Category: News

Again historical victory: Reggina-Genoa 0-1

Thiago Motta scores in the 77th minute the only goal

What a great season 2008-2009 ! After 3 draws in San Siro, home-victories against Milan, Roma and Sampdoria, the historical victory after 35 years in Cagliari also today Genoa wrote history. For the second time ever and the first time in 37 years Genoa booked a victory in Stadio Granillo in Reggina: 0-1.

At the moment the match started Fiorentina was on the fourth place in the standings after their victory (again in the last minute) in Bergamo against Atalanta, so Genoa had to win to take back the Champions-league position. Because of injuries Mr. Gasperini had to start without Milito (stayed in Genova) and Motta (on the bench), two of our most important players this season. After Genoa missed several big chances to open the score in the 68th minute our coach changed the team and the tactics by substituting central-forward Ruben Olivera by playmaker Thiago Motta. As often the tactical change of Gasperini was brilliant, especially because within 10 minutes Motta scored the only goal after a great cross of Palladino. In the minutes after the goal Genoa frooze the match and goalkeeper Rubinho hardly never was in danger to keep his goal clean for the third time in a row.

Motta and Milanetto our 2 playmakers celebrate together the winning goal in Reggina

Genoa with Motta + 400 fans to R. Calabria

Thiago Motta, 26 years old Brasilian playmaker of Genoa

Tomorrow at the 30th playround of Serie A Genoa plays 1191 kilometers away in the deep South of Italy against the number last of the standings: Reggina. Despite the position of Reggina it will be a very difficult match, because Genoa did win only once (1972-1973) in the 14 played matches in Reggio Calabria. Our trainer Mr. Gasperini selected the following 19 players that will have the support of 400 Genoa-supporters who leave the Capital of Ligurië later tonight by several coaches and a special train:

Goalkeepers: Lamanna, Rubinho

Defenders: Biava, Bocchetti, Criscito, Ferrari, Sokratis

Midfielders: Costantini, Juric, Mesto, Milanetto, Modesto, Thiago Motta, Vanden Borre

Strikers: El Shaarawy, Jankovic, Olivera, Palladino, Sculli

Within the selection of 19 players are 3 youngsters: Lamanna, Constantini and El Shaarawy who misses the Primavera-derby tomorrow. Also Thiago Motta flew with the team towards Reggio Calabria but it still is dubious if the Brasilian can play tomorrow in the team that misses banned Marco Rossi and the injured: Scarpi, Paro and Milito.

Diego Milito gets injured with Argentina

Diego Milito celebrates his equalizer in San Siro against A.C. Milan (1-1)

Today a shock went through the Genoa-family. Our topscorer and most popular player Diego Milito got injured Saturday-night during the match Argentina-Venezuela (4-0). Diego got injured at his right thigh leg and probably the muscle is teared. Genoa wants our striker to come back from Argentina as soon as possible to know more about the injury and to start the recovering as soon as possible. The first diagnose says that Diego can not play the next 3 or 4 weeks, while the derby is in 5 weeks. In the meanwhile Olivera, Jankovic and Palladino can substitute Diego as central-forward just as during the last injury of Milito when Genoa did win all 3 matches against Chievo, Torino and Lecce.

Thiago Motta wants to stay with our Genoa !

Thiago Motta (ex-Barcelona)

Our Brasilian central midfieldplayer Thiago Motta is healthy again and can play next week against Reggina. This week the agent of Thiago Motta told the press that our playmaker wants to play with A.S. Roma in the future. Our president Enrico Preziosi reacted furiously because Thiago Motta just 6 months ago signed a 4 years contract with Genoa after many clubs refused to give him a contract because of his fysical problems. Preziosi took the risk and he is te winner, but of course does not want to lose such an important player after only 1 season. The next day Thiago Motta, his agent and A.S. Roma said sorry to Preziosi, while our Brasilian player also said that he wants to stay with Genoa.  

This weekend 5 Genoani play with their National Team to reach the World-Cup in South-Africa next year. Diego Milito plays with Argentina against Venezuela (and Wednesday in La Paz, Boliva on top of the world), Bosko Jankovic plays with Servia in and against Romania, Sokratis Papastathopoulos defends Greece in Israel, Ivan Juric plays Wednesday with Croatia in Andorra and our talented defender Salvatore Bocchetti (who refused this week to play with Juventus next year) is selected for the first time in the Squadra Azzuri to play today in Montenegro and Wednesday at home against Ireland.

Salvatore Bocchetti with only 22 years one of the youngest players in the Italian National team

Sculli + Milito refind the goal: 2-0 (Udinese)

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Giuseppe Sculli did score his latest goal at 18th January in Lecce, while Diego Milito scored 15th February his 15th and last goal against Fiorentina. Today our goalscoring couple refound the goal by scoring in the 2nd half against Udinese: 2-0.

It must be said, today we had nothing to complain about referee Ayroldi. In the 15th minute of the second half Juric stopped striker Floro Flores of Udinese in the Genoa penaltyarea and Ayroldi could whistle a penalty, but he did not and 30 seconds later Giuseppe Sculli scored the opening-goal at the other side of the field. After 6 annulated regular goals of Genoa so far this season we deserve a little luck, but it is clear that Udinese has nothing to do with that. On the other hand: Genoa was the best team in the field and played with 4 strikers after Marco Rossi was substituted by Ruben Olivera. In the 93rd minute Diego Milito scored his 16th goal after a great cross of Paladino: 2-0.

Giuseppe Sculli celebrates his goal together with Mimmo Criscito in front of the Main stand

Genoa with Giuseppe Sculli against Udinese

George W. Bush Giuseppe Sculli after his red card against A.S. Roma Silvio Berlusconi

This afternoon Genoa plays against the only Italian team which is still present in European football: Udinese. The black and white team lost last Thursday by 1-0 against Zenit, which was good enough after the 2-0 home-victory. In the quarter finals of Uefa-Cup Udinese plays against Werder Bremen of Germany.

It looked like that besides the injured Motta, Scarpi and Vanden Borre, the banned Jankovic and the recovering Paro our team also had to miss Giuseppe Sculli against Udinese. This week was the process against our wingstriker who made the evil-sign after his red card against A.S. Roma. If you see that “worldleaders” like Bush and Berlusconi can make the sign without any punishment it is unbelievable that our Sculli would be banned of the footballfield for some weeks. Luckily Beppe Sculli did win the process, so he can play with the following other 18 players today at 15.00 hours:

Goalkeepers: Rubinho, Lamanna

Defenders: Biava, Bocchetti, Ferrari, Sokratis, Terigi

Midfielders: Costantini, Criscito, Juric, Mesto, Milanetto, Modesto, Rossi

Strikers: Ferraro, Milito, Olivera, Palladino, Sculli

Genoa wins in Cagliari after 35 years: 0-1

The invisible Ruben Olivera scores the only goal in the 85th minute

Genoa has won the important match to reach European Football against concurrent Cagliari by a late goal of Ruben Olivera in the 85th minute. Surely it was not the best match of the team of Mr. Gasperini, but we missed 3 experienced line-up players with Biava, Ferrari and Thiago Motta.

Genoa started with the young and expected 3 defenders: Sokratis (20), Bocchetti (22) and Criscito (22), while Milanetto substituted Thiago Motta as playmaker. At the beginning Cagliari was the best team in the field with a ball on the post, till referee Gervasoni helped Genoa (yes, it is possible this season) by giving Cossu his second yellow, so red card in the 38th minute. With 1 player more Genoa was the best team in the field and the Gasperini-boys created, but missed many chances. In the 65th minute Olivera finally scored, but the goal was irregulary annulated because of off-side. Six minutes before the end Diego Milito created himself a big chance that ended on the crossbar, but the frustation lasted only 1 minute when Olivera headed a great cross of Palladino behind goalkeeper Marchetti. After the goal our goalkeeper Rubinho had to make another great save to return after 35 years with 3 points to the aiport of Genova.

Supporters welcome Milito and Olivera at Cristoforo Colombo Airport

Because our 3 concurrents didn’t win their match (Fiorentina and Lazio lost, Roma draw) Genoa now is 4th in the standings, 2 points ahead of Fiorentina and Roma.

Derby Sundaynight 3rd May at 20.30 hours

The last derby was decided by Diego Milito who beat his rival Antonio Ca$$ano

Today the Italian Football Association has published the definitive calendar till the 34th playround. Usually the matches at the last 4 playrounds (35 till 38) must begin all at the same time (Sunday 15.00 hours) but this season this is only nescessary the last 2 playrounds. Despite this new rule it looks like that also this year all the teams play at the same time during the last 4 playrounds. Till the end of the season Genoa plays 3 homematches in the evening:

Saturday 11th April 20.30 hours Genoa-Juventus 

Saturday 18th April 18.00 hours Genoa-Lazio   

Sunday 3rd May 20.30 hours Genoa-Sampdoria

All the other matches, after tomorrow in Cagliari, start Sunday-afternoon at 15.00 hours.

Very young Genoa-team plays in Cagliari

Criscito, Palladino and Bocchetti, 3 young talented Genoa-players

This afternoon the plane with 19 players flew towards Cagliari. Genoa plays tomorrow with a very young team against Cagliari because the 3 experienced players Biava, Ferrari and Thiago Motta are all banned after their yellow card last week against Inter. If Mr. Gasperini plays in his usual 3-4-3 system probably the 3 defenders have an total age of only 64 years with Sokratis (20), Bocchetti (22) and Criscito (22). The following players, including Matteo Paro, are preparing themselves to play tomorrow at 18.00 hours the important match against Cagliari: 

Goalkeepers: Rubinho, Scarpi

Defenders: Bocchetti, Criscito, Sokratis, Rossi, Terigi

Midfielders: El Shaarawy, Juric, Mesto, Milanetto, Modesto, Parfait, Paro

Strikers: Jankovic, Milito, Olivera, Palladino, Sculli

Genoa plays, but Inter wins in Marassi: 0-2

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Till yesterday Genoa was unbeaten at home: 8 victories and 4 draws. Also yesterday the team of Mr. Gasperini was the best team in the field with 58% ball-possession, 7-2 advantage in corners and 16 against 8 shots on the goal. Nice numbers, but they don’t count. All that counts is the result of 0-2 by goals of Ibrahimovic (off-side ?!) and Balotelli (did it pass the line ?). Maybe this is the difference between an European topteam like Inter and a club like Genoa that played 3 years ago in Serie C-1.

Thiago Motta is close to score, but again goalkeeper Julio Cesar saves Inter 

Genoa created at least 5 big chances, but did not score. On the other hand if we put on our red and blue glasses also Inter did not score a regular goal because Ibrahimovic in the 2nd minute was in off-side position when he scored and the ball of Balotelli in the 61st minute never completely passed the goalline.

The shot of Balotelli did completely pass the goalline ?!

Of course it is possible to loose against the Champions of Inter, but the most pain of yesterday-evening are the yellow cards of Biava, Ferrari and Motta that all 3 can not play next Saturday at 18.00 hours in and against number 7 Cagliari. A very important match to reach European football at the end of the season.