Olivera + ? make Genoa ready for next season

Ruben Olivera at the right after a goal with Juventus

Tonight both father Enrico Preziosi and son Fabrizio Preziosi spoke in an interview about the situation with Genoa, 1 week before the first training at 16th July in Liguria. Both confirmed that another 2 new players will arrive: a stand in to central forward Lucho Figueroa which will be 99% sure the Uruguayan player Ruben Olivera. The old player of Juventus and Sampdoria is 25 years old and 1.82 meters high. He arrived from Uruguay in Italy at the age of 19 in the Juventus Primavera team of Mr. Gasperini who still believes in the capacities and mentality of the international player (22 matches with Uruguay’s national team) who had some bad periods the last years. 

The other new arrival certainly is a big and experienced central defender. 2 players are favorite: Maurizo Domizzi of Napoli and Dario Dainelli of Fiorentina. Will be continued..

Tropheo Spagnolo: Genoa – AZ Alkmaar

At Wednesday 13th August in the yearly match to remember the killed Genoa-supporter Vincenzo Claudio Spagnolo the team of Mr. Gasperini plays against the Dutch team AZ Alkmaar. The team of the Cheese-city 40 kilometers Northwest of Amsterdam is in the hands of the famous ex-coach of Ajax and Barcelona: Louis van Gaal.

Louis van Gaal during the winning Champions League final against Milan (Vienna 1995) 

Also the 2 assistent coaches were succesful with Ajax in the 90’s: Patrick Kluivert (only goalscorer in the Champions League final against Milan in 1995, 4 months after the killing of Spagnolo) and Shota Arveladze. AZ Alkmaar has a very young talented team that was close to the Dutch title in the years 2005-2006 + 2006-2007. Last year the club was not so succesful with the 11th position in the standings. The team always tries to play attractive and offensive football and has 3 famous players: Demy de Zeeuw (Dutch international), Graziano Pellè and Moussa Dembélé.

Steve Pinau, Genoa beats Monaco + Man. City

Steve Pinau, 20 years old French striker

Unless the fact he played only 14 minutes in the first team of A.S. Monaco we can say that Genoa bought a very talented striker. Thanks to Federico Pastorello, son of the technical director of Genoa, our Rossoblu club surprised A.S. Monaco and Manchester City that both wanted to offer a contract to the 20 years old youngster. With the Monagask team Pinau only had an ending youth contract, which means that Pinau arrives without a transfersum in Genova. A.S. Monaco is not happy with the clash of Genoa and annulated the arranged friendly match that should take place next month.

Palladino signs contract; 3 Olympic Genoani

Raffaele Palladino at Genoa’s headquarters (grazie sito Genoa CFC)

Today was finally the presentation of our biggest transfer so far this summer: Raffaele Palladino signed his 4 years contract with Genoa. The very talented wing-striker is now 50% owned by both Genoa and Juventus. The 24 years old player was raised in the youth of Juventus in the hands of Mr. Gasperini. Despite his 24 years he already played 48 matches in Serie A (26 with Juventus, 22 with Livorno) and 64 in Serie B (25 with Juventus, 39 with Salernitana). Till now Raffaele scored 4 times in Serie A and 23 goals in B. 

Also today new arrival Abdelkader Ghezzal was sold to Siena within the deal that also brought Manuel Coppola to Siena (Thanks for all Coppolino, our Genoano of the year 2005-2006) and did return the complete ownership of 19 years old toptalent Fernando Forestieri to Genoa. Forestieri will be hired to Siena next season.

The coach of the Italian Olympic team Casiraghi today published his list with the 22 players that play in the Azzuro shirt at the Olympics. On the list are the 2 talented defenders of Genoa: Salvatore Bocchetti and Domenico Criscito. It is almost sure that Anthony Vanden Borre also will be convocated in the Olympic team of Belgium, which means that 3 Genoani are present in China at the Olympic games.

Who is the new leader of our defence ?

Maurizo Domizzi (Napoli)  Dario Dainelli (Fiorentina)  Marco Rossi (Parma)

After our central-defenders Bovo (Palermo) and De Rosa (end of contract) left Genoa, Mr. Gasperini and his staff are searching to find 2 substitutes. Youngster Bocchetti is the first arrival, so the second one should be more experienced.

The first candidate is Maurizo Domizzi, the central-defender of Napoli who wants to return to the North of Italy because of his family. Untill now Napoli asks too much money, but today the old team of Maradona went without Maurizio to the trainingscamp in Austria. Maybe this is a sign that the transfer is nearby.

The second candidate is Dario Dainelli, the tall and experienced captain of Fiorentina. This year Fiorentina wants to make the step to the top of Europe and they think they need a new central defender with more international experience. At the moment Fiorentina contracted their international player they sell Dainelli. 

The last option is Marco Rossi, indeed the player with the same name as our captain. The young defender plays with Parma that relegated to Serie B last season and the youth-international wants to stay in Serie A. Maybe Marco Rossi can be changed with Leon because our forward is very popular with Parma.  

Preziosi can’t stop: Mesto arrival nr. 10

Giandomenico Mesto, 26 years old right-defensive player

Yesterday a Genoa-supporter wrote on the internetsite: www.grifoni.net that he would buy 2 season-tickets if Genoa after the 9 already bought players also would buy Giandomenico Mesto of Reggina. Tomorrow he can go to the ticket-office in Stadio Luigi Ferraris, because this afternoon Mr. Preziosi again made coach Gian Piero Gasperini happy. Mesto is 26 years old and can play both as right defender and right midfielder. The experienced player (the last 5 years he played 165 matches in Serie A) played last season with Udinese after 4 years with Reggina that bought him back of Udinese (with the money of Genoa ?) yesterday. Besides 165 matches in Serie A, Giandomenico also played 3 matches in the Italian national team. As a part of the deal defender Santos and midfieldplayer Fabiano leave Genoa to play with Reggina next season.

Tonight on the radio Pinuccio Brenzini told the listeners that in a short time Genoa hopes to buy the last (?) 2 players of this summer: a big central defender (Dainelli, captain of Fiorentina ?) and a stand in to Lucho Figueroa. Will be continued …

Today: Raffaele Palladino arrived in Genova

Raffaele Palladino, 24 years old wingstriker

After weeks of speculation and problems between the player and Juventus, today Raffaele Palladino finally arived in Genova to have his medical test and to make the transfer official. Genoa now owns 50% of one of the most talented strikers of Italy and payed around € 5,5 millions for that. The 24 years old player is the 9th new player this summer. Untill now Mr. Preziosi brought the following players to Genoa:

defenders: Giuseppe Biava (31), Salvatore Bocchetti (21), Alessandro Potenza (24)

midfielders: Francesco Modesto (26) and Francesco Renzetti (20)

strikers: Andrea Gasbarroni (26), Davide di Gennaro (20), Abdelkader Ghezzal (23) and Raffaele Palladino (24)

Besides the above mentioned players Genoa also bought back the last year sold 50% of Fernando Forestieri. Genoa now again completely owns the big talent that is hired to Siena next season. Probably Abdelkader Ghezzal goes with him to Toscany.

Francesco Renzetti returns to Genoa after he was hired to Lucchese

Belgium Anthony Vanden Borre 100% Genoano

20 years old Belgium defensive midfieldplayer Anthony Vanden Borre 

The 20 years old talented Belgium defensive midfieldplayer Anthony Vanden Borre who arrived last January with Genoa and played only 164 minutes in the Rossoblu team last season stays with Genoa. Today Genoa’s president Enrico Preziosi bought the other 50% of the player which was still in the hands of Fiorentina. Coach Mr. Gasperini believes in the progression of the French-speaking ex-player of Anderlecht and Fiorentina. Let’s hope as the official Genoa supportersclub in Belgium (and Holland) we can have an interview with big Anthony next season.

 Preziosi already bought 8 new players this summer

As written before also Raffaele Palladino, Matteo Paro and Domenico Criscito play with Genoa next season. The new team of Mr. Gasperini at the moment, 3 weeks before the first training, only misses a big central defender (Domizzi of Napoli ?) and a substitute to central-forward Lucho Figueroa (Olivera of Juventus ? Cacia of Fiorentina ?)

Bocchetti + Biava arrived; Palladino monday

Salvatore Bocchetti, 21 years old Defender of the Olympic team of Italy  Giuseppe Biava, 31 years old defender

After the arrival of Francesco Modesto (26 years), Davide di Gennaro (20), Andrea Gasbarroni (26), Alessandro Potenza (24) and Abdelkader Ghezzal (23) this week arrived again 2 new players: Salvatore Bocchetti (21) and Giuseppe Biava (31).

The young talented defender Bocchetti, bought from Frosinone in Serie B, signed a 5 year contract with Genoa. This summer he plays together with Domenico Criscito in the defence of the Italian team at the Olympic games in China. Giuseppe Biava arrived as a part of the deal of Bovo with Palermo. The 31 years old defender played the last 4 seasons in Serie A with the pink team of Sicily.

 Raffaele Palladino, 23 years old wing-striker of Juventus

Monday finally Raffaele Palladino arives at Genoa’s headquarters in Pegli to sign his 4 years contract with our club. Part of the deal with Juventus is also the remaining of Matteo Paro (definitively) and Domenico Criscito (another year) with Genoa and probably the arrival of the striker Ruben Olivera.