9 great Genoani beat 11 players of Napoli 3-2

Rubinho saved the 3 points of Genoa just before the end

Till today Napoli was together with Juventus still unbeaten in Serie A. Genoa also missed Matteo Ferrari, Omar Milanetto and Andrea Gasbarroni, 3 of the best players of last weeks, so a very difficult match was expected. The start was even worse, within 26 seconds ex-Genoano Lavezzi scored the opening-goal: 0-1. After a goal of Milito was annulated because of off-side, just before halftime Sokratis Papastathopoulos scored his first goal with Genoa out of a corner: 1-1.

In the second half the match became even more spectacular. In the 51st minute Palladino scored a fantastic combination of Sculli and Milito easily: 2-1. The joy lasted only 3 minutes when Marco Rossi got a red card after a fall against Lavezzi. Of course Napoli did everything to score the equalizer, but it was Diego Milito who headed in the 73rd minute a cross of Juric behind goalkeeper Gianello: 3-1. Within 2 minutes Denis brought Napoli back in the match: 3-2. In the last 20 minutes (15 regulary and 5 very, very long lasting injury-time) a lot happened: 2 yellow cards to Sokratis, so Genoa ended the match with only 9 players, Napoli who wanted a penalty after a fall of Pia and a great save of Rubinho on a header of Denis just before the end, but happily no more goals so we did win also the 3rd homematch: 3-2. We are back at the left-side of the standings with 9 points out of 6 matches. In 2 weeks we play the next match at home against Siena.

Diego Milito scored again  

Genoa misses 3 line-up players against Napoli

Genoa’s-playmaker Omar Milanetto

Today in the topmatch against number 2 our friends of Napoli we miss a lot of players: the line-up players: Ferrari, Milanetto, Gasbarroni and Thiago Motta and the substitutes Potenza, Paro and Olivera. Mr. Gasperini selected yesterday also 19 years old youngster Matteo Perelli to have a complete selection of 18 players:

Goalkeepers: Scarpi, Rubinho

Defenders: Biava, Bocchetti, Criscito, Sokratis, Rossi

Midfielders: Brivio, Jankovic, Juric, Mesto, Modesto, Roman, Vanden Borre

Forwards: Milito, Palladino, Perelli, Sculli

Genoa- and Napolifans celebrate together the return in Serie A

After last year all public was banned to visit the match Napoli-Genoa, today the Napoli-fans are banned because of the problems in Rome during the first match of the season. It’s a pity because Genoa and Napoli-fans are close friends for over 25 years and there are never problems if the two teams play against each other, not even when they play against other for promotion to Serie A.  

Diego Milito beats Ravenna in Coppa Italia 2-1

Diego Milito after one of his goals against Ravenna in Coppa Italia

Genoa is qualified to play in the 1/8 finals in San Siro against Inter. Cupfighters Ravenna took the lead in Luigi Ferraris in the 58th minute by a goal of Pettinari: 0-1. Mr. Gasperini immediately reacted and brought Diego Milito in the field to substitute Jankovic and 11 minutes later he also changed Vanden Borre with Raffaele Palladino. The substitutions were succesful: in the 80th minute Milito scored the 1-1 equalizer and in the 94th and last minute our Prince also scored out of a cross of Palladino the winning goal: 2-1.   

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Mille grazie to Danygrifo and Zenarossoblu for making the video of the goals !!

Tomorrow 18.00: Coppa Italia Genoa-Ravenna

Sokratis Papastathopoules, 22 years old Greek defender

In these times full of Serie A, Champions League and Uefa-cup Genoa has to play tomorrow-evening at 18.00 hours in the fourth round of the Italian cup against Serie C-1 team Ravenna. In the third round Genoa beat Mantova with 3-1 by goals of Olivera (2) and Milanetto. Ravenna has beaten Serie B-team Rimini (by penalty’s) in the second and Palermo (1-2) on Sicily in the 3rd round, so we can say they are real cupfighters.

Mr. Gasperini and his staff selected the following 20 players:

Goalkeepers: Rubinho, Scarpi

Defenders: Biava, Bocchetti, Criscito, Ferrari, Sokratis

Midfielders: Brivio, Cofie, Domingo, Juric, Mesto, Modesto, Roman, Rossi, Vanden Borre

Strikers: Jankovic, Milito, Olivera, Sculli

Because Genoa plays Sunday the important homematch against Napoli it is expected that tomorrow the substitutes will play against Ravenna. The expected line-up is: Scarpi; Sokratis, Biava, Bocchetti; Mesto, Roman, Vanden Borre, Brivio; Jankovic, Olivera, Sculli.

Lucho Figueroa returns to Argentina (Boca)

Luciano Figueroa celebrates a goal

One of the most popular players leaves us: Luciano Figueroa returns to his homecountry to substitute Martin Palermo the striker of Boca Juniors who is heavily injured. After the comeback of Milito very friendly Lucho is the 3rd central-forward with Genoa, which means that he is the substitute of both Milito and Olivera. Genoa rents Figueroa to Boca Juniors, that also has the chance to buy him at the end of the rental-period for only $ 1.5 million. Goodbye Lucho and lots of succes with the Genovese team of Buenos Aires.   

Good playing Genoa lost in Florence: 1-0

The goal of Alberto Gilardino

On this website we hardly never speak about referees, but sometimes we have to. Here in Holland the whole week the newspapers still are full of referee Braamhaar who refused to give visitors Ajax a clear penalty and a few minutes later gave hometeam Feyenoord a very dubious penalty in the battle of Holland last Sunday. Last Wednesday Genoa was lucky when referee Brighi annulated a regular goal of Panucci and yesterday referee Rosetti (the best in Italy they say ?) let Gilardino score the only goal while he was in off-side position. He also refused to give Milito a penalty in the 93rd minute. The explanation of all of these moments is very easy: the referee always helped the hometeam with the very passioned fans. We can now easily prove that the public can help you to win points.

Mr. Gasperini gave Biava, Juric, Modesto, Sculli and Milito rest yesterday and started with Sokratis, Bocchetti, Vanden Borre, Olivera and Palladino in the line-up. Unless the 5 substitutions the team played a good match and was unlucky that goalkeeper Frey of Fiorentina had an incredible good reaction on a shot of Milito in the 2nd half and referee Rosetti did not whistle when Gilardino scored in off-side position in the 60th minute.

   Palladino irregulary stopped by Donadel of Fiorentina

Milito back in Argentinian national-team

Diego Milito celebrates one of his goals against A.S. Roma

Mr. Gasperini did it again ! After the selection of Marco Borriello last year in the Italian national-team now his substitute Diego Milito is selected to play again in the Argentinian national-team. The Southamerican team plays at Saturday 11th October in Montevideo against Uruguay and Wednesday 15th October in Santiago against Chili. Our 29 years old central forward (who already joined Genoa from January 2004 till August 2005) played already 14 matches and scored 4 goals in the Argentinian team.

Genoa bought Milito at (or just after) the last minute of the transfer-period. The door of the office of the Italian Football Association was already closed at the moment the signed contract arrived by fax, but Genoa’s technical director Fabrizio Preziosi waited for the contract inside the office of the Football Association while the manager of Milito: Federico Pastorello through the contract over the wall towards him.

See the video: http://www.sportmediaset.it/calcio/video/video1962.shtml

Vanden Borre back in Florence with Motta

Anthony Vanden Borre is since January with Genoa

With 3 topmatches in 6 days Mr. Gasperini  has to change the team at some positions tonight at 20.30 hours against Fiorentina. The rumours say that tonight Vanden Borre, Jankovic and Sokratis start in the line-up to give players like Juric, Sculli and Biava some rest. Mr. Gasperini left Potenza (arrived this summer from Fiorentina, but is injured), Paro (training to get in condition after his heavy knee-injury), Gasbarroni (slightly injured) and Figueroa (probably returns to Argentina) in Genova and went by coach to Toscany with the following 21 players:

Goalkeepers: Lamanna, Rubinho, Scarpi

Defenders: Biava, Bocchetti, Criscito, Ferrari, Sokratis

Midfielders: Brivio, Juric, Mesto, Milanetto, Modesto, Rossi, Thiago Motta, Vanden Borre

Forwards: Jankovic, Milito, Olivera, Palladino, Sculli 

Stadio Artemio Franchi of Florence

Genoa gets the support by over 2.000 redblue fans tonight in Stadio Artemio Franchi. 

Prince of Genova beats emperor of Rome: 3-1

Milito celebrates his goal with Sculli (scorer of the first goal) and Palladino

Last year Genoa played a fantastic first season in Serie A after 12 years in B and C-1, only a victory against at least one of the 4 big clubs (Inter, Roma, Juventus and Milan) failed. This season Genoa had to play the first 2 homematches against 2 teams of the big 4: Milan and Roma. A very difficult opening of the season also because Genoa has a lot of new players that have to learn the typical Dutch way of football of Mr. Gasperini, but we also have Diego Alberto Milito back in the team ….

As published on our website Tuesday Mr. Gasperini also selected the not completely recuperated Andrea Gasbarroni, the motor of Genoa against Milan. Everyone including coach Spaletti of Roma was surprised that Gasbarroni not only was inbetween the selection of 18 players, but also started in the line-up. Within 3 minutes the very fast and technical player sent a beautiful cross towards Giuseppe Sculli who surprised experienced defender Riise and goalkeeper Doni and scored the first goal. 

Giuseppe Sculli surprises Bjarne Riise and goalkeeper Doni and scores 1-0 after 3 minutes

Of course Roma was awake after the goal and they honestly were the rest of the first half the best team in the field. In the 28th minute Daniele de Rossi scored the deserved equalizer by heading in a very dubious free-kick. Till half time Genoa saved the 1-1.

In the second half Genoa played a lot more pressure and did not longer walk back towards the own penalty-area if Roma attacked and so a very nice match on a high level with 2 equal teams was created. After 55 minutes Andrea Gasbarroni was substituted by Raffaele Palladino who showed why he is one of the biggest talents of Italy. In the 61st minute Milito scored the leading goal: 2-1 when he reacted perfectly on a header of Juric. As a real goalscorer Milito was at the right moment at the right place and he scored this difficult opportunity easily. Only 5 minutes later everyone thought that Panucci (again an ex-player of Genoa) scored the 2-2 equalizer but the goal was irregular annulated by the linesman because of off-side. Roma was frustated which was the sign to Palladino to dribble around Daniele de Rossi who kicked him and got his 2nd yellow, so red card. The match still was not played, but in the 87th minute a perfect cross of Palladino was scored by the Prince of Baires (Argentina): Diego Milito, again at the right place at the right moment: 3-1. The match now was over and Genoa booked the 2nd victory against a team of the big 4 and Milito is the topscorer of Serie A: 4 goals in only 3 matches.

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Mr. Gasperini selects also Andrea Gasbarroni

Diego Milito after his first goal of the season against Milan (2-0)

Only 3 days after the match aginst Palermo a big opportunity to Genoa to forget the defeat in Sicily. Last year Genoa was both times very unlucky against Roma. In Luigi Ferraris we lost by a goal of ex-Genoano Panucci in the 90th minute (0-1), while in Stadio Olimpico Genoa came back after 2-0 in the first half till 2-2 (Rossi and Leon). Just before the end referee Banti helped the topteam of Rome with a very cheap penalty that was scored by Daniele de Rossi (3-2).

Mr. Gasperini selected the following 20 players for tomorrow’s-match:

Goalkeepers: Scarpi, Rubinho

Defenders: Biava, Bocchetti, Criscito, Ferrari, Sokratis

Midfielders: Brivio, Juric, Mesto, Milanetto, Modesto, Rossi, Vande Borre

Forwards: Jankovic, Gasbarroni, Milito, Olivera, Palladino, Sculli

 Gentleman Gian Piero Gasperini asks justice of referee Banti