Genoa misses goalkeeper Amelia in Palermo

Marco Amelia against Juventus

Tomorrownight at 20.45 hours Genoa plays in and against Palermo. The pink team of the island Sicily was beaten last Thursday with 5-3 by Inter. With Genoa Moretti and Scarpi return after the punishment of Lega Calcio because of their red cards. Especially the return of Alessio Scarpi is necessary because our usual goalkeeper Marco Amelia is injured and can not defend our goal against his former team. Also our ex-goalkeeper Rubinho who was changed with Amelia last summer does not play tomorrow because he lost his position of best goalkeeper of Palermo a few weeks ago.

This afternoon Mr. Gasperini flew with the following 20 players towards Sicily:

GOALKEEPERS: Russo, Scarpi

DEFENDERS: Biava, Bocchetti, Esposito, Moretti, Sokratis, Tomovic

MIDFIELDERS: Cofie, Mesto, Milanetto, Modesto, Raggio Garibaldi, Rossi, Zapater

STRIKERS: Crespo, Floccari, Palacio, Palladino, Sculli   

Stadio Renzo Barbera of Palermo seen from above the visitors-sector

Genoa beats Fiorentina:2-1 (Palladino,Mesto)

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Every Genoa-fan who watched the match last night has become at least 10 years older, but we have beaten Fiorentina. The team of Florence that stole 2 points last year which at the end gave them a place in Champions League. Last year we deserved a lot more to win than this year, but who cares! Now Genoa is on the shared 5th position with Milan.

Genoa missed the line-up players Moretti, Criscito, Juric and Mesto in the field and Mr. Gasperini on the bench in this important match against the purple of Toscany. In the beginning Fiorentina was the best team in the field, but after half an hour Genoa went stronger and stronger. The openinggoal was fabulously scored by Raffaele Palladino with a backwards shot that surprised everybody including experienced goalkeeper Frey of Fiorentina: 1-0, which was also the score at halftime.

Raffaele Palladino scores with his fantastic backwards shot against Fiorentina  

In the 2nd half Fiorentina was the master in the field and after they hit the post twice substitute Marchionni scored the deserved equalizer: 1-1. The joy of the Toscanies lasted only ten minutes when substitute Palacio gave a fantastic assist to the other substitute Mesto who scored easily under Frey: 2-1. After the goal Fiorentina was again the best team in the game, but our defense with goalkeeper Amelia did not break like last year, so this time we beat the rivals of Florence: 2-1. 

Giandomenico Mesto scores the winning goal against Fiorentina under Frey

Tomorrow 20.45 hours: Genoa-Fiorentina

Banned Mr. Gasperini celebrates a goal against Torino

Yesterday Lega Calcio squalified gentlemen Gian Piero Gasperini because of his behaviour at the moment Cagliari scored the winning goal last Sunday. It looks like the old days of a few years ago returned …..

Besides Mr. Gasperini (who can watch the match on top of the Tribuna Stampa just as 2 years ago against Torino) Genoa also misses banned Scarpi and Moretti, while Criscito, Fatic, Jankovic, Juric and Kharja are injured. Because Stephan el Shaarawy plays the World Cup under 17 our coach tomorrow Mr. Bruno Caneo has only 18 players of the first team left, so he also took the youngsters Grea and Raggio Garibaldi in his selection:

GOALKEEPERS: Amelia, Russo

DEFENDERS: Biava, Bocchetti, Esposito, Rossi, Sokratis

MIDFIELDERS: Grea, Mesto, Milanetto, Modesto, Raggio Garibaldi, Tomovic, Zapater

STRIKERS: Crespo, Figueroa, Floccari, Palacio, Palladino, Sculli

Stronger Genoa beaten by Cagliari + Gava:3-2

Genoa took 2 times the lead by goals of Mesto and Floccari but at the end Cagliari with the help of referee Gava decided the match with 2 goals in the last minutes.

Rafaelle Palladino again was one of the best Genoa-players

The problem of the matches against Inter and Lille was that we did not score, worse we hardly get real chances to make a goal. Yesterday we scored twice, a lucky free-kick by Mesto and a regular goal by Floccari. Till 15 minutes before the end Genoa was only beaten by an off-side goal of Cagliari and everything seemed under control. In the 77th minute referee Gava gave Cagliari a penalty because of hands of Biava and a second yellow, so red card to Moretti. The penalty was scored by Nene and 3 minutes before the end also the last goal was totally unnecessary scored by Cagliari after Sokratis lost the ball without any reason on midfield. Again a defeat of Genoa, but this time we deserved at least a draw. Wednesday we can have revanche if Fiorentina visits Luigi Ferraris.

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Crespo + Biava back in team against Cagliari

Crespo scores 2-1 against Juventus

The totalscore of the last 2 matches against Inter and Lille is 0-8, so time to change! This afternoon Mr. Gasperini flew with 20 players towards Cagliari on the island Sardinia. Genoa misses the operated Kharja and Jankovic, squalified Scarpi and the injured Criscito, Fatic and Figueroa. These 20 players take care of a good result tomorrow:

GOALKEEPERS: Amelia, Russo

DEFENDERS: Biava, Bocchetti, Esposito, Moretti, Sokratis

MIDFIELDERS: Juric, Mesto, Milanetto, Modesto, Raggio Garibaldi, Rossi, Tomovic, Zapater

STRIKERS: Crespo, Floccari, Palacio, Palladino, Sculli

Genoa beaten by Lille in Europa League: 3-0

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A beautiful European day to 2000 Genoani including the 6 members of Genoa Club Amsterdam (Ad, Bart, John, Paolo, Tim and Hans) ended in a disaster. In the morning we left Holland and 3 hours later we already reached the border of France. After a visit of Tournai to meet Luca and friends we went to Lille and entered the stadium together with Eugenio who took care of our tickets in the Main-stand.

Genoa started the match with Criscito, Juric and Rossi back in the line-up. Unfortunately we missed experienced defender Biava with influenza. In the first 38 minutes both teams were equal with only little opportunites to both sites. In the 38th minute Lille opened the score by a header of Obraniak. This goal and the fact that Criscito had to leave the field with an injury (did Mimmo start to soon after his injury?) changed the match completely.

Juric, Milanetto and Moretti have to defend against Lille

After the break Genoa tried to play more offensive to score the equalizer, but every minute Lille became stronger. Maybe the 0-5 defeat against Inter last Saturday still was in the mind of our players because it looked like that a lot of them did not had any self-confidence. In the 63rd minute the expected second goal of Lille was scored by Vittek.

Vittek scored the 2-0 of Lille; Milanetto and Moretti are beaten

Also in the last half an hour Genoa tried to return in the match, but it never happened. Six minutes before the end also the last and most frustrating goal of the match was scored by Lille. A great run of youngster Hazard ended behind our goalkeeper Amelia: 3-0. The other match between Valencia and Slavia Praha ended in a 1-1 draw, so Genoa stays on the third position and has to win the next 2 matches against Lille and Slavia Praha to have a chance to be present in Europe after the winter.

Gasperini with 22 players + 2000 fans to Lille

Stadium Lille

Genoa plays tomorrow at 21.05 hours the important match in Group B of Europa League in and against Lille. The French have just like Valencia 4 points after 2 matches, which means that Genoa (3 points) at least has to draw tomorrow. Thursday 5th November the return-matches are programmed which means that Lille arrives in Luigi Ferraris in 2 weeks. Mr. Gasperini flew this afternoon with 22 players towards Lille, including the returned Criscito, Juric and Rossi. Let’s hope these 3 line-up players will start tomorrow in the little stadium with a capacity of 18.000 fans. The following 22 players get the support of 2.000 (including 6 of Genoa Club Amsterdam) Genoa-fans tomorrow:

GOALKEEPERS: Amelia, Scarpi, Russo

DEFENDERS: Bocchetti, Criscito, Esposito, Moretti, Sokratis, Tomovic 

MIDFIELDERS: Juric, Mesto, Milanetto, Modesto, Raggio Garibaldi, Rossi, Sculli, Zapater

STRIKERS: Figueroa, Floccari, Palacio, Palladino, Sculli   

Genoa misses the injured players: Biava, Crespo, Fatic, Jankovic and Kharja who can watch the match on tv, just as all Genoa-fans in and around Amsterdam in Satellite Sportscafé in the city-centre (Leidseplein) of the Capital of Holland.

Genoa was without any chance against Inter

Diego Milito is back home with Inter and waves to his fans in Luigi Ferraris

For the first time in 26 years Genoa lost a homematch with a difference of 5 goals. Last Saturdaynight Inter played one of their best matches of the last years and beat Genoa by 0-5. Unless the ball-possession of 53% Genoa shot only 1 time on the goal of Inter goalkeeper Julio Cesar. Omar Milanetto scored, but the goal was dubiously annulated because of off-side. The black and blue of Milano with a fantastic Wesley Sneijder shot 6 times on the goal of Amelia and scored 5 times, 3 goals in the first half and the other 2 after the tea-break. With 13 points in 8 matches Genoa is now 6th in the standings.

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Hands off our Luigi Ferraris Stadium !!

Hands off Luigi Ferraris

This picture is made by Grifoni in Rete (many thanks !!)

Everybody with a red and blue hart is furious. Both the city of Genova and the president of Sampdoria want to build a new stadium elsewhere in Genova to substitute the famous Luigi Ferraris stadium, home of Genoa since 1933. Italy wants to organize the European Championships in 2016 and Genova wants to be one of the cities that organizes some matches. Because Luigi Ferraris stadium is close to a prison, does not have enough parking-facilities and is located next to the Bisagno-river it should not be good enough to use during the European Championships. Bullshit of course, if you reconstruct the stadium as done before in 1990 and you break down the prison you can construct many parkingplaces behind Gradinata Nord and the stadium is ready to use during Euro 2016.

Fridaynight there is a protest at 21.00 hours in the city-centre and Saturday the Genoa-supporters walk together to Luigi Ferraris to protest against the demolish of our loved stadium. Hands off Luigi Ferraris stadium, home of Genoa since 1933 and monument of the city with the oldest football-club in Italy !!  

Genoa ruins 100th birthday of Bologna: 1-3

Genoa-players celebrate the victory in Bologna: 1-3

After 3 matches with only 1 point (2-2 against Juventus) Genoa was yesterday special guest at the 100th birthdayparty of Bologna with master of ceremonies referee Gervasoni. Stadium Renato Dall’Ara was filled with 30.000 enthousiastic fans waving with their red and blue Bologna-flags. The hometeam played in beautiful old traditonal shirts against our team with Esposito, Kharja, Milanetto, Modesto and Palladino in the line-up.

Bologna started the match very agressive and goalkeeper Amelia already had to make some saves in the first minutes. In the 10th minute Floccari ran inside the penaltyarea of Bologna and was irregulary stopped by Portanova: penalty ! Since Floccari missed the penalty against Chievo little playmaker Kharja is our new penaltyman and he realized the opportunity very calm: 0-1.

Kharja scored the opening-goal against Bologna

After the goal Genoa was the better team in the field, Bologna was clearly shocked they were 0-1 down while they played so good in the opening minutes. In the 35th minute Genoa doubled the scored with a great goal after a fantastic combination of Modesto and Palladino at the leftside of the field, Modesto played the ball towards Floccari who’s cross was realized by Sculli: 0-2, halftime.

In the 2nd half referee Gervasoni did everything to help Bologna in their birthdaymatch. In the 9th minute he gave Mesto his second undeserved yellow card, so Genoa had to play with 10 against 11 the rest of the match. Every free-kick was given to Bologna and finally in the 85th minute he also gave the hometeam a ridiculous penalty that was realized by our ex-striker Marco di Vaio: 1-2. Of course Bologna did everything to score also the equalizer, but it was our substitute Nenad Tomovic who decided the match. In the 90th minute he received the ball a few meters over the halfwayline and he started to run towards the Bologna goal and passed 4 defenders, crossed the ball towards the other substitute Zapater who easily scored: 1-3, game over! We now are 5th in the standings with 13 points in 7 matches. The next match against Inter is Saturday 17th October.

Alberto Zapater celebrates his deciding 1-3 goal in Bologna   

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