Genoa Cricket and Football Club, commonly referred to simply as Genoa ('dʒenoa), is a professional Italian football

Football in Italy

Football is the most popular sport in Italy. The Italian national football team has won the FIFA World Cup 4 times , trailing only Brazil . Italy's club sides have won 27 major European trophies, making them the most successful European nation in the subject of football...

 club based in the city of Genoa

Genoa

Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....

, Liguria

Liguria

Liguria is a coastal region of north-western Italy, the third smallest of the Italian regions. Its capital is Genoa. It is a popular region with tourists for its beautiful beaches, picturesque little towns, and good food.-Geography:...

. Although the athletics and cricket

Cricket

Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...

 club was founded in 1893 by Englishmen as a British sporting club abroad, whose membership was allowed to British citizens exclusively; the footballing section of the club was opened in 1897 by James Richardson Spensley

James Richardson Spensley

Dr James Richardson Spensley was an English doctor, footballer, manager, Scout Leader and medic from Stoke Newington, London. He is considered to be one of the "Fathers of Italian football", due to his association with Genoa CFC and his contribution to the modern day variation of the game in Italy...

 making it the oldest existing club of its kind in Italy.

During their long history, Genoa have won the Italian Football Championship

Italian Football Championship

The Italian Football Championship was the most senior football championship in Italy from the 1897/1898 season to the 1921/1922 season. In that last season, a concurrent championship, the Prima Divisione, was played by the richest clubs, which wanted to improve their income with a more elitarian...

 nine times. Genoa's first title came at the inaugural championship in 1898

Italian Football Championship 1898

The Italian Football Championship of 1898 was a major event in the footballing history of Italy. It was the first FIGC endorsed league competition which is considered an official predecessor of Serie A. It was held at Velodromo Umberto I in Turin on 8 May, all three games were played over the...

 and their last was in 1923–24

Italian Football Championship 1923-24

The winner was Genoa C.F.C..-Classification:-Results table:* Please note that the home teams are read down the left hand side while the away teams are indicated along the top.-Classification:-Results table:...

. They also won the Coppa Italia

Coppa Italia

The Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...

 once. Historically, Genoa is the fourth most successful Italian club in terms of championships won.

This slew of early successes may lie at the origin of the love professed for the team by the godfather of Italian sports journalists Gianni Brera

Gianni Brera

Giovanni Luigi "Gianni" Brera was an Italian sports journalist and novelist.-Biography:Brera was born in San Zenone al Po, near Pavia, the son of Carlo, a tailor, and Marietta Ghisoni...

 (1919–1992), who, despite having been born nowhere near Genoa, always declared himself a supporter of the team. Brera went as far as creating the nickname Vecchio Balordo (Old Fool or Cranky Old One) for Genoa.

The club has played its home games at the 36,536 capacity Stadio Luigi Ferraris

Stadio Luigi Ferraris

Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris, also known as the Marassi from the name of the ward where is located, is a multi-use stadium in Genoa, Italy. It opened in 1911 and is one of the first and oldest stadiums still in use for football and other sports in Italy.Hosts since its birth the inside of Genoa,...

 since 1911. Since 1946, the ground has been shared with local rivals Sampdoria

U.C. Sampdoria

Unione Calcio Sampdoria is an Italian association football club based in Genoa. The club was formed in 1946 from the merger of two existing sports clubs whose roots can be traced back to the 1890s, Sampierdarenese and Andrea Doria...

. Genoa has spent most of its post-war history going up and down between Serie A and Serie B

Serie B

Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...

, with a brief spell in Serie C.

History

For more details on this topic, see History of Genoa C.F.C.

The club was founded on 7 September 1893 as Genoa Cricket & Athletic Club. In its earliest years, it only competed in athletics and cricket

Cricket

Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...

. 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

England national football team

The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...

 shirt. At first Italians were not permitted to join as it was a British sporting club abroad. Genoa's activities took place in the north-west of the city in the Campasso area, at the Piazza d'Armi. The men who founded the initial cricket and athletics club were;

On 10 April 1897 the footballing section of the club was officially opened by James Richardson Spensley

James Richardson Spensley

Dr James Richardson Spensley was an English doctor, footballer, manager, Scout Leader and medic from Stoke Newington, London. He is considered to be one of the "Fathers of Italian football", due to his association with Genoa CFC and his contribution to the modern day variation of the game in Italy...

. It was among the oldest in Italian football

Football in Italy

Football is the most popular sport in Italy. The Italian national football team has won the FIFA World Cup 4 times , trailing only Brazil . Italy's club sides have won 27 major European trophies, making them the most successful European nation in the subject of football...

 at the time, the only other founded clubs were two in Turin

Turin

Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...

. With the football section of the club opened, 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

Internazionale F.C. Torino

Internazionale Football Club Torino commonly known as just Internazionale Torino was an Italian football club from Turin. The club was founded by a merger in 1891 and is thought to have been the first Italian club dedicated just to football....

 and FBC Torinese

F.B.C. Torinese

Foot-Ball Club Torinese was an Italian football club from Turin, originally founded in 1894. The club is most noted for competing in the first ever Italian Football Championship and staying in the competition until the club finally became defunct in 1906....

; Genoa lost 1–0. Not long after, Genoa recorded its first victory away against UPS Alessandria

U.S. Alessandria Calcio 1912

Unione Sportiva Alessandria Calcio 1912 is the professional Italian football club based in Alessandria, Piedmont.In the current season, it plays in Lega Pro Seconda Divisione group A.- Brief history :...

 winning 2–0. Friendly games also took place against various British sailors such as those from HMS Revenge

HMS Revenge (1892)

HMS Revenge was a pre-dreadnought battleship of the Royal Sovereign class of the British Royal Navy. She was renamed HMS Redoubtable in 1915. HMS Revenge notably served as the flagship of the Flying Squadron and bombarding the coast of Flanders during World War I before being refitted as an...

.

Championship dominance

Football in Italy stepped up a level with the creation of the Italian Football Federation and the Italian Football Championship

Italian Football Championship

The Italian Football Championship was the most senior football championship in Italy from the 1897/1898 season to the 1921/1922 season. In that last season, a concurrent championship, the Prima Divisione, was played by the richest clubs, which wanted to improve their income with a more elitarian...

. Genoa competed in the first Italian Championship in 1898

Italian Football Championship 1898

The Italian Football Championship of 1898 was a major event in the footballing history of Italy. It was the first FIGC endorsed league competition which is considered an official predecessor of Serie A. It was held at Velodromo Umberto I in Turin on 8 May, all three games were played over the...

 at Velodromo Umberto I

Stadio Motovelodromo Umberto I

Velodrome Humbert I commonly known in Italian as Velodromo Umberto I, was an early cycling velodrome and, from 1898, a football ground in Turin. The velodrome was named in honour of then King Humbert I of Savoy...

 in Turin. They defeated Ginnastica Torino

R.S. Ginnastica Torino

Reale Società Ginnastica Torino is a sports club from Turin, founded on 17 March 1844. It is the oldest of its kind in Italy, it is most famous for competing in the Italian Football Championship with its football section which opened in 1897....

 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.

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 biancoblu. Genoa won their second title on 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 beat 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 FBC Torinese.

The club strip was changed again in 1901, Genoa adopted its famous red-navy halves and therefore became known as the rossoblu; these are the colours used even to this day as many other Italian club do as Cagliari, Bologna and an endless list of minor clubs. After a season of finishing runners-up to Milan Cricket and Football Club

A.C. Milan

Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...

, 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.
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

OGC Nice

Olympique Gymnaste Club Nice Côte d'Azur is a French association football club based in Nice. The club was founded in 1904 and currently plays in Ligue 1, the top-tier of French football. Nice plays its home matches at the Stade Municipal du Ray located within the city. In 2013, the club is...

, 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

Serie B

Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...

 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

U.S. Pro Vercelli Calcio

Football Club Pro Vercelli 1892, commonly known as Pro Vercelli, is an Italian association football club based in Vercelli, Piedmont. The team currently plays in Lega Pro Prima Divisione....

 stepped up.

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

Torino F.C.

Torino Football Club, commonly referred to as simply Torino, is a professional Italian football club based in Turin, Piedmont, that was founded in 1906. The club has spent most of its history in the top tier in Italian football....

 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 and some from Switzerland

Switzerland

Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....

. 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

With the introduction of the Italian national football team, Genoa played an important part, with the likes of Renzo De Vecchi

Renzo De Vecchi

Renzo De Vecchi was an Italian football player and coach who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics. As a member of the Italian Olympic squad in 1912, he played one match in the main tournament as well as two matches in the consolation tournament.He is the youngest player to play in a Serie A game...

; who was azzurri captain for some time, Edoardo Mariani and Enrico Sardi earning call-ups. Englishman William Garbutt

William Garbutt

William Thomas Garbutt born in Hazel Grove, Stockport, most commonly known as Willy Garbutt was an English football player, and later a prominent coaching figure in Italian and Spanish football after his retirement...

 was brought in as head coach to help revive the club; Garbutt was the first professional manager in Italy and he was considered to have a strong charisma, constantly smoking his tobacco pipe. He was dubbed "Mister" by the players; since then Italians have referred to coaches in general with the term.

Finally by 1914–15

Italian Football Championship 1914-15

This championship was suspended due to Italy entering the First World War.The last matches of the Northern Italy Final Round, Campania's qualification matches, the whole Southern Italy Final Round and the National Finals, were not played....

, Genoa had restored themselves as the top club from Northern Italy

Northern Italy

Northern Italy is a wide cultural, historical and geographical definition, without any administrative usage, used to indicate the northern part of the Italian state, also referred as Settentrione or Alta Italia...

, winning the final round of the Northern section. However, a national final was not played because Genoa did not have an opposition; the finals of the Southern Italian section was not decided due to the outbreak of World War I. Genoa would be awarded the title in 1919 after the end of the war, it was their first for eleven seasons. The war took a harsh toll on Genoa as players Luigi Ferraris, Adolfo Gnecco, Carlo Marassi, Alberto Sussone and Claudio Casanova

Claudio Casanova

Claudio Maurizio Casanova was an Italian professional football player.He played his only game for the Italy national football team on May 17, 1914 in a game against Switzerland....

 all died while on military duty in Italy; while footballing founder James Richardson Spensley

James Richardson Spensley

Dr James Richardson Spensley was an English doctor, footballer, manager, Scout Leader and medic from Stoke Newington, London. He is considered to be one of the "Fathers of Italian football", due to his association with Genoa CFC and his contribution to the modern day variation of the game in Italy...

 was killed in Germany.
Just after the war, Genoa remained a strong contender in the Northern section. Garbutt led Genoa to championship success in 1922–23

Italian Football Championship 1922-23

The winner was Genoa C.F.C.-Pre-league qualifications:Due to the high numbers of partecipants, the FIGC had to organize a qualification tournament, in order to reduce them to three rounds of 12 sides each.Moreover, after U.S...

 where they beat Lazio

S.S. Lazio

Società Sportiva Lazio, commonly referred to as Lazio, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. The team, founded in 1900, play in the Serie A and have spent most of their history in the top tier of Italian football...

 6–1 in the final, over the course of two legs. The following season

Italian Football Championship 1923-24

The winner was Genoa C.F.C..-Classification:-Results table:* Please note that the home teams are read down the left hand side while the away teams are indicated along the top.-Classification:-Results table:...

, Genoa made their way past Bologna

Bologna F.C. 1909

Bologna Football Club 1909, known simply as Bologna, is an Italian Football League club based in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, formed in 1993. The club are nicknamed the rossoblù because of the red and blue striped shirts they wear. Red and Blue are the official colours of the town.During its history...

 in the Northern finals, but not without controversy; after riots in the second leg during the game in Bologna

Bologna

Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...

, the game was called off due to crowd riot

Riot

A riot is a form of civil disorder characterized often by what is thought of as disorganized groups lashing out in a sudden and intense rash of violence against authority, property or people. While individuals may attempt to lead or control a riot, riots are thought to be typically chaotic and...

ing and FIGC awarded Genoa with a 2–0 victory. In the national final that season, Genoa beat Savoia

F.C. Savoia 1908

Associazione Sportiva Dilettantistica Calcio Savoia is an Italian association football club located in Torre Annunziata, Campania. It currently plays in Serie D. Its colors are all-white....

 4–1 over the course of two legs; this would be their ninth and to date final Italian championship.

The squad during these two championship victories included; Giovanni De Prà

Giovanni De Prà

Giovanni De Prà was an Italian football goalkeeper born and raised in Genoa. He played his entire footballing club career with his hometown side Genoa playing more than 300 games over the course of nearly a decade and a half.De Pra also represented his national side Italy, he was part of the squad...

, Ottavio Barbieri

Ottavio Barbieri

Ottavio Barbieri was an Italian association football midfielder and manager from Genoa. As a player he was a one club man and spent his entire career at hometown side Genoa. As a manager, in 1933/1934 season he led L'Aquila Calcio, winning 1st Division Championship and bringing the team in serie B...

, Luigi Burlando

Luigi Burlando

Luigi Burlando was an Italian football midfielder and manager from Genoa. He played all of his career in his hometown, starting off with Doria before spending a decade with Genoa....

 and Renzo De Vecchi

Renzo De Vecchi

Renzo De Vecchi was an Italian football player and coach who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics. As a member of the Italian Olympic squad in 1912, he played one match in the main tournament as well as two matches in the consolation tournament.He is the youngest player to play in a Serie A game...

. With Genoa's championship victory in 1923–24 came the introduction of the scudetto patch; which means following the season which a club wins an Italian league championship, they are allowed to wear a shield

Shield

A shield is a type of personal armor, meant to intercept attacks, either by stopping projectiles such as arrows or redirecting a hit from a sword, mace or battle axe to the side of the shield-bearer....

 shaped patch on their shirt which features the colours of the Italian flag. For the rest of the 1920s, the club did not win the championship, with the highest they were able to finish being second place, like in the 1927–28

Italian Football Championship 1927-28

The winner was Torino F.C..-Classification:-Results table:* Please note that the home teams are read down the left hand side while the away teams are indicated along the top.-Classification:-Results table:...

 season when they finished runners-up to Torino, with striker Felice Levratto scoring 20 goals in 27 games.

Genova 1893 period

Due to the strongly British connotations attached to the name, Genoa were forced to change it by the fascist government

Italian Fascism

Italian Fascism also known as Fascism with a capital "F" refers to the original fascist ideology in Italy. This ideology is associated with the National Fascist Party which under Benito Mussolini ruled the Kingdom of Italy from 1922 until 1943, the Republican Fascist Party which ruled the Italian...

 to Genova 1893 Circolo del Calcio in 1928. The club competed in a proto-European Cup in the form of the Mitropa Cup

Mitropa Cup

The Mitropa Cup, officially called the La Coupe de l'Europe Centrale was one of the first really international major European football cups for club sides...

, where they went out in the quarter-finals after losing heavily to Rapid Vienna

SK Rapid Wien

The Sportklub Rapid Wien is an Austrian football club playing in the country's capital city of Vienna. Rapid is the most popular club in Austria and also record title holder having won the Austrian national football title 32 times...

. They followed this with a runners-up position back at home in the league, they finished behind Ambrosiana

F.C. Internazionale Milano

Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...

 in the 1929–30

Serie A 1929-30

The Serie A 1929–30 was the 30th football tournament in Italy. Internazionale won its third Scudetto as Ambrosiana.-Final classification:-Results:...

 season; this would be their last top level championship runners-up spot to date.

The club's league form became highly erratic during the early 1930s, with varying league positions; it was during the 1933–34

Serie A 1933-34

-Final classification:-Results:...

 season that Genova suffered their first ever relegation to Serie B

Serie B

Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...

, 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

Novara Calcio

Novara Calcio is an Italian football club based in Novara, Piedmont.-History:In December 1908 the F.A.S. was created by eight students of Liceo Carlo Alberto, aged between 15–16 years; among them an engineer, Gianni Canestrini, and a lawyer, Piero Omodei Zorini...

. In 1936, the ambitious Juan Culiolo took over as president of the club; in 1936–37

Serie A 1936-37

-Final classification:-Results:...

 they achieved a 6th place finish and also won the Coppa Italia

Coppa Italia

The Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Roma and Juventus lead the way with nine wins. Roma has contested more finals, 16, while Torino and Juventus follow with 13...

 by beating AS Roma

A.S. Roma

Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...

 1–0 with a goal from Mario Torti.

During the following season

Serie A 1937-38

-Final classification:-Results:...

 Genova finished in third place, this was a particularly tight season with winners Ambrosiana-Inter

F.C. Internazionale Milano

Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...

 finishing only three points ahead of the club. That summer Italy

Italy national football team

The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...

 competed in the 1938 FIFA World Cup

1938 FIFA World Cup

The 1938 FIFA World Cup was the third staging of the World Cup, and was held in France from 4 June to 19 June. Italy retained the championship, beating Hungary 4–2 in the final.-Host selection:...

 and won, three Genova players formed part of the triumphant squad in the form of Sergio Bertoni

Sergio Bertoni

Sergio Bertoni was an Italian football player in striker role, and later manager.Born in Pisa, he played for Pisa Calcio and Genoa C.F.C. ....

, Mario Genta

Mario Genta

Mario Genta was an Italian football midfielder.Born in Turin, he played in the 1930s for Juventus, Prato, and Genoa. He played 223 matches in Serie A and scored 6 goals....

 and Mario Perazzolo

Mario Perazzolo

Mario Perazzolo was an Italian footballer. He was part of the 1938 FIFA World Cup-winning squad, Italy's second World Cup title. He earned 8 caps for the Italian national team in the 1930s. During his career he played for Genoa....

. The club finished the decade on a high, maintaining a top five foothold in the top level of the Italian league.

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. 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

Ottavio Barbieri

Ottavio Barbieri was an Italian association football midfielder and manager from Genoa. As a player he was a one club man and spent his entire career at hometown side Genoa. As a manager, in 1933/1934 season he led L'Aquila Calcio, winning 1st Division Championship and bringing the team in serie B...

 and William Garbutt

William Garbutt

William Thomas Garbutt born in Hazel Grove, Stockport, most commonly known as Willy Garbutt was an English football player, and later a prominent coaching figure in Italian and Spanish football after his retirement...

 returning for managerial spells. Genoa also had a new rival in the form of Sampdoria

U.C. Sampdoria

Unione Calcio Sampdoria is an Italian association football club based in Genoa. The club was formed in 1946 from the merger of two existing sports clubs whose roots can be traced back to the 1890s, Sampierdarenese and Andrea Doria...

, who were founded by a merger of two other clubs in 1946 and would groundshare at Stadio Luigi Ferraris

Stadio Luigi Ferraris

Stadio Comunale Luigi Ferraris, also known as the Marassi from the name of the ward where is located, is a multi-use stadium in Genoa, Italy. It opened in 1911 and is one of the first and oldest stadiums still in use for football and other sports in Italy.Hosts since its birth the inside of Genoa,...

.

Post-war period

After the Second World War the ability of Genoa to finish in the upper ranks of Serie A

Serie A

Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...

 declined in a significant manner; throughout the rest of the 1940s the club were middle-table finishers. The 1948–49

Serie A 1948-49

Torino were declared champions on May 6, 1949, after the Superga tragedy. Their remaining four matches were played by their reserve team.-Final classification:Note: "GD" colomn is a pure wikipedian invention...

 saw three highly significant results, Genoa beat Inter

F.C. Internazionale Milano

Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...

 4–1, the famous Grande Torino side 3–0 and Padova

Calcio Padova

Calcio Padova is an Italian football club, based in Padua, Veneto. The club was founded in 1910. Padova is playing in Serie B, having last been in Serie A in 1996...

 7–1. The 1950s started in poor fashion for the club, they had bought Argentine Mario Boyé

Mario Boyé

Mario Emilio Heriberto Boyé Auterio was an Argentine footballer. A powerful striker, he played for Boca Juniors, Racing Club de Avellaneda and Huracán in Argentina, Genoa in Italy and Millonarios in Colombia....

 from Boca Juniors

Boca Juniors

Club Atlético Boca Juniors is an Argentine sports club based in La Boca neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the Primera División....

 but he stayed only one season and the club were relegated

Serie A 1950-51

-Final classification:-Results:...

 after finishing bottom of the table, but after two seasons they achieved their return after winning Serie B, ahead of Legnano

A.C. Legnano

Associazione Calcio Legnano was an Italian football club, based in Legnano, Lombardy, that was founded in 1913. The team's colors were lilac and white. In the past Legnano have played three seasons in Italy's top league; Serie A, finishing bottom of the league each time.The club were perhaps best...

. Ragnar Nikolay Larsen

Ragnar Larsen

Ragnar Nikolay Larsen was a Norwegian football midfielder. He later became a football manager and, after actively retiring from the sport, he took up a position as a sports journalist for Aftenposten, a Norwegian newspaper.Larsen played as a midfielder and started his playing career with Sandaker...

 was a noted player for the club during this period and they sustained mid-table finishes for the rest of the decade.

Despite suffering a relegation in 1959–60

Serie B 1959-60

-Final classification:-Results:...

 and then a promotion back up to Serie A in 1961–62, Genoa had a respectable amount of cup success in the first half of the 1960s. The club won the anecdotique 'Coppa delle Alpi

Coppa delle Alpi

Coppa delle Alpi , was a football tournament, first organized by the Italian national league to start 1960 and then aided by the Swiss League in 1962 for the reason that the majority of the Alps are in Switzerland...

 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

Grenoble Foot 38

Grenoble Foot 38, commonly referred to as simply Grenoble, is a French association football club based in Grenoble, a city situated at the foot of the French Alps. The original incarnation of the club was founded in 1892 and, in 1997, was formed into the club that exists today as a result of a merger...

 by 1–0 with a goal from Nizza. Genoa won the same competition again two years later, the final was held at the Wankdorf Stadium

Wankdorf Stadium

The Wankdorf Stadium was a football stadium in the Wankdorf quarter of Bern, Switzerland, and the former home of Swiss club BSC Young Boys. It was built in 1925, and as well as serving as a club stadium, it hosted several important matches, including the 1954 FIFA World Cup Final, the 1961...

 in Berne

Berne

The city of Bern or Berne is the Bundesstadt of Switzerland, and, with a population of , the fourth most populous city in Switzerland. The Bern agglomeration, which includes 43 municipalities, has a population of 349,000. The metropolitan area had a population of 660,000 in 2000...

, Switzerland; Genoa defeated Catania

Calcio Catania

Calcio Catania is an Italian football club founded in 1908 and based in Catania, Sicily. The club has spent much of its history in Serie B, gaining promotion to Italy's top league Serie A five times...

 2–0, with both goals from Giampaolo Piaceri to take the trophy.

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 at the second tier of the Italian football system would be far longer than previous relegations, the club was unstable as it changed manager each season. Genoa even experienced their first relegation to Serie C

Serie C

The Lega Italiana Calcio Professionistico , commonly known as Lega Pro , is the governing body that runs the third and fourth highest football divisions in Italy, the Prima Divisione and Seconda Divisione respectively. It also includes the sole professional club of San Marino...

 in 1970, financially the club fell into difficulties and had several ownership changes.

Mixed times

Throughout the 1970s, Genoa would mostly play in second league. Under the management of Arturo Silvestri

Arturo Silvestri

Arturo Silvestri was an Italian professional footballer and football manager, who played as a defender.- Manager :*Cagliari**Serie C: 1961–62 *A.C. Milan**Coppa Italia: 1966–67*Genoa...

 the club made its way back to Serie A for the 1973–74

Serie A 1973-74

The 1973/1974 Serie A season was won by S.S. Lazio.-Final classification:-Results:-References and sources:*Almanacco Illustrato del Calcio - La Storia 1898-2004, Panini Edizioni, Modena, September 2005-External links:...

 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

Roberto Rosato

Roberto Rosato was an Italian footballer.He played for 15 seasons in the Serie A for A.C. Torino, A.C. Milan and Genoa C.F.C....

, Bruno Conti

Bruno Conti

Bruno Conti is an Italian ex-football player and former coach of the Serie A club Roma from 14 March 2005 to 30 June 2005. His two sons Daniele and Andrea are both professional footballers...

 and a young Roberto Pruzzo

Roberto Pruzzo

Roberto Pruzzo is an Italian former football striker, now a coach.-Biography and career:Born at Crocefieschi, in the province of Genoa, Pruzzo made his debut in professional football for Genoa in 1973. There he remained for six seasons, scoring 57 goals in 143 matches.Pruzzo passed to Roma in...

. This time they stuck it out in the top division for two seasons before succumbing to relegation in 1977–78

Serie A 1977-78

The 1977/1978 Serie A season was won by Juventus F.C..-Final classification:-Results:-References and sources:*Almanacco Illustrato del Calcio - La Storia 1898-2004, Panini Edizioni, Modena, September 2005-External links:...

; the relegation was particularly cruel as the side above them Fiorentina

ACF Fiorentina

ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as simply Fiorentina, is a professional Italian football club from Florence, Tuscany. Founded by a merger in 1926, Fiorentina have played at the top level of Italian football for the majority of their existence; only four clubs have played in more Serie A...

 surved 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.

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 AS Roma

A.S. Roma

Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...

 where he would go on to have great success. After a couple of middle-table finishes in Serie B, Genoa earned promotion during the 1980–81

Serie B 1980-81

This article contains information on the 1980-1981 season of Serie B, the second highest football league in Italy.-Final classification:-Results:-References and sources:...

 season under manager Luigi Simoni

Luigi Simoni

Luigi "Gigi" Simoni is an Italian football manager, currently in office with Gubbio of Serie B, and a former player.-Biography:Luigi Simoni was born at Crevalcore ....

, the club finished as runners-up behind only AC Milan

A.C. Milan

Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...

 who had been relegated the previous season for their part in the Totonero betting scandal.

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 SSC Napoli

S.S.C. Napoli

Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli, commonly referred to as Napoli, is a professional Italian football club based in Naples and founded in 1926. The club has spent most of its history in Serie A, where it currently plays its 2011–12 season....

 with five minutes left, until on the 85th minute Mario Faccenda scored the goal that secured the point needed by Genoa, starting a owing friendship between the two club's fans.
A couple of seasons later in 1983–84

Serie A 1983-84

The 1983/1984 Serie A season was won by Juventus F.C. It was a tight championship, won only on the last day of the season.-Final classification:-Results:-References and sources:...

 Genoa would not be so lucky, despite beating champions Juventus

Juventus F.C.

Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...

 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

S.S. Lazio

Società Sportiva Lazio, commonly referred to as Lazio, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. The team, founded in 1900, play in the Serie A and have spent most of their history in the top tier of Italian football...

; this was because Lazio had recorded better results in matches against Genoa.

European experience

The club was purchased by Calabrese

Calabria

Calabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....

 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

A.S. Bari

Associazione Sportiva Bari is an Italian football club founded in 1908, they are based in Bari, Apulia and plays in Serie B. The club have spent many seasons bouncing between the top two divisions in Italian football, Serie A and Serie B....

. Genoa, with an experienced trainer as Osvaldo Bagnoli

Osvaldo Bagnoli

Osvaldo Bagnoli is a former Italian football coach.During his long and illustrious career, he is best remembered for being the coach which led the underdogs Verona to its first Serie A title in the 1984–85 season.He has also coached a number of other Serie A teams, including Genoa and Inter.In...

 who knew how to make 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 Pato Aguilera

Carlos Aguilera

Carlos Alberto Aguilera Nova is a retired Uruguayan footballer. He began his career playing for River Plate Montevideo, from 1980 to 1982...

 and Tomáš Skuhravý

Tomáš Skuhravý

Tomáš Skuhravý is a Czech former football player.At club level, he mostly played in the Italian Serie A in the early 1990s with Genoa, being signed from Sparta Prague, forming a prolific partnership with Uruguayan Carlos Aguilera...

 among others achieved highs during the 1990–91

Serie A 1990-91

-Final classification:-Results:-Top scorers:19 goals* Gianluca Vialli 16 goals* Lothar Matthäus 15 goals* Carlos Aguilera * Tomáš Skuhravý 14 goals* Roberto Baggio...

 season where they finished fourth, remaining undefeated at home for the entire campaign, winning games against all the big sides including Juventus, Inter

F.C. Internazionale Milano

Football Club Internazionale Milano, often referred to as Internazionale or simply Inter, is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Italy. Outside Italy, the club is often called Inter Milan. They are the reigning FIFA Club World champions and Coppa Italia holders.Inter have always...

, Milan, Roma

A.S. Roma

Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...

, Lazio, Fiorentina, Napoli, as well as their local rivals Sampdoria

U.C. Sampdoria

Unione Calcio Sampdoria is an Italian association football club based in Genoa. The club was formed in 1946 from the merger of two existing sports clubs whose roots can be traced back to the 1890s, Sampierdarenese and Andrea Doria...

 who won the title that season.
Subsequently the club gained entry to the UEFA Cup

UEFA Cup

The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...

 in the 1991–92

UEFA Cup 1991-92

The UEFA Cup 1991–92 was won by Ajax on away goals over Torino.Although this was the second season since the ban on English clubs in European competitions was lifted, only one English club was entered into the 1991–92 UEFA Cup...

 season. Genoa had a good run, making it to the semi-finals before getting knocked out by Ajax, the final winners of the competition; notably Genoa did the double over Liverpool

Liverpool F.C.

Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...

 in the quarter-finals becoming the first Italian side to beat the reds at Anfield

Anfield

Anfield is an association football stadium in the district of Anfield, Liverpool, England, with a seating capacity of 45,522. It has been the home of Liverpool F.C. since their formation in 1892 and was originally the home of Everton F.C. from 1884 to 1892, before they moved to Goodison Park...

. 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. Noted Genoa players during this period included Gianluca Signorini

Gianluca Signorini

Gianluca Signorini was an Italian football player, mostly known for his time spent at Genoa C.F.C..-Career:...

, Carlos Aguilera

Carlos Aguilera

Carlos Alberto Aguilera Nova is a retired Uruguayan footballer. He began his career playing for River Plate Montevideo, from 1980 to 1982...

, Stefano Eranio

Stefano Eranio

Stefano Eranio is an Italian former football player, most remembered for his time with AC Milan and Genoa. Eranio played as a winger and represented Italy 20 times between 1990 and 1997. He was voted one of Derby County's 11 greatest ever footballers.-Clubs:Stefano Eranio started his professional...

, Roberto Onorati and John van 't Schip

John van 't Schip

Johannes Nicolaas "John" van 't Schip is a former Dutch international footballer. He is the manager for the A-League team Melbourne Heart.- Early life :Born in Fort St...

.

It has to be said that chairman Spinelli had a very different management approach from that of most businessmen turned football team 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

Carlos Aguilera

Carlos Alberto Aguilera Nova is a retired Uruguayan footballer. He began his career playing for River Plate Montevideo, from 1980 to 1982...

 and to replace him with the markedly inferior Kazuyoshi Miura

Kazuyoshi Miura

----Kazuyoshi Miura , often known simply as Kazu, is a Japanese football striker. He has played for the Japanese national team and was the first Japanese recipient of the Asian Player of the Year award in 1993, an award presented annually by the Asian Football Confederation. He is currently with...

 from the Japanese Yomiuri Verdy (a deal that especially pleased him since the Japanese sponsors were actually paying him to let Miura play in Italian Serie A).

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.

During the 1994–95 season, Genoa were narrowly relegated; they finished level on points with Padova

Calcio Padova

Calcio Padova is an Italian football club, based in Padua, Veneto. The club was founded in 1910. Padova is playing in Serie B, having last been in Serie A in 1996...

 after the normal season period. This meant a relegation play-out was to be played between the two in Florence

Florence

Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....

. The game was tied 1–1 at full time and went to a penalty shootout. Genoa eventually lost the shoot-out 5–4. While back down in Serie B, the club had another taste of international cup success when they became the final winners

1995–96 Anglo-Italian Cup

The 1995–96 Anglo-Italian Cup was the last ever Anglo-Italian Cup competition. The European football competition was played between eight clubs from England and eight clubs from Italy. Italian side Genoa lifted the trophy after beating English side Port Vale 5-2.-Format:For the competition there...

 of the Anglo-Italian Cup

Anglo-Italian Cup

The Anglo-Italian Cup is a defunct European football competition that was played intermittently between 1970 and 1996 between clubs from England and Italy. Founded by Gigi Peronace in 1970, following the success of the Anglo-Italian League Cup, it was played as a professional tournament until 1973...

 by beating Port Vale

Port Vale F.C.

Port Vale Football Club is an English football club currently playing in Football League Two. They are based in Burslem, Staffordshire — one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent. The club's traditional rivals in the city are Stoke City, and games between the two clubs are known as...

 5–2 with Gennaro Ruotolo

Gennaro Ruotolo

Gennaro Ruotolo is an Italian former footballer turned manager.-Playing career:...

 scoring a hat-trick

Hat-trick

A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...

. Chairman Spinelli sold Genoa in 1997, moving onto other clubs (Alessandria

U.S. Alessandria Calcio 1912

Unione Sportiva Alessandria Calcio 1912 is the professional Italian football club based in Alessandria, Piedmont.In the current season, it plays in Lega Pro Seconda Divisione group A.- Brief history :...

 and, currently Livorno

A.S. Livorno Calcio

Associazione Sportiva Livorno Calcio is an Italian football club based in Livorno, Tuscany. The club was formed in 1915 and currently plays in Italian Serie B. The team's colors are dark red or maroon...

). The late 1990s and early 2000s would be the most trying time in the history of the club, with constantly changing managers, a poor financial situation and little hope of gaining promotion, outside of a decent 6th place finish in 1999–00

Serie B 1999-00

This article contains information on the 1999-2000 season of Serie B, the second highest football league in Italy.-Final classification:-Results:...

. 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

Irpinia

Irpinia is a region of the Apennine Mountains around Avellino, a town in Campania, South Italy about 40 km east of Naples...

 Enrico Preziosi, already chairman of Como football club he previously owned.

Recent times

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

Serie B

Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...

 to 24 teams. Things started to look up for Genoa; they won Serie B

Serie B

Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...

 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

Serie C1

Lega Pro Prima Divisione is the name of the third highest football league in Italy. It consists of 36 teams, divided geographically into two divisions of 18 teams each. Until 2008 it was known as Serie C1....

 on 27 July 2005.

For their season in Serie C1 for 2005–06

Serie C1 2005-06

The 2005–06 Serie C1 was the football league season of Italian Serie C1 for the years 2005 and 2006. It was divided into two phases: the regular season, played from August 28, 2005 to May 7, 2006, and the playoff phase. Once the regular season was over teams placed 2nd to 5th entered a playoff to...

, Genoa were hit with a six point penalty from the previous season. After leading for much of they season, they eventually finished as runners-up and were entered into the play-offs, beating Monza

A.C. Monza Brianza 1912

Associazione Calcio Monza Brianza 1912 is an Italian football club based in Monza, Lombardy.Founded in 1912, Monza currently plays in Lega Pro Prima Divisione group A, having last been in Serie B in 2000. Monza spent the last few years in Serie C1 and Serie C2.-History:Monza was founded on 1...

 2–1 on aggregate to achieve promotion back into Serie B

Serie B

Serie B, currently named Serie bwin due to sponsorship reasons, is the second-highest division in the Italian football league system after the Serie A. It is contested by 22 teams and organized by the Lega Serie B since July 2010, after the split of Lega Calcio that previously took care of both the...

. During the summer break Gian Piero Gasperini

Gian Piero Gasperini

Gian Piero Gasperini is an Italian football coach.He has been nicknamed "Gasperson" after Enrico Preziosi, president of Genoa, claimed Gasperini to be their Ferguson.- Playing :...

 was brought in as the new manager, he helped the club to gain promotion during the 2006–07

Serie B 2006-07

The 2006-07 Serie B season started on September 9, 2006 and ended on June 10, 2007. The 22 clubs in Serie B each played 42 matches during the regular season....

 season, it was ensured on the last day of the season where they drew a 0–0 with Napoli

S.S.C. Napoli

Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli, commonly referred to as Napoli, is a professional Italian football club based in Naples and founded in 1926. The club has spent most of its history in Serie A, where it currently plays its 2011–12 season....

, both clubs were happily promoted back into Serie A

Serie A

Serie A , now called Serie A TIM due to sponsorship by Telecom Italia, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Italian football league system and has been operating for over eighty years since 1929. It had been organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new...

.

The first Serie A championship played by Genoa in 12 years saw it finishing at a respectable tenth place, right after the "big ones" of Italian football. A careful summer market session saw president Preziosi strengthening the core of the team while parting from some players on favourable economical terms (for example selling striker Marco Borriello

Marco Borriello

Marco Borriello is an Italian footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Roma. He has previously played for other Italian clubs, including Milan, Sampdoria, Treviso, Reggina, Empoli, Triestina, and Genoa.-Early career:...

 to Milan

A.C. Milan

Associazione Calcio Milan, commonly referred to as A.C. Milan or simply Milan , is a professional Italian football club based in Milan, Lombardy, that plays in the Serie A. Milan was founded in 1899 by English lace-maker Herbert Kilpin and businessman Alfred Edwards among others...

 for a hefty sum). Genoa's aims for the 2008–2009 season were set on a UEFA Cup spot. This was achieved after a strong season which saw the team besting traditional powerhouses like Juventus F.C.

Juventus F.C.

Juventus Football Club S.p.A. , commonly referred to as Juventus and colloquially as Juve , are a professional Italian association football club based in Turin, Piedmont...

, Roma

A.S. Roma

Associazione Sportiva Roma, commonly referred to as simply Roma, is a professional Italian football club based in Rome. Founded by a merger in 1927, Roma have participated in the top-tier of Italian football for all of their existence but one season in the early 50s...

 and Milan, and winning both derbies against Sampdoria, with Diego Milito

Diego Milito

Diego Alberto Milito is an Argentine footballer who plays as a striker for the Italian Serie A team Internazionale. He also plays for the Argentine national team. A prolific and consistent center-forward, Milito has statistically averaged just over a goal every two appearances, over the course of...

 finishing among the top scorers of the championship. Genoa lost Milito and midfielder Thiago Motta

Thiago Motta

Thiago Motta Santon Olivares , known as Thiago Motta, is a Brazilian-born Italian footballer who plays as a central midfielder for Serie A club Internazionale....

 to Inter, but was able to bring striker Hernan Crespo

Hernán Crespo

Hernán Jorge Crespo is an Argentine footballer who plays for Parma in the Italian Serie A. Crespo has scored over 300 goals in a career spanning 18 years. His honors include an Olympic Games silver medal, a Copa Libertadores, an English Premier League title and three Scudettos. He was topscorer in...

. Howewer, they invested the considerable revenue (circa 40 millions Euro) in a great expansion of its ranks.

Things however didn't go as planned, with the injury-plagued team eliminated in the early stages of Europa League and Coppa Italia and reaching a rather disappointing 9th place in Serie A.

2010-2011 saw Genoa, whose ranks had been revolutionised once again save for some long-serving players, struggle along in the mid-positions of the League; a slew of questionable results early in the season led President Preziosi to fire trainer Gian Piero Gasperini

Gian Piero Gasperini

Gian Piero Gasperini is an Italian football coach.He has been nicknamed "Gasperson" after Enrico Preziosi, president of Genoa, claimed Gasperini to be their Ferguson.- Playing :...

 (which had led the team since 2007-2008) and to select Davide Ballardini

Davide Ballardini

Davide Ballardini is an Italian association football manager who is currently the head coach at Serie A club Cagliari...

 as his successor. The newcomer, despite not securing memorable successes, kept the team steadily afloat in the "left part" of the ranking, managing to win two consecutive derbys against U.C. Sampdoria

U.C. Sampdoria

Unione Calcio Sampdoria is an Italian association football club based in Genoa. The club was formed in 1946 from the merger of two existing sports clubs whose roots can be traced back to the 1890s, Sampierdarenese and Andrea Doria...

 in December and May.

Current squad

Out on loan 2011–12

Returning from loan

Loan deals expired on 30 June 2011

Retired numbers

• 6 –   Gianluca Signorini
  Gianluca Signorini
  Gianluca Signorini was an Italian football player, mostly known for his time spent at Genoa C.F.C..-Career:...
  
  , sweeper, 1988–1995

• 12 – The fans of Gradinata Nord, "the twelfth man"

Notable players

Presidential history

Below is the endless presidential history of Genoa, from when the club was first founded playing cricket and athletics, until the present day.

Managerial history

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.
then Renzo De Vecchi

Renzo De Vecchi

Renzo De Vecchi was an Italian football player and coach who competed in the 1912 Summer Olympics. As a member of the Italian Olympic squad in 1912, he played one match in the main tournament as well as two matches in the consolation tournament.He is the youngest player to play in a Serie A game...

| 
 
|align=left|1934–35
|-
|align=left|György Orth
| 
|align=left|1935–36
|-
|align=left|Hermann Felsner

Hermann Felsner

Hermann Felsner also known as Ermanno Fellsner, was an Austrian football player and manager from Vienna.-Club career:...

| 
|align=left|1936–37
|-
|align=left|William Garbutt

William Garbutt

William Thomas Garbutt born in Hazel Grove, Stockport, most commonly known as Willy Garbutt was an English football player, and later a prominent coaching figure in Italian and Spanish football after his retirement...

| 
|align=left|1937–39
|-
|align=left|Ottavio Barbieri

Ottavio Barbieri

Ottavio Barbieri was an Italian association football midfielder and manager from Genoa. As a player he was a one club man and spent his entire career at hometown side Genoa. As a manager, in 1933/1934 season he led L'Aquila Calcio, winning 1st Division Championship and bringing the team in serie B...

William Garbutt

William Garbutt

William Thomas Garbutt born in Hazel Grove, Stockport, most commonly known as Willy Garbutt was an English football player, and later a prominent coaching figure in Italian and Spanish football after his retirement...

| 
 
|align=left|1939–40
|-
|align=left|Ottavio Barbieri

Ottavio Barbieri

Ottavio Barbieri was an Italian association football midfielder and manager from Genoa. As a player he was a one club man and spent his entire career at hometown side Genoa. As a manager, in 1933/1934 season he led L'Aquila Calcio, winning 1st Division Championship and bringing the team in serie B...

| 
|align=left|1940–41
|-
|align=left|Guido Ara

Guido Ara

Guido Ara was an Italian association footballer and manager from Vercelli in the region of Piedmont. He is most noted for his playing career at Pro Vercelli where he was a one club man, winning six Serie A titles; during the club's entire history they only won seven...

| 
|align=left|1941–43
|-
|align=left|Ottavio Barbieri

Ottavio Barbieri

Ottavio Barbieri was an Italian association football midfielder and manager from Genoa. As a player he was a one club man and spent his entire career at hometown side Genoa. As a manager, in 1933/1934 season he led L'Aquila Calcio, winning 1st Division Championship and bringing the team in serie B...

then József Viola
| 
 
|align=left|1945–46
|-
|align=left|William Garbutt

William Garbutt

William Thomas Garbutt born in Hazel Grove, Stockport, most commonly known as Willy Garbutt was an English football player, and later a prominent coaching figure in Italian and Spanish football after his retirement...

| 
|align=left|1946–48
|-
|align=left|Federico Allasio

Federico Allasio

Federico Allasio was an Italian footballer who was midfielder and manager from Turin. He started his footballing career with hometown side Torino, before going on to play for Genoa and Suzzara.-References:...

| 
|align=left|1948–49
|-
|align=left|John David Astley
then John David Astley and Federico Allasio

Federico Allasio

Federico Allasio was an Italian footballer who was midfielder and manager from Turin. He started his footballing career with hometown side Torino, before going on to play for Genoa and Suzzara.-References:...

then Manlio Bacigalupo

Manlio Bacigalupo

Manlio Bacigalupo was an Italian association football goalkeeper and manager from Vado Ligure, Savona. Over the course of his career he played for five sides, spending the most of his time with Genoa and Venezia....

| 
 
 
|align=left|1949–50
|-
|align=left|Manlio Bacigalupo

Manlio Bacigalupo

Manlio Bacigalupo was an Italian association football goalkeeper and manager from Vado Ligure, Savona. Over the course of his career he played for five sides, spending the most of his time with Genoa and Venezia....

| 
|align=left|1950–51
|-
|align=left|Imre Senkey

Imre Senkey

Imre Senkey was a Hungarian football player and manager, who spent the majority of his managerial time in Italy. Senkey managed some of the top clubs in Italian football such as Roma, Torino, Fiorentina and Genoa.-References:...

then Valentino Sala

Valentino Sala

Valentino Sala was an Italian professional football player and coach.His younger brother Costantino Sala played in the Serie A for Ambrosiana-Inter in the 1930s. To distinguish them, Valentino was referred to as Sala I and Costantino as Sala II.-External links:*...

 and Giacinto Ellena
| 
 
|align=left|1951–52
|-
|align=left|Giacinto Ellena
| 
|align=left|1952–53
|-
|align=left|György Sárosi
then Lino Bonilauri
| 
 
|align=left|1953–55
|-
|align=left|Renzo Magli
| 
|align=left|1955–58
|-
|align=left|Annibale Frossi

Annibale Frossi

Annibale Frossi was an Italian footballer.Frossi is perhaps best known for wearing correctional glasses during his playing years after suffering from myopia from when he was a child...

| 
|align=left|1958–59
|-
|align=left|Antonio Busini

Antonio Busini

Antonio Busini was an Italian professional football player, coach and official.He played for 8 seasons in the Serie A for Bologna F.C...

Gipo Poggi
then Jesse Carver

Jesse Carver

Jesse Carver was an English footballer, best remembered for his enlightened management of some of Europe's finest clubs.-Biography:...

then Annibale Frossi

Annibale Frossi

Annibale Frossi was an Italian footballer.Frossi is perhaps best known for wearing correctional glasses during his playing years after suffering from myopia from when he was a child...

| 
 
 
 
|align=left|1959–60
|-
|align=left|Annibale Frossi

Annibale Frossi

Annibale Frossi was an Italian footballer.Frossi is perhaps best known for wearing correctional glasses during his playing years after suffering from myopia from when he was a child...

| 
|align=left|1960–61
|-
|align=left|Renato Gei
| 
|align=left|1961–63
|-
|align=left|Beniamino Santos
| 
|align=left|1963–64
|-
|align=left|Paulo Amaral

Paulo Amaral

Paulo Lima Amaral commonly known as just Paulo Amaral is a former Brazil footballer and coach. He is most famous for his time as a coach of Juventus of Italy. He was also Fitness Coach of the Brazilian World Cup Winner Team in 1958.-External links:...

then Roberto Lerici

Roberto Lerici

Roberto Lerici was an Italian professional football player and coach.-External links:*...

| 
 
|align=left|1964–65
|-
|align=left|Luigi Bonizzoni
| 
|align=left|1965–66
|-
|align=left|Giorgio Ghezzi

Giorgio Ghezzi

Giorgio Ghezzi , nicknamed "Kamikaze", was an Italian football player.Born at Cesenatico, he started his career at Rimini and Modena, then played at Internazionale as goalkeeper for 7 years, from 1951 to 1958, for 191 total matches...

then Paolo Tabanelli
| 
 
|align=left|1966–67
|-
|align=left|Livio Fongaro

Livio Fongaro

Livio Fongaro was an Italian professional football player and coach.-External links:* -References:...

then Aldo Campatelli
| 
 
|align=left|1967–68
|-
|align=left|Aldo Campatelli
then Aldo Campatelli and Maurizio Bruno
| 
 
|align=left|1968–69
|-
|align=left|Franco Viviani
then Maurizio Bruno and Lino Bonilauri
then Aredio Gimona

Aredio Gimona

Aredio Gimona was an Italian professional football player and coach.-External links:*...

 and Lino Bonilauri
| 
 
 
|align=left|1969–70
|}
|width="30"| 
|valign="top"|

Name	Nationality	Years
Arturo Silvestri Arturo Silvestri Arturo Silvestri was an Italian professional footballer and football manager, who played as a defender.- Manager :*Cagliari**Serie C: 1961–62 *A.C. Milan**Coppa Italia: 1966–67*Genoa...		1970–74
Guido Vincenzi Guido Vincenzi Guido Vincenzi was an Italian football player.Just after reaching twenty-one years of age he left Reggiana, which was in Serie C, made his way to Inter, the Italian champions at the time, and in three months made his Serie A debut...		1974–75
Gigi Simoni Luigi Simoni Luigi "Gigi" Simoni is an Italian football manager, currently in office with Gubbio of Serie B, and a former player.-Biography:Luigi Simoni was born at Crevalcore ....		1975–78
Pietro Maroso then Ettore Puricelli Ettore Puricelli Héctor "Ettore" Puricelli was an footballer player and manager. Born in Uruguay, he represented Italy at international level... then Gianni Bui Gianni Bui Gianni Alessio Bui is an Italian professional football coach and a former player.He played 11 seasons in the Serie A for S.S. Lazio, SPAL 1907, Bologna F.C. 1909, Hellas Verona F.C., Torino Calcio and A.C...		1978–79
Gianni Di Marzio		1979–80
Gigi Simoni Luigi Simoni Luigi "Gigi" Simoni is an Italian football manager, currently in office with Gubbio of Serie B, and a former player.-Biography:Luigi Simoni was born at Crevalcore ....		1980–84
Tarcisio Burgnich Tarcisio Burgnich Tarcisio Burgnich is a former Italian football defender.After short spells at Udinese, Juventus and Palermo, it was with Internazionale that he found his spiritual home in the 1960s...		1984–86
Attilio Perotti		1986–87
Gigi Simoni Luigi Simoni Luigi "Gigi" Simoni is an Italian football manager, currently in office with Gubbio of Serie B, and a former player.-Biography:Luigi Simoni was born at Crevalcore .... then Attilio Perotti		1987–88
Franco Scoglio		1988–90
Osvaldo Bagnoli Osvaldo Bagnoli Osvaldo Bagnoli is a former Italian football coach.During his long and illustrious career, he is best remembered for being the coach which led the underdogs Verona to its first Serie A title in the 1984–85 season.He has also coached a number of other Serie A teams, including Genoa and Inter.In...		1990–92
Bruno Giorgi Bruno Giorgi (footballer) Bruno Giorgi was an Italian football player and manager.-Biography:After a unremarkable career with teams such as Palermo and Reggiana, Giorgi became a football coach... then Luigi Maifredi Luigi Maifredi Luigi Maifredi , commonly known as Gigi Maifredi, is an Italian football manager from Lograto in the Province of Brescia... then Claudio Maselli Claudio Maselli Claudio Maselli is an Italian professional former footballer and manager.-Footballer:As a footballer, he played several seasons in Serie A for Genoa and Bologna.-Coach:...		1992–93
Claudio Maselli Claudio Maselli Claudio Maselli is an Italian professional former footballer and manager.-Footballer:As a footballer, he played several seasons in Serie A for Genoa and Bologna.-Coach:... then Franco Scoglio		1993–94
Franco Scoglio then Giuseppe Marchioro Giuseppe Marchioro Giuseppe Marchioro is an Italian professional former footballer and manager.-Footballer:As a footballer, he grew up in A.C. Milan youth team, winning a Torneo di Viareggio in 1957. Later, he played only in lower Italian categories... then Claudio Maselli Claudio Maselli Claudio Maselli is an Italian professional former footballer and manager.-Footballer:As a footballer, he played several seasons in Serie A for Genoa and Bologna.-Coach:...		1994–95
Gigi Radice then Gaetano Salvemini Gaetano Salvemini Gaetano Salvemini was an Italian anti-fascist politician, historian and writer.- Biography :Salvemini was born in Molfetta, Apulia....		1995–96
Attilio Perotti		1996–97
Gaetano Salvemini Gaetano Salvemini Gaetano Salvemini was an Italian anti-fascist politician, historian and writer.- Biography :Salvemini was born in Molfetta, Apulia....		1997
Claudio Maselli Claudio Maselli Claudio Maselli is an Italian professional former footballer and manager.-Footballer:As a footballer, he played several seasons in Serie A for Genoa and Bologna.-Coach:...		1997
Tarcisio Burgnich Tarcisio Burgnich Tarcisio Burgnich is a former Italian football defender.After short spells at Udinese, Juventus and Palermo, it was with Internazionale that he found his spiritual home in the 1960s...		1997–98
Giuseppe Pillon Giuseppe Pillon Giuseppe "Bepi" Pillon is an Italian association football and former manager of Empoli in Serie B.-Player:...		1998
Luigi Cagni Luigi Cagni Luigi "Gigi" Cagni is an Italian football former player and current manager of Vicenza in Serie B.- Player :Cagni, a defender, made his Serie A debut for Brescia in 1970, in a league match lost 4-0 to Cagliari...		1998
Delio Rossi Delio Rossi Delio Rossi is an Italian association football manager, currently managing Fiorentina.-Playing career:Rossi's playing career was not a bright one, as he reached his personal top from 1981 to 1983, playing Serie B with U.S. Foggia, where he spent most of his footballing time...		1999–00
Bruno Bolchi Bruno Bolchi Bruno Bolchi is an Italian retired football manager and former player.-Playing:Bolchi, a midfielder, made his debut at the age of 18 with F.C. Internazionale Milano in a Serie A away match lost 1-0 to S.S.C. Napoli on May 18, 1958...		2000
Guido Carboni Guido Carboni Guido Carboni is an Italian football manager of Empoli and a former player.He is the brother of former Italian international footballer Amedeo Carboni.-Playing career:... Alfredo Magni		2000–01
Bruno Bolchi Bruno Bolchi Bruno Bolchi is an Italian retired football manager and former player.-Playing:Bolchi, a midfielder, made his debut at the age of 18 with F.C. Internazionale Milano in a Serie A away match lost 1-0 to S.S.C. Napoli on May 18, 1958...		2001
Claudio Onofri		2001
Franco Scoglio		2001
Edoardo Reja Edoardo Reja Edoardo "Edy" Reja is an Italian football coach and former player, currently managing Lazio in the Italian Serie A. Born in Italy to Slovenian parents, Reja speaks Slovene and Italian. He is also fluent in Friulan....		2001–02
Claudio Onofri		2002
Vincenzo Torrente Rino Lavezzini		2003
Roberto Donadoni Roberto Donadoni Roberto Donadoni is an Italian football manager and former player, last in charge of Serie A club Cagliari.An attacking midfielder or winger known for pace and technique, he was a pillar of the powerhouse AC Milan teams of the late 1980s and early 1990s and one of the pioneers of Major League...		2003
Luigi De Canio Luigi De Canio Luigi "Gigi" De Canio is an Italian football manager and former player.-Player:De Canio, a full back, played mostly with Serie C1 and Serie C2 teams, his lone season in Serie B being 1979–80 with Matera, marking his debut in the division on September 16, 1979 against Genoa...		2004
Serse Cosmi Serse Cosmi However, after a disappointing series of results, including elimination in Champions League and results in Serie A much below the expected results, Cosmi was finally fired on February 10, 2006.-Brescia and Livorno:...		2004–05
Francesco Guidolin Francesco Guidolin Francesco Guidolin is an Italian football manager and former player, currently serving as head coach of Serie A outfit Udinese.-Playing career:...		2005
Giovanni Vavassori Giovanni Vavassori Giovanni Vavassori is an Italian football manager and former centre back, last in charge of Verona.-Playing:... then Attilio Perotti then Giovanni Vavassori Giovanni Vavassori Giovanni Vavassori is an Italian football manager and former centre back, last in charge of Verona.-Playing:...		2005–06
Gian Piero Gasperini Gian Piero Gasperini Gian Piero Gasperini is an Italian football coach.He has been nicknamed "Gasperson" after Enrico Preziosi, president of Genoa, claimed Gasperini to be their Ferguson.- Playing :...		2006–2010
Davide Ballardini Davide Ballardini Davide Ballardini is an Italian association football manager who is currently the head coach at Serie A club Cagliari...		2010–2011
Alberto Malesani Alberto Malesani Alberto Malesani is an Italian association football manager, currently in charge of Genoa.-Early career and breakthrough at Chievo:...		2011-

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