Keepers-exchange: hello Amelia, thanks Ruby

27 years old goalkeeper Marco Amelia

Today everybody was surprised by the exchange of goalkeepers between Palermo (Amelia) and Genoa (Rubinho). Everybody knew that Rubinho refused to enlarge his contract that ends next year and we all read that Mr. Preziosi wanted to pay him a higher salary because of Ruby’s improval last season, but nobody every thought about an exchange with Marco Amelia of Palermo. Amelia asked his President Mr. Zamparini permission to return to the North of Italy and to let him play in Europe because he wants to keep his position as second goalkeeper of the National team of Italy behind Buffon. Now both goalkeepers and both clubs are happy, but our Mr. Gasperini has to create a complete new hart of the team with the departure of Rubinho, Ferrari, Motta and Milito.

Rubinho saved the 3 points of Genoa just before the end

In the meanwhile Genoa also found a new shirtsponsor with the Italian Fashion company Gaudi Trade and Wednesday we draw 0-0 against Reggiana (Serie C-1) in Reggio Emilia.

Genoa-Nice 0-3; 20.200 seasontickets sold

3 midfieldplayers of Genoa against Nice: Mesto, Juric and Kharja

After beating Acqui Terme by 0-6 last Wednesday (2 goals of Milanetto; Fatic, Juric, Rossi and Modesto all scored once) yesterday Genoa played in Piëmonte against Olympique Nice of the France Ligue 1. De match started with a delay of half an hour because of an attack of 400 French (and Torino ?) hooligans against the Genoa-supporters. A cowardly action because 95% of the Genoani were formed by families with children.

Genoa played a good match in the first 45 minutes with a big chance to Hernan Crespo who failed to score. Between the 55th and 60th minute 3 big mistakes of the Genoa-defence, so 3 goals to Nice. In the last half an hour a lot of players were substituted but the score did not change any more: 0-3. Next week Ligue 1 starts in France and Olympique Nice is ready to start, Mr. Gasperini still has 18 days before our first important match at Thursday 20th Augustus in Europa League (drawing next Friday). In the meanwhile Genoa already sold 20.200 seasontickets, so we are close to last season with 22.856 and the all-time record of 23.125 in the last Uefa-Cup season 91-92.

Last (?) 2 new players: Esposito and Zapater

Fabrizio Preziosi and new defender Andrea Esposito

Mr. Preziosi gave our coach Gian Piero Gasperini the 2 players he wanted the most. A real substitute to Matteo Ferrari who left Genoa to Besiktas (Turkey), 23 years old central defender Andrea Esposito of Lecce. The young defender already was selected this summer by Italian National team coach Lippi to play the match against Northern Ireland. The tall (1.91) and strong (85 kilos) defender was wanted by a lot of Serie A teams and already signed a pre-contract last month with A.S. Roma, but finally choose Genoa.

Alberto Zapater with his (new) friends Rodrigo Palacio and Hernan Crespo

For years our team missed a real substitute to Ivan Juric, a defensive midfielder with a great tactical vision who can ‘read the match’. In Alberto Zapater the 24 years old captain of Real Zaragoza (Spain) we finally found him. The symbol of Real Zaragoza who was raised in the youth of the club choose Genoa after having several times contact with his former teammate with Zaragoza our topscorer of last year Diego Milito. The midfielder is named El Toro (The Bull) in Spain and was captain of his Spanish team.

Tonight Genoa plays at 18.00 hours against Olympique Nice (Serie A in France).

Serie A 2009-2010: first match: Genoa-Roma

Gradinata Nord

Tonight the new schedule of Serie A ’09-’10 was published by Lega Calcio. Genoa plays the first match in Luigi Ferraris on Sunday 23rd Augustus against A.S. Roma. The second match is 1 week later in Bergamo against Atalanta. The homederby takes place on Sunday 29th November, while the return is on 11th April 2010. The complete schedule including the playdates of the Europa League will be published on this site in a few days.

Anderlecht-Genoa 1-1 (Houssine Kharja)

Houssine Kharja scores against Anderlecht

After beating Stubaital by 17-0 (topscorers Crespo and Floccari who both scored 3 times) and Rodengo Saiano (2-1, goals of Crespo and Sculli) the European adventure of Genoa started last Friday in Brussels against Anderlecht. The Belgium team already trained for 5 weeks because they play this week their first pre-round match of the Champions League, while Genoa only was in training for 11 days. Genoa got the support of 200 fans, including some Dutch members of Genoa Club Amsterdam.

Genoa started the match with the following team: Rubinho; Biava, Bocchetti, Moretti; Mesto, Kharja, Juric, Criscito; Sculli, Crespo and Jankovic. After 14 minutes Juhasz scored the opening goal, but only 12 minutes later our central midfieldplayer Houssine Kharja scored just outside the penaltyarea the equalizer: 1-1. Despite several chances both teams did not score anymore, so Genoa left Brussels with a draw.

Next Wednesday Genoa plays against Acqui (Serie D) and Saturday Olympique Nice is our following opponent. Wednesday 5th August we play in Reggio Emilia against their hometeam Reggiana (Serie C-1) and 3 days later we play against Pro Vercelli the team that was 7 times Champion of Italy in the past and now plays in Serie C-2. The pre-season ends with the match at Thursday 13th August in Spain against Villareal, exactly 7 days before the first match in the Europa League and 10 days before the start of Serie A.

Moretti + Palacio arrived; Ferrari to Besiktas

Defender Emiliano Moretti in the shirt of Valencia against Barcelona  Wing-striker Rodrigo Palacio with the Argentinian National team

Matteo Ferrari (29 years) could not refuse the fantastic financial offer of € 2,5 million netto every year of Besiktas (Turkey), so he left Genoa after only 1 fantastic season. With the youngsters Salvatore Bocchetti (22) and Sokratis Papastathopoulos (21) we already have 2 good central defenders in the selection that can substitute “King of the air” Ferrari. Besides the youngsters also 32 years old Giuseppe Biava can play as a central defender, while probably tomorrow also another central defender (Andrea Esposito of Lecce) will be bought by Mr. Preziosi. 

Because Mr. Gasperini transformed Mimmo Crisicito into a left-midfield player we needed a new left defender. After 5 seasons with Valencia (Spain) now Emiliano Moretti (29) returns in his homecountry to play with Genoa. We also found our 6th striker after Sculli, Jankovic, Crespo, Floccari and Palladino in Argentinian Rodrigo Palacio (27) of Boca Juniors, who already played 8 times in his National team. Now Mr. Gasperini has, as he wanted, 6 players who can play as the 3 strikers in the favorite 3-4-3 system.

Ferrari goes ? Panucci and Moretti arrive ??

Ferrari and Sokratis together at the training in Acqui Terme

Matteo Ferrari last year came home from A.S. Roma towards his former club of the beginning of his career: Genoa. This week Matteo received a financial offer you hardly can’t refuse of Besiktas in Turkey. Because he did not sign the contract there is still a little hope that Matteo Ferrari stays with us, but as a good President mr. Preziosi already is bussy to think about a new experienced central defender. Rumours in the media say that Genoa is close to buy 2 experienced Italian defenders: Christian Panucci of A.S. Roma who started his career with Genoa, just as Ferrari, and Emiliano Moretti of Valencia who played before he went to Spain with Fiorentina and Juventus.

Christian Panucci in the shirt of Genoa (1991-1993)   Emiliano Moretti 28 years old defender of Valencia (Spain)

Genoa already sold nearly 17.000 season-tickets in the first 2 weeks of the reserved period to present holders and planned 7 friendly matches in the next weeks:

18th July: Stubaital-Genoa (17.30)
22nd July: Rodengo Saiano-Genoa (17.30)
24th July: Anderlecht (Belgium)-Genoa (20.00)
30th July: Acqui-Genoa (18.00)
2nd August: Alessandria-Genoa (18.00)
9th August: Pro Vercelli-Genoa (18.00)
13th August: Villareal (Spain)-Genoa (evening)

24th July: Anderlecht-Genoa in Brussels

logo of Anderlecht  Anthony Vanden Borre celebrates a goal in the shirt of Anderlecht

The new season starts in just more than 2 weeks at Monday 13th July in Neustift. Genoa stays in Austria till Friday-morning 24th July when the team of Mr. Gasperini goes by plane towards Brussels to play in the evening against Belgium topteam Anderlecht, the former club of Anthony Vanden Borre. Maybe some of our members in Belgium and in the South of Holland have the opportunity to watch this preparingmatch to the first matches in Europa League at 20th and 27th August. 

Yesterday it was only hope, but today it becames true: Genoa bought the missing 50% of Bosko Jankovic of Palermo (€ 3,5 million) and enlarged the stay of Raffaele Palladino in our team with another year. Mr. Gasperini said 2 weeks ago that he wants a maximum of 22 line-up players in his selection. At this moment he can use the following 21 players:

Goalkeepers: Scarpi (and probably Rubinho or Sorrentino)

Defenders: Biava, Bocchetti, Criscito, Ferrari, Sokratis and Tomovic

Midfielders: Juric, Kharja, Mesto, Milanetto, Modesto, Paro, Pelé, Rossi and Vanden Borre

Strikers: Crespo, Floccari, Jankovic, Palladino and Sculli (and probably Dembélé)

Criscito and Bocchetti stay in Rossoblu

Domenico Criscito Salvatore Bocchetti

The great season 2008-2009 was also the season that our 22 years old defenders Salvatore Bocchetti and Mimmo Criscrito definitively changed from talents into complete Serie A-players. Both players are at the moment in Sweden to play with Italy the European Championship for players below 21 years and are also close to the National team of Mr. Lippi. Today Genoa bought the last 50% of Criscito and paid Juventus € 5,5 million for that and last week the same deal was made with Frosinone (Serie B) about Bocchetti which costed around € 2 million. Tomorrow Mr. Preziosi also tries to keep the strikers Jankovic and Palladino with us and he probably also buys Moussa Dembélé of AZ Alkmaar. Besides all the good news it look likes our goalkeeper Rubinho leaves us.

The best moment of the season 2008-2009

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The best moment of the season 2008-2009: the 3rd and deciding goal of Diego Milito in the derby against Sampdoria at Sunday-night 3rd May 2009. At that moment Genoa played with only 9 players after the red cards of Matteo Ferrari and Thiago Motta and 2 of our players are alone in front of the goalkeeper: never seen before !!

After the 10 new players tonight Mr. Blondet of Genoa told on the radio that the Belgium player Moussa Dembélé of AZ or the Dutch player Royston Drenthe of Real Madrid arrives. Personally I think Dembélé is the best of these 2, but as official supportersclub in Holland and Belgium we can be happy that a player of our countries arrives !