-out 5–4.^[11] While back down in Serie B, the club had another taste of international cup success when they became the final winners of the Anglo-Italian Cup by beating Port Vale 5–2 with Gennaro Ruotolo scoring a hat-trick.^[36] Chairman Spinelli sold Genoa in 1997, moving onto other clubs (Alessandria^[37] and, then Livorno). The late 1990s and early 2000s would be the most trying time in the history of the club, with constant managerial changes, a poor financial situation and little hope of gaining promotion, outside of a decent 6th-place finish in 1999–00.^[11] From 1997 until 2003, Genoa had a total of three different owners and four different chairmen, before the club was passed on to the toys and games tycoon from Irpinia, Enrico Preziosi, already chairman of Como, a football club he previously owned.^[27]

Recent times[edit]

 

Genoa side during 2016–17 season

Preziosi took over in 2003, when Genoa should have been relegated to C1 series after a dismal season, but was instead "saved" along with Catania and Salernitana by the football federation's controversial decision to extend Serie B to 24 teams.^[38] Things started to look up for Genoa; they won Serie B in 2004–05. However, allegations were raised that the club had fixed a match on the last day of the season between themselves and Venezia. The 3–2 victory in the match saw Genoa win the league, with a draw having been good enough to maintain its position in the end. The Disciplinary Committee of FIGC saw fit to instead place Genoa bottom of the league and relegate them down to Serie C1 with a three-point deduction on 27 July 2005.^[39]

For their season in Serie C1 for 2005–06, Genoa were hit with a six-point penalty from the previous season. After leading for much of the season, they eventually finished as runners-up and were entered into the play-offs, beating Monza 2–1 on aggregate to achieve promotion back into Serie B.^[24] During the summer break Gian Piero Gasperini was brought in as the new manager, he helped the club to gain promotion during the 2006–07 season, it was ensured on the last day of the season where they drew a 0–0 with Napoli, both clubs were happily promoted back into Serie A.^[40]

The 2007–08 season, the first Serie A championship played by Genoa in 12 years, saw it finishing in a respectable tenth place, right after the "big ones" of Italian football.

A careful summer market session saw chairman, Preziosi strengthening the core of the team while parting from some players on favourable economical terms (for example selling striker Marco Borriello to AC Milan for a hefty sum).^[41] Genoa's aims for the 2008–09 season were set on a UEFA Cup spot. This was achieved after a strong season which saw the team finish 5th in Serie A, besting traditional powerhouses like Juventus, Roma, and Milan, and winning both Genoa derbies against Sampdoria, with Diego Milito finishing among the top scorers of the championship. Genoa subsequently lost Milito and midfielder Thiago Motta to Internazionale, but were able to bring in striker Hernán Crespo. Things however did not go as planned, with the injury-plagued team eliminated in the early stages of the Europa League and Coppa Italia and falling to a ninth-place finish in Serie A in 2010.^{[citation needed]}

In the 2010–11 season, Genoa, whose ranks had been revolutionised once again save for some long-serving players, struggled along in the mid-positions of the league; a slew of questionable results early in the season led chairman Preziosi to fire trainer Gian Piero Gasperini, who had led the team since the 2007–08 season, and to select Davide Ballardini as his successor. The newcomers, despite not securing memorable successes, kept the team steadily afloat in the "left part" of the ranking, managing to win two consecutive derby matches against rivals Sampdoria in December and May.^{[citation needed]}

The 2011–12 and 2012–13 seasons saw Genoa place in 17th both times, one spot away from relegation to Serie B.^{[citation needed]}

In the 2014–15 season, Genoa, in sixth place and set to qualify for the UEFA Europa League qualifying round, were denied a UEFA license^[42] because they filed paperwork late and because the Stadio Luigi Ferraris was not currently up to standard for UEFA competition. The spot was passed on to 7th placed Sampdoria.^[43]

On 7 September 2018, the 125th anniversary of the club's foundation was celebrated. A celebration parade occurred in the city of Genoa during the night of 7 September 2018; a banner of several meters was dedicated to the tragedy of the collapse of the Ponte Morandi bridge.^{[citation needed]}

777 Partners[edit]

On 23 September 2021 it was announced that Genoa had been acquired by 777 Partners, a US-based private investment firm founded by Steven W. Pasko and Josh Wander. While terms were not publicly released, sources close to the deal revealed that the team was acquired for its enterprise value of $175 million.^[44]

Cricket[edit]

Early on, the club transformed from a multi-sport club to one exclusively focused on football. In 2007, a group of club supporters formed a section dedicated to cricket. It currently competes under the name Genoa Cricket Club 1893 in Serie A of the Italian cricket league.^[45]

Players[edit]

Squad[edit]

As of 31 January 2023^[46]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  CRO Adrian Šemper 2 DF  ITA Stefano Sabelli 3 DF  GER Lennart Czyborra 4 DF  ITA Domenico Criscito 5 DF  ROU Radu Drăgușin (on loan from Juventus) 8 MF  NED Kevin Strootman (on loan from Marseille) 9 FW  ITA Massimo Coda 10 MF  ITA Mattia Aramu (on loan from Venezia) 11 MF  ISL Albert Guðmundsson 13 DF  ITA Mattia Bani 14 DF  ITA Alessandro Vogliacco 17 FW  ITA Eddie Salcedo (on loan from Inter Milan) 18 FW  GHA Caleb Ekuban 22 GK  ESP Josep Martínez (on loan from RB Leipzig) 24 MF  POL Filip Jagiełło 25 GK  SVN Rok Vodišek 27 MF  ITA Stefano Sturaro (Captain)

No. Pos. Nation Player 31 MF  AUT Stefan Ilsanker 32 MF  DEN Morten Frendrup 33 DF  URU Alan Matturro 35 MF  ITA Luca Lipani 36 DF  SUI Silvan Hefti 47 MF  CRO Milan Badelj 50 FW  TUR Güven Yalçın 55 DF  SUR Ridgeciano Haps (on loan from Venezia) 57 FW  ROU George Pușcaș (on loan from Reading) 68 DF  ITA Brayan Boci 77 FW  ROU Denis Drăguș (on loan from Standard Liège) 82 GK  ITA Giuseppe Agostino 90 MF  ITA Manolo Portanova 93 DF  CRO Marko Pajač 94 MF  FRA Abdoulaye Touré

Out on loan[edit]

As of 31 January 2023

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player — DF  ITA Davide Biraschi (at Karagümrük until 10 July 2023) — DF  ITA Paolo Gozzi (at Pescara until 30 June 2023) — DF  ITA Nicholas Rizzo (at Pro Vercelli until 30 June 2023) — DF  ITA Federico Valietti (at Vicenza until 30 June 2024) — DF  MEX Johan Vásquez (at Cremonese until 30 June 2023) — MF  ITA Luca Chierico (at Piacenza until 30 June 2023) — MF  CHI Pablo Galdames (at Cremonese until 30 June 2023) — MF  ITA Patrizio Masini (at Novara until 30 June 2023) — MF  ITA Filippo Melegoni (at Standard Liège until 30 June 2023) — MF  ITA Vittorio Parigini (at Como until 30 June 2023)

No. Pos. Nation Player — MF  ITA Mattia Zennaro (at Feralpisalò until 30 June 2023) — MF  POL Kacper Zielski (at Matera until 30 June 2023) — MF  ITA Francesco Cassata (at Ternana until 30 June 2023) — FW  ITA Flavio Bianchi (at Brescia until 30 June 2023) — FW  POL Aleksander Buksa (at SL16 FC until 30 June 2023) — FW  ITA Giacomo Calò (at Cosenza until 30 June 2023, obligation to buy) — FW  ITA Andrea Favilli (at Ternana until 30 June 2023) — FW  SLE Yayah Kallon (at Verona until 30 June 2023) — FW  ITA Elia Petrelli (at Siena until 30 June 2023) — FW  ITA Kelvin Yeboah (at Augsburg until 30 June 2023)

Youth team[edit]

Main article: Genoa Primavera

Retired numbers[edit]

Main article: Retired numbers in football

• 6 –  Gianluca Signorini, sweeper, 1988–95^{[nb 1][citation needed]}
• 7 –  Marco Rossi, MF, 2003–04, 2005–13^[47]
• 12 – The fans of Gradinata Nord, "the twelfth man"^[48][49]

Notable players[edit]

Main article: List of Genoa C.F.C. players

For a list of all former and current Genoa players with a Wikipedia article, see Category:Genoa C.F.C. players.

Chairmen history[edit]

Below is the chairmen (Italian: presidenti, lit. 'presidents' or Italian: presidenti del consiglio di amministrazione, lit. 'chairmen of the board of directors') history of Genoa, from when the club was first founded playing cricket and athletics, until the present day.^[27]

Name Years  Charles De Grave Sells 1893–97  Hermann Bauer 1897–99  Daniel G. Fawcus 1899–04  Edoardo Pasteur 1904–09  Vieri Arnaldo Goetzlof 1909–10  Edoardo Pasteur 1910–11  Luigi Aicardi 1911–13  George Davidson 1913–20  Guido Sanguineti 1920–26  Vincent Ardissone 1926–33  Alessandro Tarabini 1933–34  Alfredo Costa 1934–36  Juan Culiolo 1936–41  Giovanni Battista Bertoni 1941–42

Name Years  Giovanni Gavarone 1942–43  Giovanni Battista Bertoni 1943–44  Aldo Mairano 1944–45  Antonio Lorenzo 1945–46  Edoardo Pasteur 1946  Giovanni Peragallo 1946  Massimo Poggi 1946–50  Ernesto Cauvin 1951–53  Ugo Valperga 1953–54  Presidential Committee 1954–58  Fausto Gadolla 1958–60  Presidential Committee 1960–63  Giacomo Berrino 1963–66  Ugo Maria Failla 1966–67

Name Years  Renzo Fossati 1967–70  Virgilio Bazzani 1970  Angelo Tongiani 1970–71  Gianni Meneghini 1971–72  Giacomo Berrino 1972–74  Renzo Fossati 1974–85  Aldo Spinelli 1985–97  Massimo Mauro 1997–99  Gianni Scerni 1999–01  Luigi Dalla Costa 2001–02  Nicola Canal 2002–03  Stefano Campoccia 2003  Enrico Preziosi 2003–2021  Alberto Zangrillo[5] 2021–

Coaching staff[edit]

Position	Name
Manager	Alberto Gilardino
Assistant Manager	Tonda Eckert
First-Team Coach	David Zdrilic  Alex Clapham
Goalkeeper Coach	Alessio Scarpi  Valerio Fiori
Technical Coach	Simone Bonomi
Athletic Coach	Andrea Azzalin
Match Analyst	Roberto Beni
Head of Medical	Alessandro Corsini
Club Doctor	Marco Stellatelli
Physiotherapist	Federico Campofiorito  Pietro Cistaro
Medical Director Physiotherapy	Matteo Perasso
Interpreter	Massimo Mariotti
Team Manager	Christian Vecchia  Anthony Loviso

Managerial history[edit]

Genoa have had many managers and trainers, some seasons they have had co-managers running the team, here is a chronological list of them from 1896 when they became a football club, onwards.^[22]

Name Years Technical Commission 1893–1896 James Richardson Spensley 1896–1907 Technical Commission 1907–1912 William Garbutt 1912–1927 Renzo De Vecchi 1927–1930 Gèza Székány 1930–1931 Luigi Burlando Guillermo Stábile 1931–1932 Karl Rumbold 1932–1933 József Nagy 1933–1934 Vittorio Faroppa then Renzo De Vecchi 1934–1935 György Orth 1935–1936 Hermann Felsner 1936–1937 William Garbutt 1937–1939 Ottavio Barbieri William Garbutt 1939–1940 Ottavio Barbieri 1940–1941 Guido Ara 1941–1943 Ottavio Barbieri then József Viola 1945–1946 William Garbutt 1946–1948 Federico Allasio 1948–1949 David John Astley then David John Astley and Federico Allasio then Manlio Bacigalupo 1949–1950 Manlio Bacigalupo 1950–1951 Imre Senkey then Valentino Sala and Giacinto Ellena 1951–1952 Giacinto Ellena 1952–1953 György Sárosi then Ermelindo Bonilauri 1953–1955 Renzo Magli 1955–1958 Annibale Frossi 1958–1959 Antonio Busini Gipo Poggi then Jesse Carver then Annibale Frossi 1959–1960 Annibale Frossi 1960–1961 Renato Gei 1961–1963 Beniamino Santos 1963–1964 Paulo Amaral then Roberto Lerici 1964–1965 Luigi Bonizzoni 1965–1966 Giorgio Ghezzi then Paolo Tabanelli 1966–1967 Livio Fongaro then Aldo Campatelli 1967–1968 Aldo Campatelli then Aldo Campatelli and Maurizio Bruno 1968–1969 Franco Viviani then Maurizio Bruno and Ermelindo Bonilauri then Aredio Gimona and Ermelindo Bonilauri 1969–1970 Arturo Silvestri 1970–1974 Guido Vincenzi 1974–1975 Gigi Simoni 1975–1978 Pietro Maroso then Ettore Puricelli then Gianni Bui 1978–1979 Gianni Di Marzio 1979–1980 Gigi Simoni 1980–1984 Tarcisio Burgnich 1984–1986 Attilio Perotti 1986–1987

Name Years Gigi Simoni then Attilio Perotti 1987–1988 Franco Scoglio 1988–1990 Osvaldo Bagnoli 1990–1992 Bruno Giorgi then Luigi Maifredi then Claudio Maselli 1992–1993 Claudio Maselli then Franco Scoglio 1993–1994 Franco Scoglio then Giuseppe Marchioro then Claudio Maselli 1994–1995 Gigi Radice then Gaetano Salvemini 1995–1996 Attilio Perotti 1996–1997 Gaetano Salvemini 1997 Claudio Maselli 1997 Tarcisio Burgnich 1997–1998 Giuseppe Pillon 1998 Luigi Cagni 1998–1999 Delio Rossi 1999–2000 Bruno Bolchi 2000 Guido Carboni Alfredo Magni 2000 Bruno Bolchi 2001 Claudio Onofri 2001 Franco Scoglio 2001 Edoardo Reja 2001–2002 Claudio Onofri 2002 Vincenzo Torrente Rino Lavezzini 2002–2003 Roberto Donadoni 2003 Luigi De Canio 2003 Serse Cosmi 2004–2005 Francesco Guidolin 2005 Giovanni Vavassori then Attilio Perotti then Giovanni Vavassori 2005–2006 Gian Piero Gasperini 2006–2010 Davide Ballardini[50] 2010–2011 Alberto Malesani 2011[51] Pasquale Marino 2011–2012[51] Alberto Malesani 2012[52] Luigi De Canio 2012[53] Luigi Delneri 2012–2013[53] Davide Ballardini 2013[54] Fabio Liverani 2013[55] Gian Piero Gasperini 2013–2016[55] Ivan Jurić 2016–2017[56] Andrea Mandorlini 2017[56] Ivan Jurić 2017[56] Davide Ballardini 2017–2018[57] Ivan Jurić 2018[57] Cesare Prandelli 2018–19[58] Aurelio Andreazzoli 2019[59] Thiago Motta 2019[60] Davide Nicola 2019–2020[60] Rolando Maran 2020[61] Davide Ballardini 2020–2021[62] Andriy Shevchenko 2021–2022 Alexander Blessin 2022[63] Alberto Gilardino 2022–

Colours, badge and nicknames[edit]

As Genoa was a British-run club, the first ever colours were those of the England national football team.^[2] Not long into the club's footballing history, the kit was changed to white and blue stripes in 1899; the blue was chosen to represent the sea as Genoa is a port city. In 1901 the club finally settled for their most famous red and blue halves shirt, this gained them the nickname of rossoblù together with Bologna, Cagliari and many more minor clubs.^[64]

One of the nicknames of Genoa is Il Grifone which means "the griffin"; this is derived from the coat of arms belonging to the city of Genoa. The coat of arms features two golden griffins, either side of the Saint George's Cross.^[65] As well as being present on both the flag and coat of arms of the city of Genoa, the cross is evocative of the club's English founders. St. George was also the patron saint of the former Republic of Genoa. The actual club badge of Genoa Cricket and Football Club is heavily derived from the city coat of arms, but also incorporated the club's red and blue colours.^{[citation needed]}

Supporters and rivalries[edit]

Main article: Derby della Lanterna

Genoa CFC has the bulk of its fans in Liguria, however they are also popular in Piedmont and the Aosta Valley.^[66] The seafaring traditions of the Genoese and the presence of Genoese communities in distant countries did much to spread the appeal of Genoa some further than just Italy, and immigrants founded fan clubs in Buenos Aires, Amsterdam, Tokyo, Toronto, New York, San Francisco, Barcelona, Iceland and other places.

 

Genoa fans in June 2007 at Piazza de Ferrari, celebrating their return to Serie A.

The most significant and traditional rivalry for Genoa, is the inner-city one with the club with whom they share a ground; Sampdoria. The two clubs compete together in the heated Derby della Lanterna ("Derby of the Lantern"); a reference to the Lighthouse of Genoa.^[67] Genoa's supporters also have a strong distaste for AC Milan. A clash between opposing supporters in January 1995 resulted in the death of Genoese Vincenzo Spagnolo, who was stabbed to death by Milanese Simone Barbaglia. The assailant was a member of an informal group of football hooligans dubbed "The Barbour Ones", who used to routinely carry bladed weapons to matches, a practice made possible by the lax security measures of the time.^[68]

Conversely, the fans of Genoa have long standing friendships with Napoli (which goes back to the 1982 last match of the season).^[69] On the last day of the 2006–07 season, Genoa and Napoli drew a practical 0–0 ensuring both were promoted back into Serie A; Genoa ultras could be seen holding up banners saying "Benvenuto fratello napoletano", meaning, "Welcome, Neapolitan brother," and the two sets of fans celebrated together in a warm and ever-co-operating manner.^[70]

On the other hand, the amicable relationship with the red-and-yellow supporters of Roma, fostered by the cession of striker Roberto Pruzzo in 1979 and lasting for most of the 80's has, in recent years, cooled up a bit while another strong fraternity, which saw Genoese football fans on friendly terms with Torino (since the exchange of Gigi Meroni between the two clubs at the end of the 1963–64 season and his untimely death on 15 October 1967^[71]) has perhaps broken-down for good after the Torino-Genoa match of season 2008–09.

Starved for points and risking a humiliating relegation (one of many in a troubled recent history) the Turinese fans expected a friendly treatment from Genoa, which, in the heat of a pitched battle with Fiorentina for the fourth place (which could have won a Champions League spot for the team) did not comply, soundly beating Torino and to many effects sealing its fate. When during early August 2009 Genoa scheduled a friendly match with Nice in southern Piedmont, many Turinese hooligans travelled to the match location with the precise intention of starting trouble and disorder to "get even" with Genoa and its fans.^{[citation needed]}

In Europe[edit]

UEFA Cup/Europa League[edit]

^[72]

Season	Round	Opponent	Home	Away	Aggregate
1991–92	First round	Oviedo	3–1	0–1	3–2
	Second round	Dinamo București	3–1	2–2	5–3
	Third round	Steaua București	1–0	1–0	2–0
	Quarter-finals	Liverpool	2–0	2–1	4–1
	Semi-finals	Ajax	2–3	1–1	3–4
2009–10
	Play-off round	Odense	3–1	1–1	4–2
	Group B	Valencia	1–2	2–3	3rd
		Lille	3–2	0–3
		Slavia Prague	2–0	0–0

Honours[edit]

This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

National titles[edit]

League[edit]

Italian Football Championship / Northern League / Serie A:

• Winners (9): 1898, 1899, 1900, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1914–15, 1922–23, 1923–24

Serie B: 6

• Winners: 1934–35, 1952–53, 1961–62, 1972–73, 1975–76, 1988–89

Serie C / Serie C1: 1 (North)

• Winners: 1970–71

Cups[edit]

Coppa Italia: 1

• Winners: 1936–37
• Runners-up: 1939–40

Other Titles[edit]

Coppa delle Alpi: 2

• Winners: 1962, 1964

Anglo-Italian Cup: 1

• Winners: 1996

Youth titles[edit]

Campionato Nazionale Primavera: 1

• Winners: 2009–10

Coppa Italia Primavera: 1

• Winners: 2008–09

Primavera Super Cup: 2

• Winners: 2009, 2010

Torneo di Viareggio: 2

• Winners: 1965, 2007

Campionato Nazionale Under-18: 1

• Winners: 2020–21

Campionato Nazionale Under-17:

• Runners-up: 2020–21

Campionato Nazionale giovanile: 2

• Winners: 1939, 1942

Presence in Italian professional leagues[edit]

league	years	Debut	Last Season
91 years of professional football in Italy
A	55	1929–30 Serie A	2021–22 Serie A
B	34	1934–35 Serie B	2022–23 Serie B
C	2	1970–71 Serie C	2005–06 Serie C1

The total from 1897–98 includes 105 seasons at a national level from the inception of the Italian football league, including 27 seasons of Prima Categoria and Prima Divisione (from 1898 to 1922 the name of the Italian Football Championship was Prima Categoria). Seasons included Prima Categoria 1906–1907 too, where the Grifoni didn't pass the regional elimination round, and Prima Categoria 1907–1908, where Genoa didn't enter the tournament.

Kit suppliers and shirt sponsors[edit]

This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

Period	Kit manufacturer	Shirt sponsor
1978–1980	Puma	n.a.
1980–1981	Mauri Sport
1981–1982		Seiko
1982–1983	Adidas
1983–1984		Elah
1984–1985		Carrera
1985–1988		Levante Assicurazioni
1988–1989	Erreà
1989–1992		Mita
1992–1994		Saiwa
1994–1995		Kenwood
1995–1996		Giocheria
1996–1997		Santal
1997–1998		Costa Crociere
1998–2000	Kappa	Festival Crociere
2000–2001		Nube che Corre
2001–2003	Erreà	n.a.
2003–2005		Costa Crociere
2005–2007		n.a.
2007–2008		Eurobet
2008–2009	Asics
2009–2010		Gaudi
2010–2012		iZi Play
2012–2014	Lotto
2014–2015		n.a.	McVitie's
2015–2016			AT.P.CO/LeasePlan
2016–2017		Prénatal	Zenitiva, LeasePlan
2017–2018		Eviva
2018–2019		Giocheria
2019–2022	Kappa	n.a.
2022–present	Castore	Radio 105, MSC Crociere

[Johno]

Interesting history they do have! Surprised to see manager leaves like a revolving door at least 2 years each time 

[VyKing]

Gilardino steps down.

Former Genoa CFC and Italy international Gilardino has stepped down from his role as head coach of Genoa, a role he has held since originally taking the caretaker role in December 2022 following the dismissal of Alexander Blessin.

A club statement reads:

Genoa can confirm head coach Club legend Alberto Gilardino has been relieved of his duties.

Alberto who played for the club between 2012 and 2014 scoring 12 in 50 appearances, stepped into the managers seat in December 2022

We would like to thank Alberto for his efforts and wish him well for the future.

The process of appointing a new head coach is underway and we will continue to keep supporters up to date throughout the coming days.

We will update you more on this story as it progresses...

[VyKing]

News just in.

After an extensive search throughout Europe, Genoa CFC can now confirm their new head coach as Jamie Hallam from Sheffield.

Hallam has signed a two year deal with the view of taking Genoa back to Serie A after last seasons relegation.

Speaking to the surrounded media Hallam was quoted as saying "This is a Massive club with history and I aim to bring back the good times"

It is yet to be seen what Hallam will do with the backroom staff he has inherited.

[VyKing]

Biography of Hallam

Jamie Hallam was born in Sheffield, the morning of 15th Feb 1984. Growing up he was a pain in the backside but grew a love for Sheffield Wednesday and Yorkshire tea (both go hand in hand). He attempted to play football but to no avail, so turned his hand to coaching at an early age of 23.

Hallam got his coaching qualifications through a combination of Sheffield Hallam University and working for Stocksbridge Park Steels (also the team that gave Jamie Vardy his break).

 

After receiving his qualifications Hallam worked towards his continental A License while working his way up the football league starting at Chesterfield with the youth setup, with his last coaching position being a manager for the U21's at his beloved Sheffield Wednesday guiding them to a FA Youth cup semi final and a league title during his time.

Hallam moved to Genoa in the summer of 2022 where he is now the head coach of Genoa CFC signing a two year contract with the Griffins. 

[VyKing]

Behind the scenes first day interview

Q: Welcome to Genoa, What attracted you to the job?

A: Once I learned that Genoa was interested, I did my research. The history and architecture found around the city, the passionate fans and the history behind the club. Also my wife wanted to experience life in Italy.

Q: What can we expect from you moving forward?

A: Exciting football, every fan wants to see exciting attacking football and that is what I aim to bring. We want to get back to where a club this size belongs, you don't win 9 Serie A titles and then just drift away.

Q: What is your policy on youth development?

A: A bird will push their chicks out of their nests and let them fall to teach them how to fly. By this I mean if they're good enough they'll play if they need football to develop they'll go out on loan. It is ultimately down to those who wish to develop to show myself and my team they're ready for that next step and are ambitious and professional enough to handle what comes with being a footballer for this great club.

Q: Interesting quote, very philosophical of you. With that said have you managed to get much time to introduce yourself to the players?

A: Yorkshire Tea and a good footballing quote book haha. I'll meet the players this afternoon straight from this press conference, I'm eager to meet them all and hear there thoughts on things. 

Q: As a new manager surely you'll have your own blueprint to success, can we expect movements in the transfer window.

A: That will all depend on what I see in training. I don't want to make too many changes as we need the players to bed in and gel with the squad but we may see some leave and may see some new faces join us. But I'll keep my cards close to my chest until anything is confirmed.

Q: And how is your relationship with the owner and the board?

A: They played a big part in me coming in, I believe in their plans and vision and they believe I am the right man to come in and bring them closer to that vision. The owner has personally shown me and my wife around Genoa and taken us out for a meal. I have nothing but good to say and we are in regular contact.

End of press conference....

[Johno]

Haha, loving the press conference question and answers