Genoa Club Amsterdam

Genoa was just like last summer the most active club on the transfermarket. The following transfers were made:

defenders:

new: Luca Antonelli (Parma);

gone: Andrea Ranocchia (Inter), Nenad Tomovic (Lecce)

midfielders:

new: Abdoulay Konko (Sevillia), Juraj Kucka (Sparta Prague), Enej Jelenic (Koper);

gone: Houssine Kharja (Inter), Francesco Modesto (Parma)

strikers:

new: Mauro Boselli (Wigan), Alberto Paloschi (Parma), Antonio Floro Flores (Udinese), Federico Rodriquez (Penarol);

gone: Luca Toni (Juventus), Giuseppe Sculli (Lazio), Raffaele Palladino (Parma), Gergely Rudolf (Bari)

Genoa also already bought 4 new players who arrive next summer: José Ze Eduardo (Santos), Valter Birsa (Auxerre), Francesco Acerbi (Reggina) and Dedé (Vasco da Gama)

This afternoon our President Mr. Enrico Preziosi gave an emotional press-conference. He admitted that he made some mistakes with the transfers last summer (Toni, Zuculini, Eduardo), but the critics of the journalists and a little part of the fans of Genoa against him and his family are too heavy at the moment. If things don’t turn into a normal situation Preziosi threathed that he will sell Genoa at the end of this season.

At the end of the conference Preziosi officialized the departure of Giuseppe (Beppe) Sculli towards Lazio today. Our striker is immediately substituted by Antonio Floro Flores (Udinese) who already trained with Genoa this afternoon. Next Thursday also our ex-midfieldplayer Abdoulay Konko returns from Sevillia to Genoa. In the summer of 2008 Konko was sold for € 9 million to Sevillia, now after 2 1/2 years he returns with Genoa and Preziosi has to pay only € 6 million back now. Another financially good deal!

 

With a delay of 24 hours because of his injury Genoa decided at the end to hire Mauro Boselli the rest of the season of Wigan. In July Genoa can buy the striker who won 2 times the Coppa Libertadores (South American Champions League) from which he was also topscorer with 8 goals. The price is already fixed on € 7 million. Because of the injury we have to wait till the end of the month (derby ?!) before Mauro can play his first match with Genoa. In the meanwhile Gergely Rudolf is rented to Bari for the rest of the season to have more playtime in Serie A and return more experienced next season. 

Today was also the official presentation of Luca Antonelli (Parma ) and Juraj Kucka (Sparta Prague). The Slovacchian already played yesterday with Genoa in San Siro against Inter. Antonelli is injured and can probably play at the end of January (like Boselli).

Tonight Genoa lost 3-2 in San Siro against Inter in the 1/8 finals of Coppa Italia. The 2 goals were scored by Kharja (penalty) and Sculli, both in the 2nd half in which Genoa played a lot better than before the break. Man of the match was Samuel Eto’o who scored twice before halftime. Our ex-defender Andrea Ranocchia should be sent off with a red card after his irregular stop of Rudolf. Besides the penalty it also should be red.

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Yesterday-evening it was big news everywhere in the world: Genoa bought two Argentinian strikers with the name Mauro: Boselli and Formica. Now 24 hours later both transfers failed in the last minute. Formica yesterday already left the trainingscamp of Newell’s Old Boys in Argentina and was on his way to the airport to fly to Genova when at the last minute the transfer failed because Genoa wanted to pay the transfersum after the medical test and Newell’s wanted Genoa to pay before Formica left Argentina. At the same time Genoa agreed with Wigan (Premier League, England) of hirering striker Mauro Boselli the rest of this season with an option to buy him this summer. This afternoon Boselli already arrived in Genova to have his medical test and to sign the contract to be in time to play against Udinese next Sunday. Unfortunately Boselli did not pass the medical test, so also this transfer failed at the last minute. Hopefully the new striker(s) will arrive soon, because in 4 days we play against Udinese.      

 

The first match of Genoa in 2011 ended in a goalless draw, which was the most right result. Genoa started the match with Bosko Jankovic in the line-up and Kaka Kaladze to substitute Andrea Ranocchia in our defence. In the first half runner-up Lazio was the best team in the field, but Eduardo kept his goal clean. In the second half Genoa played more offensive and created the best chances, but Toni, Rossi and Kaladze missed them. On the other hand Lazio was most close to open the score when Hernanes hit the post in the 60th minute. With this result Genoa stays on the 10th place in the standings, while we played 1 match less because of the posponed derby.

Since President Preziosi gave Luca Toni a 3 on a base of 1 tot 10 in an interview the rumours said that our most earning player (€ 4 million a year) wanted to leave our club. Yesterday against Lazio also a part of the Genoa-supporters whistled at the moment Toni touched the ball, because they expected Toni to admit his disappointing way of playing instead of immediately saying that he would leave Genoa. Of course a President must never criticize a single player in the newspapers, but also a player must not immediately react by saying that he wants to leave the club after some critics, especially if you don’t play very good and you earn an enormous salary. Luca Toni today singed a 18 months contract with Juventus. Genoa did not even ask a transfersum, in 18 months the club saves € 6 million salary which is enough to Mr. Preziosi. The substitute probably will be the Argentinian striker Mauro Boselli of Wigan (England), the former teammate of Rodrigo Palacio with Boca Juniors.

Mr. Ballardini has selected 21 players to book the first victory in 2011 tomorrowafternoon at 15.00 hours in Luigi Ferraris against runner-up Lazio. Inbetween the selection are Enjec Jelenic (Koper) and youngster Sturaro (Genoa-primavera). The complete team that is now preparing in the Sheraton-hotel to play against Lazio:

GOALKEEPERS: 1 Eduardo, 88 Perin, 73 Scarpi

DEFENDERS: 2 Chico, 3 Dainelli, 13 Kaladze, 20 Mesto, 24 Moretti, 4 Criscito

MIDFIELDERS: 11 Kharja, 77 Milanetto, 18 Rafinha, 7 Rossi, 30 Sturaro, 42 Veloso

STRIKERS: 25 Boakye, 22 Destro, 71 Jankovic, 29 Jelenic, 17 Rudolf, 9 Toni

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Last night Mr. Fabrizio Preziosi has bought the strong 23 years old midfieldplayer of Sparta Prague: Juraj Kucka. The international of Slovakia played at the World-cup last summer against Italy and Holland. Rumours say that also the brother of Diego Milito: defender Gabriël Milito will arrive from Barcelona to substitute Andrea Ranocchia. 

The first 2 new players has arrived: left wing-defender Luca Antonelli and striker Alberto Paloschi, both raised in the youth of A.C. Milan and played with Parma this season. Antonelli already is a Genoa-supporter as son of father Roberto who played with Genoa in the early 80’s before Luca was born. Andrea Antonelli is a fanatic Genoa-supporter with a seasonticket of Gradinata Sud who can now see his brother Luca in the loved red and blue shirt every 2 weeks in Luigi Ferraris. Alberto Paloschi is a very talented striker who scored his first goals in Serie A with A.C. Milan.

We all knew that Mr. Preziosi is not happy with the results so far this season. Our succesfull coach and friendly gentlemen Gian Piero Gasperini was fired in November and now there is a little revolution going in the selection of players.

Maybe our best player this season, Andrea Ranocchia is sold to Inter that pays € 12,5 million to have our very talented defender. Last summer Inter already spend € 6,5 million to have 50% of Andrea, so Preziosi earns € 19 million and makes a profit of € 14 million in 2 years after paying Frosinone (Serie B) € 5 million in 2008. Let’s hope this money will be totally invested in new players.

Raffaele Palladino (rented) and Cicco Modesto (sold) go to Parma and Nenad Tomovic is hired to Lecce. The rumours say that also Houssine Kharja, Franco Zuculini, Gergely Rudolf and probably Mimmo Criscito, Beppe Sculli and Luca Toni will leave Genoa before 31st January. Our topscorer is furious of Mr. Preziosi who gave him in an interview a 3 on a base of 1 tot 10 for his way of playing the first half year with Genoa. Now Luca probably will be the substitute of injured Pippo Inzaghi with A.C. Milan.

 

Trainer Gian Piero Gasperini and his staff selected the following 20 players to open the Serie A season today against Udinese:

3 Goalkeepers: Eduardo, Scarpi and Perin

5 Defenders: Criscito, Dainelli, Moretti, Ranocchia and Tomovic

6 Midfielders: Mesto, Milanetto, Rafinha, Rossi, Veloso and Zuculini

6 Strikers: Destro, Palacio, Palladino, Rudolf, Sculli and Toni

Genoa misses Sassa Bocchetti (99% sure leaves to Russia: Rubin Kazan) and the injured Chico, Kharja, Fatic and Jankovic.

Mr. Preziosi again bought 3 players with international experience, 2 of them (Veloso and Rafinha) play in the team of Mr. Gasperini this season, the 3rd Kevin Prince Boateng of Ghana is rent by Genoa to A.C. Milan. 

Miguel Veloso is a 24 years old midfieldplayer of Sporting Lissabon and the National team of Portugal. After goalkeeper Eduardo another Portugese player in our team who played at the World Cup in South Africa. 

Márcio Rafael Ferreira de Souza is born at 7th September 1985, so he is almost 25 years old. The Brazilian defender plays under the name Rafinha and was bought of Schalke 04 in Germany which team he joined the last 5 seasons. Rafinha also played once in the Brazilian National team.  

In the friendly match against Athletico Bilbao (Spain) last week which gave Genoa the Tropheo Spagnolo (1-0 by a goal of Luca Toni) Giuseppe Sculli said goodbye to the fans because of his dreamtransfer to Inter. Happily for all Genoa-fans the transfer never became definitive, so Beppe stays another season with us.   

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